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Will Quicken 2015 allow me to store my data file in Dropbox?

Unknown Member
edited March 2018 in

The following FAQ appears on http://www.quicken.com/mac/faq

"Can I use Quicken 2015 for Mac on more than one computer?

You can install Quicken 2015 for Mac on up to three computers in the same household. You can’t run your data file on a network/cloud."

  1. Does this mean I can't store my data file in Dropbox?
  2. If not, why not? What does Quicken care?
  3. How would Quicken even know?
  4. I've stored my Quicken 2005 data file in Dropbox for more than three years and, indeed, this is one of my favorite features of Quicken: that I know my data is always instantly backed up on my terms.
  5. Is there a way to get around this? I really don't need another cloud :)

Comments

  • John_in_NCJohn_in_NC SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2017

    I don't suggest keeping your working data file on Drop Box. This has nothing to do with Quicken, but more with how the MacOS deals with permissions and packages. What ends up happening is that it works great for a bit, and then permission problems end up rendering the file useless. You are really lucky if your 2005 has worked well all these years.


    Now, if you have active backups you can fall back to-then go ahead and use it. I like DB myself, but I have seen too many problems trying to use it with Quicken to suggest to.


    You are certainly free to store compressed backups on DB-that won't be bit by the permission problems.
  • Unknown Member
    edited July 2016


    I don't suggest keeping your working data file on Drop Box. This has nothing to do with Quicken, but more with how the MacOS deals with permissions and packages. What ends up happening is that it works great for a bit, and then permission problems end up rendering the file useless. You are really lucky if your 2005 has worked well all these years.


    Now, if you have active backups you can fall back to-then go ahead and use it. I like DB myself, but I have seen too many problems trying to use it with Quicken to suggest to.


    You are certainly free to store compressed backups on DB-that won't be bit by the permission problems.

    John, there's anecdotal evidence that storing Quicken files, including Essentials, on Dropbox works fine as long as you are careful. Do you have first-hand experience of problems with permissions in the data file package or can you point to evidence of that being a problem?

    I'm not implying that there aren't potential issues and it would not surprise me, but I have accessed the data file from more than one Mac for years without problems and know others that have as well.

    To further the discussion, it seems it would be a really bad thing if permissions where an issue in packages on Dropbox:

    1. Packages are folders. Dropbox obviously has to properly manage folder and packages.
    2. Lots of programs use packages to store their data. There's nothing special about packages.
    3. Permissions in packages and folders have to work properly with Dropbox otherwise Dropbox would have a big problem.
    4. Using Dropbox is simply a cloud-based way to copy files to your computer. Obviously, you can copy a Quicken file/package to another computer.

    If there is a problem with Quicken Essentials/2015 packages and Dropbox, it seems it would have to be something quite specific to Quicken. It would also seem it should affect simple copying as well.

    Having said that, I've tried sharing the Quicken 2015 for Mac data file via Dropbox. There does seem to be a new issue where only one computer is allowed to upload the data used for mobile syncing. I haven't yet had a chance to try turning the Mobile sync off.

    Finally, I'm not supporting using Dropbox with Quicken files/packages. It is clearly not supported. But my experience is that, with care, it can be done.
  • John_in_NCJohn_in_NC SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2016


    I don't suggest keeping your working data file on Drop Box. This has nothing to do with Quicken, but more with how the MacOS deals with permissions and packages. What ends up happening is that it works great for a bit, and then permission problems end up rendering the file useless. You are really lucky if your 2005 has worked well all these years.


    Now, if you have active backups you can fall back to-then go ahead and use it. I like DB myself, but I have seen too many problems trying to use it with Quicken to suggest to.


    You are certainly free to store compressed backups on DB-that won't be bit by the permission problems.

    My comments are based on what I have seen here and heard from developers. And I do agree-some users are using Quicken with DB without problems. I usually see the questions when their file is kaput.

    Don't get me wrong-I like DropBox. But, the problem stems with how the MacOS handles (has problems with) privileges. When you move a package (which Quicken files are), it is supposed to inherit the privileges of that user account-and that doesn't always happen. (I.e., the privilege settings don't propagate down to all the contents.) This is why it is advised if you ever have to move packages around, you should compress them first.  

    The permission problems tend to be worse if the file is accessed or shared from user accounts with different user permission levels. Trying to share the file on the Mac between user accounts usually has shorter lifespan for this reason-usually one is admin and the other is some other kind of user. . . after a few uses, the file is usually toast.
  • Unknown Member
    edited July 2016

    I think Intuit's answer in the FAQ is obscure.


    I know of no issue storing the data file in your local Dropbox folder. I would be shocked if it is not OK to do so. Storing the data file in Dropbox or Google Drive or any other similar cloud based drive should be a reasonable way to keep your file backed up.


    But Inuit does not support and warns against sharing the data file with other users/computers via any type of sharing be that network or cloud server. I believe the primary reason they warn against sharing the file is that they have not designed Quicken for Mac to do the proper locking required for multi-user access.


    Intuit only supports one person opening the data file on one computer.
  • Unknown Member
    edited July 2016


    I don't suggest keeping your working data file on Drop Box. This has nothing to do with Quicken, but more with how the MacOS deals with permissions and packages. What ends up happening is that it works great for a bit, and then permission problems end up rendering the file useless. You are really lucky if your 2005 has worked well all these years.


    Now, if you have active backups you can fall back to-then go ahead and use it. I like DB myself, but I have seen too many problems trying to use it with Quicken to suggest to.


    You are certainly free to store compressed backups on DB-that won't be bit by the permission problems.

    What you have described would be a huge issue associated with folders/packages (they are the same). If such an issue existed, I would have expected Apple to address it immediately. And the issue should affect simply copying to another computer just as much as Dropbox.
  • Unknown Member
    edited July 2016


    I don't suggest keeping your working data file on Drop Box. This has nothing to do with Quicken, but more with how the MacOS deals with permissions and packages. What ends up happening is that it works great for a bit, and then permission problems end up rendering the file useless. You are really lucky if your 2005 has worked well all these years.


    Now, if you have active backups you can fall back to-then go ahead and use it. I like DB myself, but I have seen too many problems trying to use it with Quicken to suggest to.


    You are certainly free to store compressed backups on DB-that won't be bit by the permission problems.

    The issue isn't Apple's. Intuit should design the product to work correctly with a shared data file. The use case isn't obscure. Someone has a desktop and wants to work on their file there, say on weekends. The same user has a laptop and needs to access their financial information on the road. It is hard for me to believe that nobody at Intuit could add the use case, and get this done.
  • Unknown Member
    edited July 2016


    I don't suggest keeping your working data file on Drop Box. This has nothing to do with Quicken, but more with how the MacOS deals with permissions and packages. What ends up happening is that it works great for a bit, and then permission problems end up rendering the file useless. You are really lucky if your 2005 has worked well all these years.


    Now, if you have active backups you can fall back to-then go ahead and use it. I like DB myself, but I have seen too many problems trying to use it with Quicken to suggest to.


    You are certainly free to store compressed backups on DB-that won't be bit by the permission problems.

    A good example of how shared packages on Dropbox work fine is 1Password. Not only does 1Password allow the files to reside in Dropbox, it encourages it. And 1Password certainly expects those files to be shared and even opened simultaneously on different Macs.
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