I run Q2016 on my PC. If I subscribe, will I be able to install it on 3 computers ? (edit)

bruce3404

Actually, I have Q2016 on two computers. I have two locations I work from and I travel a lot. I had Q2016 on my new laptop, but they've made it almost impossible to do a reinstall after my computer crashed. I don't want to have to pay for THREE subscriptions, but I do want to use Quicken again on the new laptop and then transfer my info onto the Q2016 PCs. Is this doable? Is it easy?

Boatnmaniac

To add to what @splasher said: You only need to purchase 1 subscription. You can then install Quicken on all 3 computers with that 1 subscription for no additional cost.

You can read more about this and sharing your data file between computers in this Support Article: https://www.quicken.com/support/can-i-install-quicken-multiple-computers .

bruce3404

Understood. Kind of what I've been doing for years. No problem. Thanks for the response. I'm disappointed that Quicken hasn't gotten their act together to run on different computers. Spotify does, X does, etc, etc.

splasher

While the data file formats are compatible, I believe that you will run into a problem with the registration of the data file when moving from subscription back to 2016 since the 2016 registration servers no longer exist which is why you are having trouble installing it again after the crash.

You could purchase subscription and try it AFTER making system image backups of the computers involved since it may require a system image restore to undo anything doing the test may louse up. The subscription comes with a 30 day refund policy, so it would only be your time and energy lost if the test fails.

Boatnmaniac

To add to what @splasher said: You only need to purchase 1 subscription. You can then install Quicken on all 3 computers with that 1 subscription for no additional cost.

You can read more about this and sharing your data file between computers in this Support Article: https://www.quicken.com/support/can-i-install-quicken-multiple-computers .

bruce3404

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20430323#Comment_20430323

Thanks for chiming in. While I don't want to pay for a subscription, I sure didn't want to pay for three and it appears from Boatnmanic's post that I would only be on the hook for one subscription. Been dodging that for seven years, so I suppose I'll just go for it.

eqpu

try it AFTER making system image backups of the computers involved since it may require a system image restore

If you are using Windows 11 Pro, it has an inbuilt app called Windows Sandbox, which provides you with a virtual machine with fresh install of Windows in a jiffy where you can install the Quicken software, copy the data file to it and try out.

You have to enable the Windows Sandbox in Control Panel - Programs and Features - Turn Windows features on or off.

This is only for trying out new things without affecting your actual PC and the moment you close the Windows Sandbox, all content in it is gone.

Ps56k2

just to be clear - Quicken is NOT a multi-user multi-computer system -
and you would need to manually copy/transfer the Quicken QDF data file from computer to computer
to keep the data up to date as you move around….

bruce3404

Understood. Kind of what I've been doing for years. No problem. Thanks for the response. I'm disappointed that Quicken hasn't gotten their act together to run on different computers. Spotify does, X does, etc, etc.

jacobs

I'm disappointed that Quicken hasn't gotten their act together to run on different computers. Spotify does, X does, etc, etc.

Spotify is a streaming service, pulling in contant to whatever computer it's on. Quicken is a relational database program, which is much more complex. It certainly is possible to design software to have a server-based database accessed by multiple users, but that's way beyond the scope of Quicken. It's why programs like QuickBooks and other full-fledged accounting systems exist. With one subscription, you can access Quicken on different computers in several different ways: moving the file between computers as needed, using screen sharing to access one compute running Quicken, or relying on Quicken's cloud syncing service to allow access via a web interface to your data in Quicken's clould.

Boatnmaniac

Clarifying and expanding upon what @jacobs said: His comments are about Quicken Classic. Quicken has another and fairly new financial platform called Simplifi. It's not as comprehensive and well rounded a financial app as Quicken Classic is but it is being improved upon all the time. It is a Cloud-based app that can be accessed and used by any device that has access to the Internet. For those who what that kind of flexibility and don't mind for all of their financial data being on a Cloud server, then Simplifi might be the better financial app.

bruce3404

Quicken's website is pretty vague re Simplifi. May I assume I can transfer all my old data (30 years worth) to Simplifi? FWIW, I don't use most of the 2016 Quicken program. I have no stocks, I don't want to link anything to my bank and all I really do is enter banking info, occasionally add a new investment (none of which are part of Quicken tracking) and I like to occasionally look at net worth progression along with tracking automatic payments (my mortgage, HOA fees, quarterly estimated taxes, car payments….that sort of stuff). I also reconcile my bank accounts.

My other option would be to simply continue to use Q 2016 on the two computers I have that are running fine….and then when I travel with my almost new laptop (the one that lost Quicken 2016), simply keep a ledger as I'm not traveling all that much anymore; nonetheless, I did like being able to transfer my files to the new laptop and now I can't since I can't get a reinstall to work.

splasher

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20430675#Comment_20430675

Searching the Quicken Simplifi support webpages yields:

https://help.simplifimoney.com/en/articles/5654065-does-quicken-simplifi-work-with-quicken-data

jacobs

Quicken's website is pretty vague re Simplifi. May I assume I can transfer all my old data (30 years worth) to Simplifi?

Nope, don't assume it, because you can't! And if you don't want to link to your bank, Simplifi isn't the right program for you in any case.

My other option would be to simply continue to use Q 2016 on the two computers I have that are running fine….and then when I travel with my almost new laptop (the one that lost Quicken 2016), simply keep a ledger

When you travel, can you instead use a screen-sharing utility so you can use Quicken on your home computer running Quicken? (I'm a Mac user, so I know how to do this on a Mac, but one of the Windows experts would need to share information on how to do this on Windows.)

The only other thing I'd point out is to make sure you have good and regular backups of Quicken, because should you have a problem with one of the old computers and be unable to get Quicken to run, you want to always be able to "escape" to current subscription Quicken with all your data.

bruce3404

Great idea re the screen sharing. I back up my Quicken weekly without fail. Seems years ago they had an automatic cloud backup that cost only around $1/mo if I remember correctly. I was happy to pay for that until I needed it and it was pretty useless, forcing me to rebuild about a month of files. There are some free utilities out there so maybe I'll try one.

Ps56k2

a note - do NOT allow the Quicken QDF data file to be saved onto a local drive that is continuously backed up via OneDrive, DropBox, etc -
there are discussions about file corruption -
Just use the Quicken Manual Backup feature to save…. or just use Windows File Explorer to copy the /Documents/Quicken/ folder…

bruce3404

Thanks for the heads up. I currently only save backups to my PC. No cloud stuff; however, I didn't realize that might cause file corruption.

jacobs

I currently only save backups to my PC. No cloud stuff; however, I didn't realize that might cause file corruption.

Well, as you've discovered that hard way, if your computer suddenly dies and the hard drive is dead, all your data will be gone. You can copy the data file to a flash drive or external hard drive, or use a cloud backup service like OneDrive or Dropbox for your backup (not live) files. Don't wait until after it's too late! 😀