Can Quicken Essentials 1.7.4 be converted to operate on MacOS Big Sur?

I have data for about 20 years, but my old Mac broke. Need to find way to work with that data on new Mac with Big Sur. Please, help!

Best Answers

  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    Just to amplify John's answer... the current Quicken Mac is essentially version 6.3 of the Quicken Essentials you are used to. It's very much fundamentally the same in overall look and feel, although some things have been moved around and spiffed up. Once you install Quicken Mac, you'll land on a "Let's Get Started" page where you can click the option to start from a Quicken Essentials file. It will then convert your data to the current file format, and away you go.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    You don't need the old Quicken Essentials application, because it cannot run under Big Sur. 

    Jon's correct about a normal Quicken data file being a Mac "package", which is like a wrapper around a bunch of files and folders to make it appear like it's a single file. I have no idea why the transfer of the data from your old Mac would have brought over the components but not the "wrapper". So do you have a folder with folders like "attachments", "calendars", "images", "locks", etc.? (I'm not sure how identical the components are between current Quicke n Mac and Quicken Essentials.)

    The key piece inside the Quicken data file -- the actual Quicken database -- is a file simply called "data". If you have such a file, you could try pointing Quicken Mac to open that and see if it works; I don't know if it will or not. 
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    Yes, Quicken is fully compatible with, and actually runs natively, on an M1 Mac. If you can get your Essentials data file imported, you should be up and running in no time.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993

Answers

  • John_in_NC
    John_in_NC SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    No, it won't.

    You can, however, move your Quicken Essentials data file (provided you have it) to your Big Sir machine and get the newest version of Quicken for Mac that does run under Big Sur. It will convert your 1.7.4 file.
  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    Just to amplify John's answer... the current Quicken Mac is essentially version 6.3 of the Quicken Essentials you are used to. It's very much fundamentally the same in overall look and feel, although some things have been moved around and spiffed up. Once you install Quicken Mac, you'll land on a "Let's Get Started" page where you can click the option to start from a Quicken Essentials file. It will then convert your data to the current file format, and away you go.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • RickO
    RickO SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    I never used Quicken Essentials, but I believe if its features are all you need, you can probably get away with the Starter edition of current subscription Quicken. You will need to keep the subscription current, else you will lose data input and bank download ability. Be sure to compare editions before you buy. John and Jacobs will correct me if I'm wrong about the QE vs Starter features.
    Quicken Mac Subscription; Quicken Mac user since the early 90s
  • Unicorn
    Unicorn Member
    Thank you everybody!

    1. But why the official page
    https://www.quicken.com/support/converting-your-data-quicken-mac

    says
    "Convert from Quicken Essentials for Mac:
    ​Quicken Essentials files cannot be converted."

    2. All content of my old Mac was transferred to new Mac and instead my Quicken Essential file now I have a folder (with the same name) with folders inside, not a single file as I had on old Mac.
    The application itself was not transferred at all and was on list of items which can't be transferred.
  • Jon
    Jon SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    edited September 2021
    Unicorn said:
    1. But why the official page
    https://www.quicken.com/support/converting-your-data-quicken-mac

    says
    "Convert from Quicken Essentials for Mac:
    ​Quicken Essentials files cannot be converted."
    I don't know why it says that. When I create a new file in the current version of Quicken For Mac, "Start from a Quicken Essentials file" is one of the options.
    As for the Quicken Essentials file being changed to a folder, a Quicken file on the Mac is a package file, which is really just a folder that's treated as if it is a single file. Somewhere during the transfer to the new computer the "package" designation got lost, turning it into a regular folder. I don't know how to fix that, but you might not need to. If you point Quicken at that folder it might just go ahead & read it anyway. It's worth a shot. Or, if you still have access to the old Mac, you could try copying the file over again.

    Quicken Mac subscription. Quicken user since 1990.

  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    You don't need the old Quicken Essentials application, because it cannot run under Big Sur. 

    Jon's correct about a normal Quicken data file being a Mac "package", which is like a wrapper around a bunch of files and folders to make it appear like it's a single file. I have no idea why the transfer of the data from your old Mac would have brought over the components but not the "wrapper". So do you have a folder with folders like "attachments", "calendars", "images", "locks", etc.? (I'm not sure how identical the components are between current Quicke n Mac and Quicken Essentials.)

    The key piece inside the Quicken data file -- the actual Quicken database -- is a file simply called "data". If you have such a file, you could try pointing Quicken Mac to open that and see if it works; I don't know if it will or not. 
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • Unicorn
    Unicorn Member
    Yes, there is file named "data" in that folder!
    Will also try to copy original file from old Mac to new one.
    Thank you for help, now I will download latest Quicken.
    Oh, my new Mac is a silicon M1, hope this is Ok?!
    Wanted to make sure it will work before paying for subscription.
    Thanks again, will report how it goes.
  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    Yes, Quicken is fully compatible with, and actually runs natively, on an M1 Mac. If you can get your Essentials data file imported, you should be up and running in no time.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • Unicorn
    Unicorn Member
    Thank you everyone!
    I downloaded Deluxe Quicken and it opened data folder I had!
    but some accounts are became screwed up. Perhaps, I need to make some changes in my old version data file to make everything look good. Next will try to do that ...
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