What is the best method to set up and link Quicken between 2 Win11 computers?

@splasher I appreciate the advice and response but do have one follow up. If one is storing the Quicken date file in the cloud as a file that does not sync on any other device, is this still a problem? I would think not as there would be no way for the file to get corrupted or out of sync.

@NotACPA Agree, Quicken's use of the cloud is complicated and tricky!

@Cathy S it depends, do you use Quicken Web or do you use Quicken mobile? If the answer to both is "no" then I see no benefit / need to sync to Quicken cloud (especially should you make regular backups of yoru file). If the answer to either is "yes" then before you think you will next be using one of them and/or every time you exit Quicken.

@splasher agree that syncing to cloud is NOT a backup, I should have been clearer. The point I was reaching for was that if a user does not do backups — for whatever reason — then they could use teh synced data to manually reconstruct the file (i.e., all entries would be available, albeit in a not very user friendly way).

I hope that clarifies my comment.

@NotACPA I could not agree more. I have backups on both DAS and the cloud. I have never regretted this, especially when I do something stupid which does happed from time to time (i.e., accidentally delete a file, a file gets corrupted, etc.).

@splasher fair enough but I would hope that few people go 2+ years without doing a backup especially given the backup warnings (unless / until they have disabled those).

I know that some may consider me overly cautious but I have had enough close calls that I almost always backup my file after entering data. If I miss a backup it was because I somehow got distracted, otherwise all the time.

Provided you can remember to do this sequence this is what I would recommend.

• Store Quicken data file in OneDrive/Dropbox.

1. To open the data file on either machine that is sharing the OneDrive/Dropbox file, pause OneDrive/Dropbox.
2. Open data file in Quicken, do whatever.
3. Quit Quicken.
4. un-pause OneDrive/Dropbox.
5. Make sure it has fully synced on both machines before, starting on at step one again.

What is the danger if you forget to pause OneDrive/Dropbox?

You can get "Can't open errors". This shouldn't cause any damage to the data file, but it can certainly be unnerving, and a recent change in OneDrive and all the people complaining about just this proves that people don't handle that situation very well.

What is the danger if you, don't get the file fully synced to the other machine, or forget to close Quicken and open the data file on the other machine? Most people believe that the data file will be damaged, but in truth OneDrive/Dropbox knows that a Quicken data file is a binary file and will not try to merge changes between the two. But you can end up with multiple copies and even more disruptive is that it is possible for you to lose changes. For instance, you make a change on one machine, while changes are made on the other machine. If OneDrive/Dropbox doesn't detect this and make two copies only one copy's changed are going to be kept.

As always, make frequent backups. To OneDrive/Dropbox is a good place since it will be end up with two copies one on your local drive on one on the OneDrive/Dropbox server. (That is the nature of "cloud folder", it is local copy that is synced to OneDrive/Dropbox server).

Personally, my choice is to have a script that copies the data file in and out of OneDrive, but I understand that isn't for everyone.

@UKR recommended Backup and Restore, but I think he is forgetting that Quicken Inc basically broke that method for this purpose a couple of years or so ago. The backup is fine, and if one was to just rename the .QDF-backup file to .QDF and open it, that would be fine, but what Quicken Inc did to the "Restore" is that it first "hide the existing" Quicken Cloud dataset that goes with the data file (it is on the server), and then creates a new one. This in itself doesn't cause problems usually, but they don't delete the old Quicken Cloud dataset, only hide it (it will only be deleted if the user contacts Quicken support to do it). There is a limited number of these Quicken Cloud datasets allowed before Quicken will refuse to open your data file until they hidden ones are deleted.

For the occasional Restore this usually isn't a problem, but if one is doing this frequently, they are sure to run into this problem and have to contact Quicken support to delete the hidden Quicken Cloud datasets.

Note that even though the Quicken Cloud dataset is the same as used for Sync to Mobile/Web (which as people have explained is not a full backup), even with that setting off a fair amount of information is still stored in it and has to be synced for various online services. For instance, Express Web Connect and Express Web Connect + store transactions there. And as that syncing got more and more complicated and the fact that someone might be doing a restore of a very old data file, they took this step with the Restore feature to prevent problem of sync a "new Quicken Cloud dataset on the server" is a old data file.

Do you mean like this command script:

[edited] original script shown here was removed and replaced with reference to FAQ.

@Chris_QPW , I was unaware of thet script. Where can it be found?

Just to clarify the full use of that script.

Start Notepad:

Copy and paste the script from other post above:

Edit the QDF file name and change the "set" lines as needed. Above, QDF file is called Current.qdf, it resides in the standard place of Documents\Quicken (in OneDrive), %USERPROFILE% is your user folder. The "local folder/copy" where it will be copied to and run Quicken from is the folder c:\Quicken, which will be created if it doesn't already exist.

File → Save, save it to whatever folder you like, with whatever name you like, but you have to end the name with .cmd. That makes it a "script". Note I don't suggest the Desktop, for this file. The reason will be, because you will most likely want make a shortcut to this file and put that on your Desktop.

If you double click on the "Quicken.cmd" file it will copy the data file to the DATA_DIR and then open Quicken with that data file. It will copy it back when you close Quicken.

If you right click (Hold down shift key on Windows 11) on the "Quicken.cmd" file you will get the context menu and can select Send to → Desktop (create shortcut).

Now you can use that shortcut in the same way. You can also rename it, and if you right click on it and select Properties you can change Run to Minimized so that will stay as an icon in your task bar.

Note as a bonus, say you are working on something in Quicken and things go bad. If you close the command script window in the task bar before closing Quicken the data file will not be copied back, allowing you not overwrite your last copy in your Documents folder. That is also a warning not to close it if you want it copied back.

@Chris_QPW awesome. It is very similar to a script I wrote to backup my work folder directory every night is DOS some 25+ years ago! Love the old school approach, clean / effective / simple.

I hate the editor on this forum! Even when I told it that it was code it inserted lines and removed backslashes!

Use the copy of the script in the FAQ above, when I was able to at least insert the proper backslashes. The extra lines won't hurt it and can't get rid of them in this forum's editor.

@splasher I can't edit the above comment to remove the bad script, can you please remove the script and just point it to the FAQ?

Or any other SuperUser or Moderator?

Thank you.