How to handle Quicken database open by another user

Brams · January 16

We have multiple users on our Windows 10 computer. Sometimes a user is running Quicken (R53.32) and then locks their session. Later, another user signs on and tries to run Quicken. That user gets a brief Quicken message then nothing. A one-line date entry is added to qw.log. Quicken should at least give an error message saying the database is in use. Even better would be to give an option to run Quicken in read-only mode.

Is this how it works on Mac or Windows 11? Is this how it's always worked, or is this a bug?

Rocket J Squirrel · January 16

Only one instance of QWin can run at a time. That's how it's always worked.

If the locked user is unavailable or unwilling to unlock, I'd reboot the PC. That'll teach 'em.

Ps56k2 · January 16

Quicken is a SINGLE USER at a time software program - there is no capability to handle multiple users.
It has a hard enough time trying to handle the SYNC with the Quicken Cloud.

You might mention if the different Win "users" are accessing the same Quicken QDF data file -
or each person has their own Quicken QDF data file ?

Also - does each user have their own Quicken User ID - or all are using a single Quicken User ID ?

Brams · January 16

Sometimes we step away from the computer for a bit and Windows puts the computer to sleep automatically. If I log in next, Quicken is still running in my spouses session. All I want is a message telling me that the data file is in use. Then I can ask my spouse to log back in and close Quicken. That's the correct thing to do. We share our financial accounts and Quicken database. I don't want my spouse to lose any unsaved data if I force a signoff.

When Quicken starts and then disappears a couple of seconds later without any explanation, that's a poor user interface. It makes me think that Quicken crashed.

Ps56k2 · January 16

ok - yes… we all understand

But - again -
Are you accessing the SAME single Quicken QDF data file -
are you both working on the same single Quicken file and accessing all the same accounts, etc ?
OR - do you each use your own separate Quicken data file -

Brams · January 16

As I wrote in my previous post, we share our financial accounts and Quicken database.

splasher · January 16

If it is only you and your spouse, why not create a third Windows user and ONLY use Quicken with that Windows user?

Chris_QPW · January 16

At one time Quicken did report an error like "File in use", but recently OneDrive was changed in a way that broke keeping the data file there. Even though the general policy has always been to not put your data file in a "cloud folder". But since Quicken Inc was getting so many complaints by people that have been storing it there, they took many "runs at" changes that would basically keep retrying to open it on failure to open. (and that didn't even completely fix the problem for everyone putting their data file in the OneDrive folder).

Most likely this is what you are seeing, and why it isn't telling you that another user has the file locked. That is exactly what was the problem with OneDrive, it was locking the data file for some period of time while it was syncing it.

Big rabbit hole!

Brams · January 16

Our QDATA.QDF file is located in c:\Users\Public, not in OneDrive.

Clearly Quicken is detecting that a file is in use and then exiting. It just needs to display a message before it exits. That should be easy to do. From what Chris_QPW wrote, it used to do that. So they should fix the problem.

We certainly would not want to switch users just to run Quicken. My spouse and I want to be able to customize our computer environments. And we need to be able to switch between Quicken and other apps, such as Excel, Notepad++, etc.

Chris_QPW · January 16

Let's see there is your one complaint, and there were hundreds of complaints about OneDrive, and what they did "make it silently ignore a lock" for the OneDrive complainers. What do you think the odds are that they will change it back to the way it was?

Mind you I think they should have just told the OneDrive users; we told you not to do that (but in fact they didn't tell them in the program only in some obscure document or on this forum), but that isn't what they did.

Rocket J Squirrel · January 16

If it's just you and your spouse, and we assume you're friendly and not using Quicken to plan your divorce, just set Windows not to auto-lock after sleep. Set Require sign-in to Never.

UserDavidC · January 16

Quicken has always been a single user application and was never designed for multi-users whether that is two computers, use on a network or two users on the same computer.

The only solution is to exit Quicken whenever you are finished with your session.

To your specific questions:

Is this how it works on MAC? I don't know for sure, but I strongly suspect that it works the same way on MAC as it does in Windows.

or Windows 11? No difference between Windows 10 and 11.

Is this how it's always worked? Yes

or is this a bug? Not a bug.

I believe there is an IDEA post to have Quicken more multi-user friendly, but I can't see that they would ever spend the time or money to rewrite Quicken for multi-users.

Brams · January 22

My complaint is that Quicken starts up and displays the welcome message (see below) for a couple of seconds and then quits with no explanation and no other message. It may be quitting because it detects another user running Quicken on the computer or because the QDF file is in use, or for some other reason. But it should display the reason it is exiting.

SnDKnutDav · January 23

I'm wondering if this couldn't be gotten around by having an extra user on the computer ONLY for Quicken? Then, whoever wanted to use Quicken would login to that account, and log out when done. This might cause more headaches than it solved, though. For instance, access to other files. (E.g., when I make an online purpose, I save the receipt to PDF, then enter the transaction in my ancient version of Quicken, later).

My case is even worse. If I upgrade Quicken, my wife and I are going to want to share it (to divide the work), but we use different computers. Ideally, we'd share either directly over the network, or through Windows OneDrive. If this can't be made to work, I'm not sure I'm going to pay $50/year, or whatever. We never shared my old version, because I used it mainly for my business, but I'm now retired.

splasher · January 23

How to handle Quicken database open by another user

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