Help needed to access Quicken 2006 data files

I WAS using Quicken 2006 .. on my iMac. Part way through 2017, it STOPPED working. I have YEARS (almost 2 decades worth of financial files) on my iMac, that I can no longer access! I need some of the data for income tax filing! I am quite willing to purchase the new EXCEL program, but before I do, I want to make sure that I will be able to access my old files with the updated program. The Quicken support guy says there is NO WAY to access my old data files. Does anyone think differently?  I have an older iMac that still runs OS 10.6.8 as well as a newer iMac with current OS. Help!

Comments

  • smayer97
    smayer97 SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2018
    Is the problem that you old iMac died or that the data file will no longer open? 

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  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited August 2018
    Problem is that the Quicken data files no longer open.    I had kept the old iMac so that I could run Quicken 2006.  I left the old OS on the old computer .. so that Quicken 2006 would still run.  Not very clever - in hindsight.
  • smayer97
    smayer97 SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    Do you get an error message? If so what is it?

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  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited February 2020
    No error message.  The Quicken program just won't open any more.
  • smayer97
    smayer97 SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    How do you try to open QM2006, by clicking on QM2006 or the data file? what happens exactly?

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  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited February 2020
    I've tried to open QW2006 both ways.  Both ways - clicking the program or the data file - the Quicken icon (in my dock) jumps up - but only once (a single bounce, unlike the usual multiple bounces).  Then nothing transpires.
  • smayer97
    smayer97 SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    when was the last time you restarted your computer?

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  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited February 2020
    This morning.  It gets shut down every day .. especially as I don't use that computer for anything but my accounting (Quicken).
  • smayer97
    smayer97 SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    Ok...so you need to figure out why Quicken will not open...a few things to try:
    1. Press and hold the OPT key and click the Quicken app on the dock...that should launch Quicken and prompt you to open a data file...if that works, click Cancel, then create a new data file (this is just to see if you can get Quicken open)
    2. If that fail, open the Application folder then hold the OPT button and double-click the Quicken app...this should attempt to do the same thing as 1. Then create a new data file.
    3. If that still fails, you can try removing the Preferences files for Quicken. I can guide you through that if 1 or 2 do not work.

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  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited February 2020
    I tried the OPT key in both suggestions (1 & 2) .. QM2006 did not open with either.  The icon in the dock did jump twice during suggestion 2, but nothing else.  
    I will await instructions on removing Preference files for Quicken.
    I really appreciate your help.  Thank you.
  • smayer97
    smayer97 SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    The Quicken 2006 Preferences file is located in ~/Library/Preferences/Quicken 2006 Preferences

    see this link for a few ways to access that folder: https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/access-hidden-user-library-files.html

    OR you can search for the preferences as follows:

    0. First make sure you quit Quicken
    1. Go to Mac OS X Finder
    2. select Find from the File menu
    3. click on the This Mac in the search window
    4. click on File Name
    5. click on the "Kind" menu and change it to "System Files"
    6. change the "aren't included" menu to "are included"
    7. Type Quicken in the Search for field


    8. look for all the files that have Quicken in the name that are not the application. Each one should be found in a subfolder in your User folder
    9. move all the files to a known location, like the desktop (see the list of files I found below)
    10. open Quicken and create a new file. After all is open (you do not need to create any registers, quit Quicken)
    11. Restore all the files you removed back to their original location to restore all the preferences.

    List of files I found (you may not need to move all of these):
    Quicken Folder in Users/.../Library/Application Support (it was empty)
    com.intuit.quicken Folder in Users/.../Library/Caches
    com.intuit.ero.plist file in Users/.../Library/Preferences
    com.intuit.HomeInventory.LSSHaredFileList.plist file in Users/.../Library/Preferences
    com.intuit.HomeInventory.plist file in Users/.../Library/Preferences
    com.intuit.quicken.plist file in Users/.../Library/Preferences
    Quicken Folder in Users/.../Library/Preferences
    Quicken 2007 Preferences file in Users/.../Library/Preferences
    Quicken Quote, found in Users/.../Shared/Quicken Conversion Data

    /.../ represents your user Home folder

    (If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

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  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited August 2018
    Too many transactions in your data file?  If the file size gets too large, you can't open your data file. 
  • smayer97
    smayer97 SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    maybe but that should not prevent Quicken from opening and being able to create a new data file...

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  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited February 2020
    I have followed your 11 point instructions - but have not completed.  Point 8: I have 246 items. Almost all of them have Quicken in the name.!  I have moved a few (ones that resembled the files that you found) from the files found onto the desktop.  As I move them the file name shows a circle with a line thru it across the name.   There are multiple copies of my data files.  I shouldn't need to move the data files - should I?
  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited January 2018

    Too many transactions in your data file?  If the file size gets too large, you can't open your data file. 

    I purposely limited the size of my accounting data files - some to one year, others for a max of 4 years.   The problem is that the program will not open.
  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited February 2020
    Quicken still will not open.  sigh.  The icon does bounce twice now though.
  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited February 2020
    I DID find the Quicken 2006 Preferences file & moved it from the "Find/Search" window onto the desktop.
  • smayer97
    smayer97 SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    You do not need to move any data files, only the preferences files found in the Users.../Library/... and the Users.../Shared/... folders.

    And if you are truly holding down the OPT key the entire time while double-clicking the Quicken Icon and it still does not open, the app may be corrupted...do you have another copy?

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  • smayer97
    smayer97 SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    Also, I do not understand why "As I move them the file name shows a circle with a line thru it across the name." Can you post a screenshot of this?

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  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited February 2020
    S. Mayer, .. thank you for being so patient with me.  Oddly your responses did not appear until today - despite you sending them 2 days ago! ?
    I moved the Quicken preferences from the LIBRARY folder to the desktop - as directed - as well as a couple of files ending in "....plist".
    I have re-tried opening the QM2006 program - using the OPT key, truly held down, but it still does not open.  I will check my backup drive for an old copy of the program.  
    I knew that telling you about the circle with the line thru it was tricky.  Ignore.
  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited February 2020
    [duplicate post...deleted]
  • smayer97
    smayer97 SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    Here is something else you can try....create a new user on your iMac and copy QM2006 there and see it is will open...if it does, it could be something in your Mac OS that is causing some interference....

    BTW, re-reading your OP, can you identify anything that changed around the time that Quicken stopped being able to launch?

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  • Unknown
    Unknown Member
    edited April 2018

    Too many transactions in your data file?  If the file size gets too large, you can't open your data file. 

    Did you delete the older files?  And if so, did that affect your current files?
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