Quicken Mac 2007 - Data Migration Kerfuffle

SeismicSkate

I'm now preparing to upgrade from Quicken Mac 2007 to a more recent release. But I'm encountering data errors in at least two test scenarios:

• exporting to QIF and re-importing into a fresh Quicken Mac 2007 file (see screenshot)
The resulting file ends up missing a great deal of info in at least one account.
What sort of transactions do the export routines consider "invalid"? The account itself seems 100% error-free in the original Quicken 2007 for Mac file (apart from some older entries with a non-standard "apostrophe" character in the "Payee" field).

• attempting to Save a Copy (see screenshot)
The result is a collection of three nested folders, all empty.

I would be most grateful for any / all wise guidance on safely migrating my 15+ years of data. Many thanks in advance!

smayer97

What version of macOS are you using? and on what media format is your data file stored, HFS+, APFS?

SeismicSkate

Thanks very much for replying, smayer97. I'm running a 2017 MacBook Pro, under OS High Sierra. The 2TB internal flash drive is formatted as APFS.

smayer97

APFS is your problem. To perform any data file maintenance with QM2007, the data file and QM2007 must reside on a HFS+ formatted drive, since QM2007 does not support APFS.

If you do not already have such a drive, you can create a partition on your current drive using Disk Utility then move both there.

BTW, why are you trying to use QIF to upgrade Quicken? That is not necessary. The current version of Quicken will directly read and import your QM2007 data file. The only thing to do prior is to run File Re-indexing or a Save a Copy using QM2007, then import that file.

SeismicSkate

Thanks so much for the quick reply. Would it be sufficient to place the data file and the application on an external drive formatted as HFS+, while booted on the laptop under its APFS flash drive?

smayer97

Yes, any directly connected HFS+ formatted drive will do.

SeismicSkate

I just gave this a shot on an external drive that is definitely formatted as HFS+, and the results were even worse.

• attempting to Save a Copy (see screenshot)
Same error message as before, but this time nothing whatsoever was created – not even a series of empty folders.

• exporting to QIF (see screenshot)
Application refused to even try.

Any suggestions?

SeismicSkate

Curious but positive update –

I have a VERY old thumb drive formatted as "MS-DOS FAT32."

When I copied the Mac application and data file to this old thumb drive, I still receive a few of the same error messages.

BUT all operations seem to work without error (as far as I can so far discern).

Perhaps I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but what could explain this?

smayer97

Those errors are typically from a non-HFS+ drive. Are you certain the output was directed at the HFS+ drive?

Usually it is not a good idea to deal with Mac files on an MS-DOS formatted drive unless the file format is universal for both platforms. Quicken's file format is not. But if it worked, then I guess that is ok.

I would still venture to try again, making sure you are opening a copy of the data file on the HFS+ drive, making sure the QM2007 on the drive is the one opening, and making sure the saved data is directed to the HFS+ drive.

SeismicSkate

Yes, I was very careful to manually click on the copy of the application on the HFS+ external drive, then to open the data file on that same drive, and finally to save copies / exports back to that same drive.

smayer97

Odd…. this is the first time I have heard someone have this kind of trouble following the correct steps.

BTW, did you run a re-indexing before starting (CMD-OPT-B)?

jacobs

[Original reply removed after I re-read the thread.]

SeismicSkate

I had already re-indexed the data file shortly before running the Aug. 24 tests. But this evening I re-indexed once again, on the data file that resides on the HFS+ drive. My results were unfortunately no different –

• attempting to Save a Copy
Same error message as before, but this time nothing whatsoever was created – not even a series of empty folders.

• exporting to QIF
Application refused to even try.

New question: If I upgrade to the current cloud-based version of Quicken for Mac, would that version import my data directly from the QM2007 data file, with no need to export first to QIF?

jacobs

New question: If I upgrade to the current cloud-based version of Quicken for Mac, would that version import my data directly from the QM2007 data file, with no need to export first to QIF?

Yes. @smayer97 mentioned this earlier in the thread; the normal/preferred way to move from Quicken 2007 to modern Quicken Mac is to have Quicken Mac convert your Quicken 2007 data file. No exporting involved. I didn’t realize until re-reading this thread that you hadn’t tried that.

However, there’s a good possibility that whatever is causing the problems you’ve described above may also cause the converter to fail. But you have nothing to lose by trying it.

SeismicSkate

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20380494#Comment_20380494

I had already re-indexed the data file a few days prior, but this evening I re-indexed once again, on the copy residing on the HFS+ external drive. My results were no different.

• attempting to Save a Copy
Same error message as before, but this time nothing whatsoever was created – not even a series of empty folders.

• exporting to QIF
Application refused to even try.

New question: If I upgrade to the current cloud-based version of Quicken for Mac, would that new version import my data directly from the QM2007 data file – no need to export to QIF first?

jacobs

You posted the same thing twice. See the answer to your question in my reply above.