Running Quicken on BOTH Windows and Mac, ctd questions

jacobs · February 27

Show me where to enable or disable KEYCHAIN.

You can't disable the Keychain; it's part of the core of macOS. Apple is notorious for their protection of personal security on a device, so if you don't want Apple's Keychain, then you shouldn't use a Mac. As @Jon said, there's lots of information in the Keychain(s) which a Mac or iPhone need to function. I imagine you wouldn't want to have to re-enter a password every time you come home and want to connect to your home WiFi, but that's some of the information stored in the keychain. Follow the path @Jon provided if you want to open Keychain Access to see what's stored there.

I am fine with syncing Passwords App.

Okay, then I'm confused. That's your sensitive data, with your login credentials to most or every website you use. I'd understand if you didn't want that in the cloud, and I explained you can disable that by turning off iCloud Passwords (formerly called iCloud Keychain) — although it's mighty convenient to have it on!

Been using for 20 years. But I have no CLOUD FILE for Windows. I DO for MAC. I already told you how it happened. I obviosuly have the same CLOUD ACCOUNT for both. You are misunderstanding and talking about something I am not.

No, I'm not talking about something else. I and others have explained what a Quicken Cloud account. @Chris_QPW showed that although they both use the same platform, Quicken Mac and Quicken Windows Quicken Cloud accounts are separate; you do not have the same Quicken Cloud account for both, because Quicken Cloud accounts are associated with a specific Quicken desktop file, and your Mac and Windows desktop files are different. I've never been a Quicken Windows user, but it's my understanding that at least since the start of Quicken ID (a few years before subscription pricing) a decade ago, every file does have an associated Quicken Cloud account. I don't know how to find it in Quicken Windows; I explained how to see it in Quicken Mac. And as I explained, with Sync turned off, there is no sensitive personal data stored in the Quicken Cloud account associate with your desktop file, so I'm unclear what your ongoing concern about this is.

Not finding a way to make ALL checking accounts look like my tweaked register.

There is a longstanding Idea topic for a feature to copy not only the columns present from one register to another, but the order and width of each column. The developers haven't addressed this yet. (In general, with many more feature requests than time and staff to address them all, the developers mostly concentrate on adding functionality which is absent from Quicken Mac more than functionality which adds convenience, ergonomics or aesthetics. You can add your vote for this feature on the first page of this thread:

Add Ability to Set Default Columns, Sort and Sizes to Registers (125 Legacy/Merged Votes) (Q Mac)

smayer97

Sep 29, 2016

It would be extremely helpful and a real time saver to have the ability to define global default settings for columns names, order and column widths with the following features:
provide ability to define columns selection, order and column widths for each type of account.
include with these settings ability to preserve Sort Order
(Consider using equivalent column names for different account types, e.g. if set to show credit and debit columns for credit cards, use equivalent payment and deposit columns for bank. This will minimize the number of separate default settings needed)
continue to provide ability to override settings on an individual account register basis
provide ability to apply/re-apply default settings to existing account
provide ability to apply settings to all (or maybe a variation to allow the user to select which accounts to apply settings, to select anywhere from 1 to all accounts)
provide a reset to Quicken Defaults
In case it is not clear, should be available for investment accounts too.

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P.S. I have over 180 accounts, about 90 active, about 90 hidden, so this would be extremely helpful.

What I do when wanting to make changes across multiple accounts is to open several like accounts in their own windows (by double-clicking the account in the left sidebar). After I tweak the look of the first account, I grab the second account window and lay it partially over the first window, which makes it easy to put the columns in the same order and make the column widths equivalent. (If you're someone who worries about a difference of a pixel here or there, this won't prove satisfactory, but otherwise, it's a fairly easy way to do multiple accounts in a short period of time.

The good thing is that although it takes a little time to set up your registers the way you like them initially, it's not typically something you need to change in a lot of places at once as you go forward.

Chris_QPW · February 27

I just want to say that I'm not "pretty sure" about these I'm 100% sure that @jacobs' statements are correct, and @Bob. 's statements are incorrect.

[Windows 2 line register]: Imho which means nothing, they alredy have the code in windows and I would bet folding money some of it is transportable.

I can pretty much guarantee that's not the case. The Windows and Mac graphics libraries are very, very different. Heck, the old Quicken Mac 2007 registers were 2-lines and very similar to Quicken windows, and none of the code from the old Mac version was portable to the re-written version because the old version was tied to the original Mac OS graphics codebase (QuickDraw) and none of it carried over the the modern macOS graphics rendering software (Quartz). Similarly, Quartz and Windows frameworks like GDI+ are extremely different. Beyond copying the design spec, I don't think any of the actual code would be transportable.

You can't use code from one GUI API in another one, they are completely different. In fact, when people talk about wanting a given application to run on different platforms that MAIN PROBLEM is the GUI. Trying to find a GUI API that runs on all the platforms and still has all the needed features and has the look and feel of that platform is a HUGE task. And even when you find one that can do that, you usually end up with a "crippled development environment", as in instead of having a nice drag and drop GUI creator you end up with "lines of code" to create the GUI.

Been using for 20 years. But I have no CLOUD FILE for Windows. I DO for MAC. I already told you how it happened. I obviosuly have the same CLOUD ACCOUNT for both. You are misunderstanding and talking about something I am not.

You have been using a CLOUD FILE since Quicken Windows 2014 (or more accurately you have a Quicken Cloud storage area). As soon as Intuit introduced the Intuit Id, there hasn't been a way to create a data file without also creating a CLOUD FILE that is associated with it. As I have said before, what is in that CLOUD FILE depends on what features you use.

If you want proof, just create a Windows data file with Sync to cloud on. From that data file Edit → Preferences → Quicken ID & Cloud Accounts → Cloud accounts associated with the Quicken ID. When you click on that a list of all the "Quicken Cloud Accounts" will come up, and one of them will be associated with your main data file (same name unless one changes it). It used to be that you could see this even if Sync to Mobile/Web wasn't turned on, but they changed it to hide this dialog if sync to Mobile/Web isn't on.

For instance, Online Bills, Bill Payment, Expresses Web Connect, Express Web Connect +, Credit Score, Mobile App, Web App, all store data in it, and I'm sure I'm leaving ones out.

Bob. · February 27

Customizing reghisters:

How foolish not to allow all of kind to inherit all settings of one tweaked register. FOOLISH. And it is in Windows. And someone sat down one day and had a feature list of Windows and did not include this in the Mac design document. So I call it removed. It is extraordinarily easy to implent. ESPECIALLY with a one line register.

Bob. · February 27

@jacobs "Okay, then I'm confused. That's your sensitive data, with your login credentials to most or every website you use. I'd understand if you didn't want that in the cloud, and I explained you can disable that by turning off iCloud Passwords (formerly called iCloud Keychain) — although it's mighty convenient to have it on!"

I am not protective of website password that are forums, perhaps social. I would NEVER store anything financial password related. I shouldn't think that so confusing. I use complex enough passwords to protect Facebookm. Heck, this forum. If stolen, no big deal. If my 401K password stolen I get much more upset.

NOT CLOUD ACCOUNT - CLOUD FILE.

Both Windows and Mac log in with the same Quicken ID. Only Mac has a file:

Nothing like this for Windows. Or show me where? Then, let's drop this please. Very frustrating. Thanks.

Chris_QPW · February 27

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20478755#Comment_20478755

Are you forgetting that in terms of the years that Quicken Windows has been around, this feature is "recent"? Quicken Windows certainly wasn't created with it. What's more Quicken Windows "Investment register" is completely different from the "banking register" (an artifact of the history of the development), whereas Quicken Mac has a much more consistent interface.

That is the way of the world, you can't spec every detail of a complicated program like Quicken. And even if you did, it is debatable of which features are "essential" and which can wait till later. And you are also making the assumption that "This is one company and as such every group has access to all the knowledge of the other groups". That isn't how any company I ever worked for operates, and it certainly wasn't the case for all the years that Quicken Mac was developed and probably not to this day.

I remember all the complaints like "Why is the tax section in Quicken Windows wrong? After all Intuit owns TurboTax!". Like the tax group even talked to the Quicken group, Ha Ha. Each group has their own workload and priorities. The last thing they want is to be pulled into a "multiple group meeting to basically have another group try to change their priorities.".

Chris_QPW · February 27

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20478760#Comment_20478760

You are letting the difference in terms cloud your judgement. Call it a file, call it "storage", call it account, call it cloud, call it server, they are all the same.

And I have already directed you to see it in Quicken Windows. May main Quicken data file that has never been "Synced to Mobile/Web" is called "Current":

Jon · February 27

How foolish not to allow all of kind to inherit all settings of one tweaked register.

I don't think you'd actually want that in all cases. For example, there are columns in investment account registers that aren't available to banking accounts and vice versa, so trying to make one fit the other would just create a mess. And I need the check number column for accounts that I write checks on but don't want it anywhere else.

But I'm tapping out. This thread is going the way these threads usually do, in an entirely unproductive direction.

Chris_QPW · February 27

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20478764#Comment_20478764

For the record, Quicken Windows banking accounts are have individual settings for the Columns and such. All they have extra is a command to push these settings to "like accounts". Like push 1 line mode checking account settings from one account to all 1 line mode checking account settings in all these accounts.

For the investment accounts it is one setting for all accounts. Which isn't ideal, but like I said history of development has a lot to do with this. Quicken Windows investment registers are completely different than the banking registers and definitely look like much harder to change in the code.

Jon · February 27

@Chris_QPW That would make more sense.

jacobs · February 27

How foolish not to allow all of kind to inherit all settings of one tweaked register. FOOLISH.

Any feature which has not built could be termed foolish, but I think it is foolish to do so. 😂 Is it foolish that Quicken Mac can't produce a budget versus actual report as of a prior month-end? Is it foolish that Quicken Mac doesn't have functionality for RSU's? Is it foolish that Quicken Mac has no function to record taxable retirement account withdrawals like RMD's and Roth conversions? Is it foolish that there is no global search-and-replace which works across transactions which include splits? Is it foolish that securities can be tracked and sold on only LIFO or FIFO basis, but not on Average Cost Basis or HIFO or MinTax? Is it foolish that users can't create their own custom asset classes for investments? Is it foolish that there is incomplete functionality for users who use multiple currencies? I could go on, but you get the idea; it may be sad or regrettable or frustrating that specific features don't yet exist in Quicken Mac, but it's not foolish.

Every feature needs to be designed and coded and tested, so every feature which currently exists is a tradeoff for something else which doesn't currently. Until recently, we could not hide old Categories or Tags, until those features were build. We still can't hide old Securities, because that has not yet been built. We can't print a Category list, because that functionality hasn't been built.

Some of these things might be "extraordinarily easy to implement"; some have complexity which may not be apparent. (I'll just say that if I had a dollar for every time someone on this forum has stated with certainty that a particular feature wold be easy to build… or take one night… or a high schooler could do it in a day… I think I'd be wealthy enough to not need Quicken any more! 🤣) The Columns command "Apply to all [checking/credit card/brokerage/etc.] accounts" to replicate the columns — but not order or width — was only added a few years ago, and clearly at the time they added that, they decided not to go further to match the column order and width. Why? I don't know, but going that extra step — which seems logical — apparently made it complex enough that they settled at that time for just matching columns.

Meanwhile, unless you have hundreds of accounts, you probably could have had all your account registers set up, manually, in the column order and width you prefer in less than the time we've spent discussing it here. 😉

I am not protective of website password that are forums, perhaps social. I would NEVER store anything financial password related.

I think most people have both if they use iCloud Passwords. The Mac doesn't differentiate between saving login credentials for a social media website like this, and airline website, or a banking website; they all have a URL, a login name, and a password. Perhaps you carefully control which ones you allow it to save and which ones you block it from saving. I store them all, especially since nearly every website with financial or other potentially sensitive data now requires 2FA to log in. But it's fine if you choose to do it differently.

NOT CLOUD ACCOUNT - CLOUD FILE. Both Windows and Mac log in with the same Quicken ID. Only Mac has a file

Look again at the screenshot you posted. It says right there that what you're seeing are "Cloud Accounts". (Quicken actually calls them "datasets" internally, but uses the word "accounts" in both Quicken Mac and Quicken Windows, because "accounts" probably seems less confusing to users than "datasets".) And as has been explained multiple times, the cloud account for your Quicken Mac data file doesn't contain any transactions or login credentials unless you choose to turn that Sync functionality on.

Nothing like this for Windows. Or show me where?

Yes, it's the same for Windows, and @Chris_QPW has posted screenshots of the same screen in Quicken Windows twice now in this thread. I don't have Quicken Windows to illustrate, but you might want to look at Quicken Windows online help here and here for more information about the cloud accounts associate with your desktop Quicken Windows file(s).

– – – – –

At this point, I think I'm going to join @Jon in "tapping out" of this thread. I know it can be a bit jarring to try to make the transition from Quicken Windows to Quicken Mac, and so I've been trying to answer questions and offer suggestions on getting acclimated to the new program. But you're still fighting nearly every difference you find between Quicken Mac and Quicken Windows, and focusing on what could or should have been done in the development of the program over the past decade rather than how to accomplish your work in Quicken Mac. I wish you the best, whether you continue your transition to Quicken Mac or decide to go in some different direction.

Chris_QPW · February 27

I'm going to "tape out" too, but I will say one more thing about the "Cloud account". You shouldn't confuse "I can work offline with my Quicken Mac/Windows" data file with "There isn't any Quicken Cloud account". Disable your Internet connection and then try to create a new data file and see what you get.

Bob. · March 3

Just back. Took the weekend off from this. Did decide whatever I finally do, it will not be VMware or Parallels. Do not want windows on the MAC. So either Crossover, which some say works well with Windows Quicken or see if I can live with the Mac version. Distant third choice running both computers.

Still do not know how to enable online services to test and be confident nothing will be sent again to my bank. Until then I will not know as I have nothing downloaded into MAC but the original QFX file. Perhaps that has been finally addressed above.

To read. I did see tapping out as I type this. That's fine. We have different definitions of what could have (should have? ) been made more convenient like set columns once per type of register and apply to all. But….

So, while I scroll up, anyone ever use Quicken with Crossover on Mac? Would love to know your experiences.

@Chris_QPW even you showed BOTH a MAc and Windows cloud file beut never replied to my request to see where you saw that. Or where I could find what I see for Mac in Windows. ,How can I agree I have for both if I cannot see it?

"For the record, Quicken Windows banking accounts are have individual settings for the Columns and such. All they have extra is a command to push these settings to "like accounts". Like push 1 line mode checking account settings from one account to all 1 line mode checking account settings in all these accounts."

Thats EXACTLY what I said. And even simpler to implement with one line registers.

OK, i have a lot to scroll up to. Back when and if… Maybe some answers above.

Bob. · March 3

@Chris_QPW "If you want proof, just create a Windows data file with Sync to cloud on. From that data file Edit → Preferences → Quicken ID & Cloud Accounts → Cloud accounts associated with the Quicken ID."

I would never do that. I do not want anything in the cloud. And never DID that either Windows nor Mac. As I mentioned, I do believe mine in Mac created by trying to follow bad instructions to convert a QDF from Windows "in the cloud". But…

Windows Quicken ID and Cloud Accounts:

@Jon "I don't think you'd actually want that in all cases. For example, there are columns in investment account registers that aren't available to banking accounts and vice versa, so trying to make one fit the other would just create a mess. And I need the check number column for accounts that I write checks on but don't want it anywhere else. "

Not what I said. I said all registers of the same type. And its an option. But I like all checking. all CC to be the same. Not have to select columns and widths for each. And misinterpreting what I say is part of what makes this thread unproductive.

@jacobs Sorry you are so focused on my choice of the word "foolish". I use that for things that are trivial to code and include and test. Not for complex features that are missing. That gets another whole adjective :) And you list quite a bit I have not yet uncovered. Some of those may be deal breakers. I saw RMD flash by, for example.

"I think most people have both if they use iCloud Passwords. The Mac doesn't differentiate between saving login credentials for a social media website like this, and airline website, or a banking website; they all have a URL, a login name, and a password. "

True. But I do. I never save for anything like that prefer to enter myself.

"Look again at the screenshot you posted. It says right there that what you're seeing are "Cloud Accounts"."

My bad. Still, not in Windows.

"Yes, it's the same for Windows, and @Chris_QPW has posted screenshots of the same screen in Quicken Windows twice now in this thread. "

And I have posted mine.

OK. I think this list:

"…Quicken Mac can't produce a budget versus actual report as of a prior month-end? Is it foolish that Quicken Mac doesn't have functionality for RSU's? Is it foolish that Quicken Mac has no function to record taxable retirement account withdrawals like RMD's and Roth conversions? Is it foolish that there is no global search-and-replace which works across transactions which include splits? Is it foolish that securities can be tracked and sold on only LIFO or FIFO basis, but not on Average Cost Basis or HIFO or MinTax? Is it foolish that users can't create their own custom asset classes for investments? Is it foolish that there is incomplete functionality for users who use multiple currencies? I could go on, but you get the idea; it may be sad or regrettable or frustrating that specific features don't yet exist in Quicken Mac, but it's not foolish. "

Which I did not call foolish, as I said - I reserve that for more trivial functionality. But it does suggest to me that perhaps Mac is not ready for prime time.

I expected differences. Once I installed I began asking where things I use multiple times a day are to find most are not there. And it appears to have turned to defending and supporting the developers for any absence I noticed before I could even decide whether to live without it or not. C'est la vie. So, we land on a fixation of foolish and misinterpretations…

In the stuck space I find myself, I think best to uninstall Mac and start a new thread on Quicken Windows with Mac Crossover. I'm sure it would work with VMWare or Parallels, but pricey and Windows 11 to maintain which I have no desire for.

smayer97 · March 3

VMWare is free for both personal (since Nov 2023) and commercial use (since Nov 2024). There is also UTM which is also free, a Mac and iOS-only front end implementation to the very active QEmu open source project (for Mac, Windows, Linux). The price difference between Crossover vs VMWare or UTM/QEmu + Windows license is not great, the latter possibly being much cheaper.

Also, if you consider running both computers, consider Remote Access software, several excellent free options.

Bob. · March 3

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20479376#Comment_20479376

Thanks. I just don't want Windows 11 to support in any way. And you do need a license for same with those solutions. And overhead. For my taste, if Crossover does work well, it would be my preference. Read lots of reviews of VMWare vs Parallels, and if I did go that way, Parallels wins and costs too much, imho. But….

If I keep the PC, I'll just plug both into the same monitor and switch inputs. Though I would prefer to not have to.

Just went to uninstall Quicken Mac and found a few things I had not seen before. In places I would not have looked. So, put that off for a day or two and maybe explore some more. Will see.

volvogirl · March 3

Boy this thread is sure different than this user's experience. Maybe you should ask this guy

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7960554/my-migration-from-quicken-for-windows-pleasantly-surprised

Dave Ings · March 4

@volvogirl Everyone's experience is going to be different! I do not use Quicken for investment analysis or tax reporting, just budgeting + expenditure tracking, analysis and reporting across multiple accounts. So my main use case may be simpler than other Quicken users.

That said, I'm still very happy I switched to the native Mac version. No going back!

Bob. · March 4

Totally agree @Dave Ings. I AM a poweruser with investments and tax reporting and a user of most features to be had in th Windows version. Apprecite that you commented.

Bob. · March 8

OK, decided that since Quicken Mac was installed, I will try to get it running to be sure I give it a proper evaluation. Still do not have all columns and widths set the way I would prefer but that is trivial and down the list of what I find.

Willing to say I cannot find these and they may be there, but they are hiding for me if so and very useful in Windows. Are they somewhere I did not find?

Credit card accounts show under the register in Windows:

I do not see either settings for nor a summary of One Step Updates as it runs. Always incredibley helpful information:

And I'm confused why Bills and Income Reminders Mac show two entries for each reminder? One for the Bill and and one for the Payment? Not sure how I would make that work for me and edit or create new reminders.

Windows shows one rather than both the Bill and the Payment in Bills and Income.

So, at this point I am off to test Crossover Mac with Quicken Windows. The above more point of interest. If those are there. I will check as I'll keep Quicken Mac installed until I know what I choose to use go forward.

Running Quicken on BOTH Windows and Mac, ctd questions

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Add Ability to Set Default Columns, Sort and Sizes to Registers (125 Legacy/Merged Votes) (Q Mac)

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