I used Ccleaner on my computer. Now Quicken 2017 won't open. It won't even give an error. It just doesn't do anything.
@lilyrosetony8_ when Quicken 2017 won’t open at all after running CCleaner — no splash screen, no error, nothing — it usually means CCleaner removed registry entries Quicken needs to launch. CCleaner doesn’t delete Quicken’s program files, but its registry cleaning can remove MSI installer references and COM registrations that Quicken 2017 still depends on. When those are missing, Windows tries to start Quicken and immediately exits with no message.
The good news is that CCleaner normally does not delete the critical activation files that Quicken 2017 needs (ProgramData and AppData folders). That means you can possibly get Quicken 2017 working again, but there is no guarantee.
ProgramData
AppData
Fix: reinstall Quicken 2017 and restore your existing activation files.
C:\ProgramData\Intuit\Quicken
C:\Users\<your name>\AppData\Roaming\Intuit\Quicken
C:\Users\<your name>\AppData\Local\Intuit\Quicken
Important: Quicken 2017 is an unsupported, discontinued product, and the old activation servers are no longer available. This means a reinstall will only work if your original activation files are still on the computer. If those folders were deleted or wiped, Quicken 2017 cannot be reactivated.
@lilyrosetony8_ if you are unable to get your Quicken 2017 to work again, your best option is to upgrade to the current Quicken Classic subscription. Even if you are able to get Quicken 2017 up and running again, it’s worth considering upgrading to the current Quicken Classic subscription. It’s actively supported, opens your existing data file, and doesn’t rely on the old activation system, so you won’t get stuck later.
I am not very tech savy. If Quicken is still at C:\ProgramData/Intuit/Quicken, how do I reinstall Quicken 2017??
@lilyrosetony8_ if you can’t get Quicken 2017 to reinstall, there is another workable fallback. Quicken Support still provides Quicken 2013 Deluxe as a free download, and it does not require activation. It’s officially offered as a “conversion tool,” but it’s actually a fully functional version of Quicken. Many people use it long‑term because it opens modern QDF files and doesn’t rely on the old activation servers.
You can install Quicken 2013 and open your existing Quicken 2017 data file, and it will work normally for manual entry and reporting.
That said, Quicken 2013 is very old and doesn’t support online services. If you want downloads, bill pay, or ongoing support, the safer long‑term option is upgrading to the current Quicken Classic subscription. It opens your existing data file and doesn’t depend on the old activation system.
To get it:
EDIT - @lilyrosetony8_ I apologize. Per @splasher's comment Quicken 2013 is not a viable solution. That means your only remedy is to upgrade to the current Quicken Subscription.
I 'believe' I downloaded this program. Unfortunately, I can't find it. How do I go about find this or the 'Quicken_2017.exe'
Clarification: Quicken 2013 WILL NOT open a Quicken 2017 file. To convert from 2017 to 2013 would require a QIF file export from 2017 for importing into 2013. Since 2017 won't start, the export is not possible.
Thanks for the clarification @splasher I didn't know that. I was under the impression that Quicken 2013 would open Quicken files 2014 - 2017.
I understand wanting to keep using Quicken 2017 without moving to a subscription. Unfortunately, Quicken 2017 can only be reinstalled if you still have your original installer file (the setup program you downloaded or the CD you purchased).
Do you know how to find the setup program I downloaded?
The only thing you can do is search your computer or file storage for the install file -
1. Search your computer for the installer file Open File Explorer and type each of these into the search box:
Quicken
Quicken_2017
QuickenSetup
*.exe
Check these common locations:
2. Look for anything that ends in “.exe” and mentions Quicken That would be your installer.
3. If you cannot find the installer Then unfortunately Quicken 2017 cannot be reinstalled. Quicken no longer provides downloads for 2017, and the activation servers have been shut down. Without your original installer, the program cannot be activated again.
have i lost all my data?
CCleaner allows you to backup the registry before you delete. Did you backup? If so, you can simply double click on the latest .reg file and restore the entries it deleted. By default, it's in your Documents folder. It will be something like cc_YYYYMMDD_timestamp. verify with the "Date modified" attribute.
Not said before, I assume you had some good reason to be using CCleaner to start with. (I'm not expecting a reply on that and I don't want to get into a discussion on this point anyway). I'd advise you to read the following from a typical Google search, but note YMMV.
"Why You Don't Need It
I have tried everything suggested and more. Nothing is working. If I understand you guys correctly, my Quicken data is there (over 25 years worth), but I can't access Quicken 2017 to get to it. I need to understand my options on being able to access the data. I don't know if a Quicken subscription will work at accessing all that data, or another financial software will work (subscription or no).
@lilyrosetony8_ your Quicken 2017 data file should open in the current Quicken subscription version. Quicken is designed to convert data files from older versions to newer versions, and the current version automatically guides users through the conversion process when an older file is opened. Quicken specifically supports converting data from previous Windows versions.
Do I still keep my data on my computer?
Yes. Quicken Subscription is a desktop program, and the data file would be in the same Documents/Quicken folder.
That's a relief. If down the road I wish to switch to another software, is that an easy thing to do? I'm only asking if I decide down the road I want a software that is not a subscription.
It depends on how you use Quicken, for how long, and how many accounts you have. I will say that there is no other financial software program, or app, that can compare to Quicken. There is another newer Quicken product called Simplifi. That program is web based with a more modern interface.
Soooooooo….. Quicken Classic is basically Quicken Simplifi, but Simplifi is Web based and therefore the data is not on my computer?
What I'm really looking for is what I had with Quicken 2017. I don't need anything else.
To explain the Quicken names, Quicken desktop used to just call itself Quicken and an edition (Starter, Deluxe, Premier & Rental/Property Manager).
Then they created Quicken Simpli, a strictly web based program. It is not nearly as comprehensive of a personal finance program as the original Quicken, but it works just fine for some users.
To keep them separate, they added Classic to the Quicken name to make it Quicken Classic. Sort of like Coke going from Coke to New Coke (that no one liked) and then the return to original Coke but with the added Classic (Coke Classic) to its name.
If I was to modernize your 2017 Quicken for Windows' name, I would be calling it Quicken Classic today. Quicken Classic will read and open your Quicken 2017 data file with no issues.
If you want to continue using your 25 years' of data as is, the Quicken subscription is probably your best bet. MAKE COPIES OF YOUR QUICKEN DATA FILES before you do! Quicken has gotten a lot more complex and much less stable in the past 10 years. I take DAILY backups of my quicken data files so I can recover from problems that Quicken generates (though to be honest, I haven't had a significant or long-lasting problem for 2 years, though others' experience is different).
And from what I've seen, there's no good software out there that will readily read in Quicken data, which is the main reason I'm still using it (also 25-30 years' of data). There are a couple of options that might do what you need once you get the data into them, but they don't read Quicken. Best bet would be export to CSV and somehow manually enter what you need (I find I really only use the last 10 years' of data, but it's nice being able to call up ancient history from time to time).
Do you have a backup of your drive? Depending on how far back, you can restore the drive. Make sure you copy your current qdata file to a safe location (usb drive, etc.) BEFORE you restore. Include any other documents, pictures or other content that may have changed since your backup. You will need to run any windows/app updates.
If you have no backup (or too far back) and can't find your original installation media, upgrading to the new subscription version may be your only option.
