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How to open a very old Quicken file?

AndyKing8787

Hi everyone, I am currently subscribing the Quicken Classic Deluxe. And now I need to open some very old quicken files in which the format of these files is probably quicken 2004 or even older ( These were not created by my subscrition account, But I still need to open them.). But I can't open them using the current vertion. Then I found related information on quicken website saying I need to install quicken 2004 first , open and save the files, download quicken 2013, convert the files into 2013 version, the finally convert them into current version. But I can't open the files on quicken 2004 also. I want to know why this happen and how I can fix that. I really need to open these files. Thank you so much.

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Tom Young

I don't see any overt need to first install Q2004 first:

This FAQ does assume that you (in your case) are currently running Q2004, but if you don't have Q2004 currently running obviously you can't "back up" the data file. You just start with the 3rd step above, ultimately pointing your Q2013 program at that Q2004 data file you want to convert.

splasher

Also, if possible, do this on a different computer than the computer that has your current Quicken installed on, since you can only have one version (year) of Quicken installed at a time.

UKR

The real question here is: Which old version of Quicken software last opened this data file? It doesn't really matter if the data file contains data from, e.g., the year 2004 if the file has already been accessed and converted to, e.g., 2013.
Opening a data file automatically updates it to the file format required by the software you use.
A file converted to a newer Quicken version can no longer be used by an older version of Quicken.

Also be sure to have all the individual files of the file set available for conversion. Quicken data files used by Quicken versions before 2010 used a set of individual files of different file types, but all using the same file name, e.g. QDATA.* (see https://www.quicken.com/support/quicken-data-file-set-extensions ). With Quicken 2010, these individual files were combined into one file of file type QDF with all individual file types combined inside, just like a Zip file containing multiple files.

As @splasher said above, you cannot install two or more versions of Quicken one one computer. Use a different computer or install and use a Virtual Machine environment with another copy of Windows for your additional Quicken version. Installing another version of Quicken automatically removes any and all other currently installed Quicken versions … and you do NOT want to destroy your running Quicken Subscription installation!

As far as maintaining several different Quicken data files on one computer, e.g., your current data file next to one or more separate data files or archive files containing data from prior years …
Please remember to open each of these files at least once a year, to ensure that all of your data files remain compatible with your currently installed Quicken software at the latest software version.
There may come a time where support of older data file formats becomes limited to just a few prior versions.

Ps56k2

if you locate your old Quicken data file - and then Right-Click on it - and then click Properties -
it might give you a clue as to when they were "created" -

Ps56k2

here is the link for the full FAQ on converting various older versions of Quicken data files -
Of course - the older data file has to be in working order and can't be corrupted from way back when…

https://www.quicken.com/support/how-and-when-use-intermediate-version-convert-older-versions-quicken

volvogirl

FYI - All Quicken versions prior to QW2010 store your data in a series of files all sharing the same filename but with different extensions like - .QDF, .IDX, .QEL, & .QPH and all 4 of those files were rolled into a single-file .QDF in starting in 2010.

EDIT: Sorry that was an old link.

Ps56k2

as mentioned - older versions have multiple files per Quicken data file -
to see the Windows file name extensions - you need to turn on that feature in Windows File Explorer -
— File Explorer — any file — View — [x] File name extensions