I'm a Mac, he's a PC. Can we both use Quicken Deluxe 2020?

Hello,
As the title states, I'm on a Mac and hubs is on a PC. I have been running Quicken Deluxe on my Mac for quite some time now. I have the 2020 subscription plan. Hubs now wants to run our same Quicken data on his PC. I am reading a lot of threads on here that my Mac data file is NOT compatible with his PC so I can't take my data file over to his PC. OK I understand that. But here is what am I thinking that we might be able to do and please correct me if this is not possible.

Since the Quicken purchase contains both the Mac and the PC versions, if I download and install the PC version on his computer, and he logs into Quicken using my credentials, and we setup all our mutual bank accounts on his PC, why couldn't he just have his own Windows data file on his PC and I have my own Mac data file on my Mac? And his would just start from when he just installed instead of him getting my whole data file from my Mac which is not compatible? Is this possible? Wouldn't our banks allow downloading the same info into two different operating systems? Or is this bank institution specific where some banks only let you download your transactions once? And only to one computer?

To Summarize, If I install the PC version on his computer, sign in with my credentials, setup all our same bank accounts, he then will be able to download all transactions daily on his PC and I as well on my Mac? And just keep two separate data files, one on his PC and one on my Mac, but the same data? Will banks allow this? Will Quicken software allow this?

Please advise,
THANK YOU!

Best Answer

Answers

  • volvogirl
    volvogirl SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    That should work.  But you will each have separate data files and it would be hard to keep them both updated if you want them to be the same.  So it would be twice the work.  They will probably be different and get out of sync and you might have different transactions on each one.  So neither file might be a good full current file.  

    Stay tuned.  Other people might reply with other ideas and ways to do this.  

    I'm staying on Quicken 2013 Premier for Windows.

  • Peggy
    Peggy Member ✭✭
    Thank you for your speedy reply Volvogirl.
    Just to clarify a little more, I have always been the record keeper in our family and have done all the bill paying and record keeping. We are both seniors now and with this Pandemic going on, it got us thinking what we would need from each other in case the worst happened. He would not be paying any bills or entering data in to Quicken at least not at this point. It's more of just being able to see what is going on with finances and record keeping and such and familiarizing himself to the process and software. He is not techie at all. But I would want both files to be correct and not get out of sync.

    Also, I've seen post about virtual machines and remote access and such. We would not be interested in that. So if my above scenario would not work, then we would have to consider buying a Mac computer so that my data file would then indeed be transferable. But that costs money. So hoping my plan above will work.
    Again, thank you for your reply.
  • splasher
    splasher SuperUser ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm not a Mac user, but we tell users all the time to run remote access software to connect from the Mac to Win and control/run the Quicken for Windows program remotely.
    Now, the part I don't know how easy it would be, would be to reverse that and use Win to connect to the Mac and control/run the Mac's Quicken.
    Doing this allows you to have a single Quicken data file with all of your data without the hassle of having both Win and Mac data files and getting into fights when the numbers don't agree.
    The other option would be for you (the Mac) to run Windows emulation software and you run Quicken for Windows.  Then you could share the same Quicken data file by passing it back and both.  Can't easily go the other way since the Mac OS only likes to run on Mac approved hardware.

    -splasher using Q continuously since 1996
    - Subscription Quicken - Win11 and QW2013 - Win11
    -Questions? Check out the Quicken Windows FAQ list

  • Peggy
    Peggy Member ✭✭
    > @splasher said:
    > I'm not a Mac user, but we tell users all the time to run remote access software to connect from the Mac to Win and control/run the Quicken for Windows program remotely.Now, the part I don't know how easy it would be, would be to reverse that and use Win to connect to the Mac and control/run the Mac's Quicken.Doing this allows you to have a single Quicken data file with all of your data without the hassle of having both Win and Mac data files and getting into fights when the numbers don't agree.The other option would be for you (the Mac) to run Windows emulation software and you run Quicken for Windows.  Then you could share the same Quicken data file by passing it back and both.  Can't easily go the other way since the Mac OS only likes to run on Mac approved hardware.

    Thank you for taking the time to respond to our dilemma but not interested in doing either or those work arounds.
    So you don't think my idea would work?
  • Peggy
    Peggy Member ✭✭
    > @Sherlock said:
    > The approach will work.  The alternatives being suggested eliminate the duplicated effort of maintaining the distinct databases.
    >
    > For example, I work from an old Macbook and use the Microsoft Remote Desktop app to access a Windows desktop to use Quicken for Windows.  My wife accesses the same Windows desktop from her Windows laptop when she wants to access Quicken.  This enables us to easily share the Quicken installation and data files.

    OH, very interesting. I will look into this.
    Thank you for your very informative response.
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