Quicken Windows can't find QDF data file when running Windows in VM on a Mac (edit)

mark chambers

I am running Quicken on a Mac running A Windows 11 VM on Parallels. I have done this for year without much difficulty, but in the last year I started to have problems. First, I got the "you are running Quicken from a remote data file" which I ignored. Now when I start up the program it acts like a new installation. It cannot find the file even if it was open the day before. The "recently open file" choices at the bottom of the file pull down won't work. I have no choice but to restore from a full back up.

I'm doing this for the sake of running the Windows version because I've always heard that the Mac version is inferior.

splasher

I don't know if this applies running in a VM on a Mac, but in a 100% Win setup, the following sometimes is the cause.

Check your filename length. Quicken can get picky about it if it is longer than eight characters, 12345678.QDF. 
Also check that there is not a space at the end before the period.
Rename it in Windows Explorer with Quicken closed. Once renamed, double click on the file to start Quicken with that file, after that, it should find it on its own.
NOTE: The old file name will still be in the Recent File list (File menu), but for more recent versions of Quicken, if you select it, Quicken will tell you it can't find it and offer to remove it from the Recent File list.

Chris_QPW

Whether Quicken Mac is inferior to Quicken Windows depends on your use case.