do I really have to do the latest update?

pamela77
pamela77 Member ✭✭✭
I am using 6.5.3 on catalina on my mac. The last time I updated it messed up so many things - all my schwab accounts were complete off and other things too. I ended up creating a whole new file. It took me many days to sort things out. I usually wait until a new update has been around a while to make sure the bugs are worked out. I have a new message saying I MUST update before 2/27 or things won't work. Are people using the 6.6.1 or 6.6.2 or 6.6.3? How is it going? Is it working OK? Do I really have to do this update? I know I should do a back up before updating. I had a backup the last time, but the problem was in the cloud so it didn't solve the issue.

Thank you for any advice!
Pamela

Best Answer

  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    I had an opportunity to ask someone recently, and the Quicken folks don't seem to believe there are any widespread problems with sync. But as you saw, you and others experienced some problems.  It's impossible to know whether there was a glitch at one point which is gone, whether user actions brought on the issue, or whether there's a narrow ongoing issue. There are many thousands of Quicken users who use the sync features daily. On the other hand, many people — myself included, as well as many of the superusers on this site — avoid using sync because of lack of confidence that it works flawlessly at all times. 

    So I can't give you assurance that all will be well if you use sync. It very well might be, and I don't want to say no one should use it. I personally have decided that while it would be convenient at times — such as while traveling — it's not critical to me and I don't want to take any unnecessary risk because my Quicken works flawlessly. (When I travel, I open a text document on my computer to record any cash expenses where I don't get a receipt, and it takes me just a few minutes to enter the transactions in Quicken when I get home.)
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993

Answers

  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    I would turn OFF the Sync feature before you do the upgrade. If you're concerned about a recurrence of the problems you have with the Cloud data previously, you could take one of two additional steps to wipe out the existing Cloud data after turning OFF Sync:

    1) In Preferences > Connected Services, click Reset to replace your current Cloud data withe the data from your desktop file.

    Or...

    2) Create a temporary new file with File > New. Don't connect any accounts; just go to Preferences > Connected Services, click See All Cloud Accounts, and delete the cloud account for your regular file. (The Cloud account for the test file you're currently using will be in Bold, and you can't delete that one.) Then got to File > Open Recent and select the second file, which is your regular file. Go to Preferences > Connected Services and click Reset so it will create a new Cloud file. But since you have Sync turned off, the Cloud file will just consist of some identifying information about your Quicken account and file name, not any of your data.

    Of course, make a backup before doing either of these.

    Can I tell you with 100% certainty that this is foolproof and nothing will go wrong? No. Ain't no such guarantees in life. ;) But certainly most Quicken Mac users have updated to 6.6.x in the 5+ weeks that it's been out. (The latest version is 6.6.2; you mentioned 6.6.3, but I haven't seen anything beyond 6.6.2.)

    As for the "required" update, I assume that relates to this Alert message about the back-end changes Quicken has made. The information I saw indicated that any Mac version at or above version 6.4.x will work with the new back-end, so it's possible you can ignore the notice to upgrade; if all your transactions are downloading correctly, that's probably your answer. (At least for the time being.) That said, I'm not aware of any Cloud syncing problem which they know of or are working on — so if you're waiting for some "fix" to the problems you previously ran into, I don't know if there is such a change forthcoming. (Apologies that I remember you posted about your problems previously, but without going back to read all the details, I don't want to issue any blanket "it will work fine" kind of statement. ;) )

    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • pamela77
    pamela77 Member ✭✭✭
    Thank you. I already turned off sync while fixing the previous issues and I believe we went through the process of deleting the cloud files while I was on the phone with quicken support for 9 hours. I am using 6.5.3. If I click on "check for updates" it offers me one box that includes 6.6.0, 6.6.1 and 6.6.2.

    I think you answered my question - have people been using 6.6.3 without any major issues?

    Thank you,
    Pamela
  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Again, there is no 6.6.3 that I'm aware of; 6.6.2 is the latest.

    Speaking for myself, I've had no problems with 6.6.2. (But I'm not a good test, because I enter most of my data manually. ;) )

    I have not seen people posting about cloud syncing problems in recent weeks. (The only one was a thread yesterday where a user didn't manually sync their data after entering manual transactions on the desktop, resulting in the Cloud data overwriting the manual transactions entered on the desktop. There's a whole separate topic about how/whether Quicken could prevent such an issue.) In you've had Sync off for weeks, and you've blown away your Cloud data file, in theory you should have no problem now when you update. But I don't know if it was ever resolved what went wrong with your data originally, so I can't say for certain that you're in the clear. 
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • pamela77
    pamela77 Member ✭✭✭
    I am really interested in your comment about things working with anything over 6.4. I could just leave it and see if things stop updating, and if they do I could take the plunge.
  • pamela77
    pamela77 Member ✭✭✭
    Sorry, my mistake typing 6.6.3. It was 6.6.2.
  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Again, that was my understanding from one of the Quicken representatives. If your transactions are still working, then you can possibly ignore the update for now; if they stop, you'll know you need to do it.

    I will say that waiting likely doesn't change the odds on whether you'll have any issue the next time you update. That is, whether you update now to 6.6.2, or wait for 6.7 or whatever comes next, it should update cleanly — and in the unlikely event there's some problem with your data file, it's likely to be the same problem whether you update now or in the future. 
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • pamela77
    pamela77 Member ✭✭✭
    That's true. I'm not completely sure what the problem was before but I happened when I updated the file and I saw a lot of posts about problems with schwab and other downloads at the time. I actually would like to turn sync on again...we are going on a trip in a few weeks and I wanted to keep track of things on my iPad, but I am afraid to turn it on! If I have wiped out the cloud files, are there still potential problems with sync?
  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    I had an opportunity to ask someone recently, and the Quicken folks don't seem to believe there are any widespread problems with sync. But as you saw, you and others experienced some problems.  It's impossible to know whether there was a glitch at one point which is gone, whether user actions brought on the issue, or whether there's a narrow ongoing issue. There are many thousands of Quicken users who use the sync features daily. On the other hand, many people — myself included, as well as many of the superusers on this site — avoid using sync because of lack of confidence that it works flawlessly at all times. 

    So I can't give you assurance that all will be well if you use sync. It very well might be, and I don't want to say no one should use it. I personally have decided that while it would be convenient at times — such as while traveling — it's not critical to me and I don't want to take any unnecessary risk because my Quicken works flawlessly. (When I travel, I open a text document on my computer to record any cash expenses where I don't get a receipt, and it takes me just a few minutes to enter the transactions in Quicken when I get home.)
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • pamela77
    pamela77 Member ✭✭✭
    Thank you Jacobs, your thinking is very clear and helpful.
  • lhossus
    lhossus SuperUser, Mac Beta ✭✭✭✭✭
    pamela77 said:
    I am using 6.5.3 on catalina on my mac. ... I have a new message saying I MUST update before 2/27 or things won't work. 
    I am a bit puzzled. This message stating the need to update before 2/27 is being discussed more than a month after the deadline.

    So, did anything dire happen since 2/27?

    And a little extra scrap of information for this discussion:


    I am curious about the differing deadline: "If you don't install the latest Quicken update by May 22, 2022 ...".

    Given this later deadline, is this a case of the deadline being moved out because of delays in the backend online banking process changes? Or is this an additional change?

    And I wonder what is the minimum version of Quicken required for compatibility with whatever is changing in connected services. Or, is it a moving target?


    Quicken Mac Subscription • macOS Monterey 12.6 on MacBook Pro 13" M1
  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    @lhossus A Quicken representative previously said Mac users had to be running 6.4 or above to work with the updated back-end servers. I don't know if the updated notice you posted, with a May 22 deadline, represents another change with a newer version of Quicken than 6.4 required, or if they are just trying to get people with older versions to update. I would like to think the message would only show up for users who truly do need to update, but it looks like it may just be part of the general update message that anyone not on the latest release will see.  
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • pamela77
    pamela77 Member ✭✭✭
    You are right Ihossus, my message now says the deadline is 5/22. I think I was looking at an older file when I posted the first message. I have one older file that I don't update anymore. So now the question is will 6.4 be enough? Jacobs got information that it might be... I have 6.5.3 and I am getting the message that I MUST update before 5/22. Is it a general message and we'll be ok with 6.4 or do we have to update..?
  • jacobs
    jacobs SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    You can wait until after May 22 to see if your downloads stop, and then update if you find you must. Ultimately, you're gong to want to update at some point, and I think staying at 6.5.3 (and dismissing the new version pop-up every time you use Quicken) will be more of a hassle than trying to update again to see if you can avoid the problems which bit you last time. There's no rush to do that today; do it on a day when you have a little time (and patience!) to give it a try. As long as you back up your application and data file, the worst that should happen is that you'll need to go back to the 6.5.3 and you're 6.5.3 data file. 
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
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