Why sign on in Q Classic -- and why so difficult?

bmheck

I've seen fixes to avoid repeated sign ons to the Quicken online account from within Quicken Classic (Windows), but have never seen an explanation of why sign on is needed. I work entirely offline except for downloads of transactions/quotes. So why do I need a Quicken account, other than to pay for the app? And, in particular, why do I need to sign on to it to use a desktop app, meaning Quicken for Windows.

And while we're at it, if Quicken is going to make me sign on for reasons unknown, why couldn't it at least interface with my password manager? And, if I try to access the Quicken community through Help option in the app, why can I not paste my password into the password field? (Try it — it doesn't work.)

Chris_QPW

 but have never seen an explanation of why sign on is needed.

I hate to tell you this, but your use case isn't what Quicken Inc is concerned about.

Most of their customers do want online services, in fact most of the recent updates are for online services.

I do believe the very first reason for adding the Intuit Id in Quicken 2014 was to clamp down on the licensing/who could install, but quickly afterwards it became where any given need for online storage for an online service went there.

Quicken 2013 was the last version that didn't require a Quicken Id, and as such the last truly offline version. At the time Quicken 2014 came out, mentioned in the forum several times that the very fact that they added a Quicken Id to the process meant that it was no subject to at least that authorization server. I don't think basically anyone really thought much about it at the time.

You shouldn't have to log in all the time, but that isn't because the "requirement to login" was removed. It means that they created some kind of "caching" of the login information so that people could work offline, but I don't think they ever intended to be "permanently offline". It is sort of like their concept of Mobile/Web, they are companions, not separate from the Desktop, and as such whereas they might be used for some extended period of time, the idea was always that at some point you come back to the Desktop and "sync". The big problem I see here is that they aren't going to tell the user what "invalidates" the caching of the login information. Clearly somethings do. And some users hit this pretty often. Personally, I think if it wasn't for me testing things for people and basically forcing that kind of thing, I would almost never have to log into the Quicken Id. And maybe it is just the fact that I run One Step Update at least daily that they consider that "logging in" and the fact that you don't do such operations means they force it every once in a while or whatever. But like I said they aren't talking about what causes this, so this is all speculation.

As for the Help → Quicken Community, well the URL they are using is WRONG!

You will notice that my profile icon is in the upper right corner. I'm already logged in. And there is even "C O" under Sign In. But they are asking me to create a new account!

bmheck

Chris_UPW, thanks for the comments. To be clear, I do use online services in the sense of getting updates (download transactions and quotes) — indeed, I do that at least a few times per week. My annoyance is regarding the random occasions when I need to enter my Quicken ID and password, but for what purpose? To prove that I have a Quicken license? Of course I do; I pay a fee every year, as we all do these days. I have licenses for many apps and none of them require me to log on the mother ship site at random intervals to prove it.

Oh well, I realize that this is mostly venting on my part. Quicken is a frustrating product: amazingly good and robust in handling the basics, but with just enough crazy glitches and omissions to drive users mad.

Chris_QPW

I don't really know what to say about having to log into the Quicken Id. I know that I can go months without doing it, and there are people reporting that they have to do it every time they start Quicken. The very fact that they keep how it works a complete mystery makes it impossible to even guess at what is different.