using Quicken on two separate Macs error message

> @jacobs said:
> You cannot have two computers using the same file. If you want to switch between the computers, you will have to move the file (in a specific way I'll get to) back and forth between them. 
>
> Quicken is a desktop database program. It downloads transactions from financial institutions if you set it to do so. It also has the ability to upload your transactions to what it called Quicken Cloud so you can access/enter data using the Quicken mobile app or the web interface. But I'll note that there are lots of stories of problems people run into syncing back and forth between the Quicken Cloud and their desktop, so many of us here recommend using the Sync preference turned off unless you really have to. And, just to make clear, you can't enter data in one Mac, have it upload to Quicken Cloud, and have that data then download to a second Mac. It's just not built to support that type of multi-computer set-up; it's designed to be closely tied to a single database file stored on your desktop.
>
> Even if you have Sync turned off in Preferences, and you then Reset your Cloud data file in Preferences, Quicken will create a new Cloud data file to associate with your desktop data file. Your transactions and login credentials won't be uploaded to the Cloud file, but there is always a Cloud file associated with your desktop file to support background tasks, like Report a Problem on the Help menu and some other things. I prefer to have this minimal Cloud file — Sync off, and Cloud file Reset — to avoid even the possibility of having out-of-date data in the Cloud, or worse, having Quicken try to update newer data with older data.
>
> So, back to the issue of using Quicken on two Macs. It's quite doable, and many people do it. It just requires a few steps of gymnastics to do it, and do it safely. And it will take you longer to read what follows than it will to implement! ;)
>
> You can move a Quicken data file between computers via a flash drive, as you did, or via any other transfer method: uploading to a cloud service (Dropbox or iCloud) and downloading from the other machine, sending via email, transferring via macOS file Sharing, or even Airdrop if the two computer are nearby. The crucial thing is that when you move the data file from one computer to another, you must move a compressed copy and not just the Quicken data file you see in the Finder.
>
> What's a compressed copy? It is either (a) a file you create by selecting the Quicken data file in the Finder and doing File > Compress, creating a .zip compressed file, or (b) a backup file created by Quicken, which ends in .quickenbackup.
>
> Why is this important? A Quicken data file is actually not a single file; it's a Mac "package" file, which is like a wrapper around a collection of files and folders to make it appear to users and the Mac like a single file. (Control-click on your data file and select "Show Package Contents" if you want to peek "inside the wrapper".) Every Mac user account has a unique User ID number, and file/folder permissions use those User UD numbers to control access permissions. When you move files and folders around, file/folder permissions can be changed — the result of which can be getting locked out of your data. But moving a compressed file and opening it on a different Mac won't result in permission problems. 
>
> So here are the basic do's and don'ts about moving a Quicken Mac data file around...
>
> Do not store your actual Quicken data file on any cloud service, such as Dropbox or iCloud. It will likely lead to problems. Storing Quicken backup files on cloud storage is fine, but your live data file needs to be resident on your local computer. 
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> Do not use File Sharing to connect to another computer, and launch the Quicken data file on that other computer. Your Quicken data file needs to be resident on your local computer's hard drive during the period you're using it.
>
> Do move only a compressed copy of a data file between computers/servers/cloud storage. 
>
> This may sound like a pain, but it needn't be. After each time you use Quicken, move your backup or compressed file to a location — on cloud storage or a physical flash drive — which you'll start from the next time you use Quicken on either computer. Use the data file, quit Quicken, and again save the compressed file back to the same location. As long as you always start from the same location and replace a file to the same location -- which takes just a few extra seconds -- you will always be assured of working on the most current file and not having permission problems. 
>
> If you use Dropbox, one relatively easy workflow is to set your Quicken backup location to Dropbox. So every time you quit Quicken, it creates a backup in a location both computers can access on Dropbox. The only manual step is that to start your next Quicken session, from either computer, you need to drag the backup file from Dropbox to your Mac desktop and double-click it to launch it. When you quit Quicken, a new backup is created in the same place. (You also have to delete the working copy from your desktop, and make sure you always grab the most recent backup file on Dropbox.)
>
> If you don't use Dropbox, you could turn on file sharing on one computer, and then use your "Public Folder" (which exists by default in macOS) to store the .zip copy of your Quicken data file between sessions. Either computer could access the shared Public Folder on your computer to copy the .zip file to the Desktop (or Documents folder), delete the copy on the Public folder (to keep there from being multiple versions around which could cause confusion), and use the file; then quit Quicken, compress the file, copy it to the Public Folder, and delete the copy on your Desktop (or Documents folder). Or if you'll continue using Quicken mainly on your Mac, but want to keep a relatively recent copy on your husband's Mac, you can just periodically (weekly? bi-weekly? monthly?) move a copy of your data file to the other Mac. It sounds like a lot of things to do, but once you see the flow back and forth, you'll hopefully find it pretty easy to keep track of. Compressing a copy and copying it after using will take only a few seconds, as will copying the compressed file to the Desktop to use it the next time. 
>
> (Side note: hopefully you have something backing up all the data on your Macs, whether it's Time Machine or an online service like iDrive or BackBlaze, don't you? If not, I urge you to spend $100 today to buy an external hard drive and hook it up to one of the Macs so you can have Time Machine back them both up continually. Sooner or late, and often unexpectedly, your computers will die, and you don't want to be at risk of losing anything you have on the computer.) 
>
> I know that's a very long-winded answer to a seemingly simple question. The need to move your data file back and forth may seem a bit daunting, but once you set-up a system that works for you, and get the workflow worked out, I think you'll find you can make this work spending only a few extra seconds each time you use Quicken.

OH MY GOSH! Thank you for your detailed response. Frankly, it's a little over my head and I will have to re-read it a few times but I really appreciate it! I feel a little guilty though in not quite being clear on what my issue is. I am not really trying to move a quicken file back and forth at all. I was just trying to create a "Safety Net" if you will, in case my computer fails and it seem it's going to any given moment. (It's going on 8 years old). But now that I tried installing on my husbands computer and saw how easy it was, all I really need to do is just keep a current backup on a external drive of my own and if my computer fails, just get a new computer and install Quicken and load the backup file. Right? So my only problem now is, how do I get my own current computer back and working again given that pesky message I keep getting that won't let me proceed? I have 3 choices:
"Take File Offline, Reset Quicken Cloud, and Decide later." Which option should I click on? Or should I just delete the whole Quicken app and start again fresh just like I did on my husbands computer? All I want to do is get my computer back and running Quicken again and not lose any of my data. To repeat, I am not interested in moving the Quicken file back and forth to use on both computers. Again, I thank you very very much for your detailed response.