Advice - Quicken 2004 upgrade to 2006??

The biggest thing for me from 2005-2006 is the ability to attach receipt/check scans to transactions and eStatements to accounts. I've had a hard time keeping up with my filing and have really been wanting these features. They seem to work OK, but clearly can be enhanced (no ability to search for attachments, etc.) The rest of the '05-'06 upgrade wasn't a huge deal for me (reports, etc.) I can't remember the big '04-'05 changes; I don't think they were that dramatic. Frankly, I do think its a good idea to upgrade at least every 2-3 years. I personally would worry about getting several years out of date and then being forced to upgrade.

Regards, Charles

Hello, Charles! You wrote on Wed, 31 Aug 2005 09:21:52 -0400:

Thanks. Right now I'm mentally on a 3 year update cycle so, barring big advantages for 06 over 04, I'm probably a year away.

Colonel Blip. E-mail: snipped-for-privacy@bigfoot.com

CG> The biggest thing for me from 2005-2006 is the ability to attach CG> receipt/check scans to transactions and eStatements to accounts. I've CG> had a hard time keeping up with my filing and have really been wanting CG> these features. They seem to work OK, but clearly can be enhanced (no CG> ability to search for attachments, etc.) The rest of the '05-'06 CG> upgrade wasn't a huge deal for me (reports, etc.) I can't remember the CG> big '04-'05 changes; I don't think they were that dramatic. Frankly, I CG> do think its a good idea to upgrade at least every 2-3 years. I CG> personally would worry about getting several years out of date and then CG> being forced to upgrade.

CG> Regards, CG> Charles

CG> "Colonel Blip" wrote in CG> message news:1125489777 snipped-for-privacy@spool6-east.superfeed.net... ??>> Hello, All!

I upgraded from 2004 H & B to 06 H & B and these are the new features that I use most that are not in 2004:

Attach feature. Mini reports. Better find (with replace) Ability to recatogrize/edit multiple transaction with single command. Ability to select a printer at print time and to select number of copies! Maximize register.

Nothing earth shattering but I have found 06 better to my liking (once I got past a few upgrade issues that req'd some re-installs and data file validations).

Tim

The main reason I did not upgrade from Q2004 to Q2005 is that you could no longer import the *.qif files I could download for my 401K account. A feature they took out and replace with an approach that my investment firm did not and still does not support.

Can Q2006 import *.qif files. If so, I might upgrade.

Joe

Prepare yourself for a long dry spell. Practice holding your breath.

Hardly...... From what I can see, any remnants of QIF importing are gone............... If downloading QIF files is important, you are stuck with Q04.....

Truth is, you can import directly and individually to cash, asset, and liability accounts, and at least two business account types. And you can import to *any* account type if you specify "all accounts" ... and Quicken believes you are actually importing all accounts.

For what its worth. I think the new format is .qfx. I still use

2004, but switched to the .qfx format which B/A supports because 2004 routinely misinterpreted the /05 in the date code. Had to download the file. Edit it to find all /05 and replace with '05. Then it would post correctly. Quicken thinks /05 is 1905, and '05 is 2005. The new .qfx data correctly recognizes the date. Then B/A thought it in their interest to open the file with a transaction number. Quicken grabbed that and used it for the "Payee" . Major headache. Had to manuslly enter the payee for months until the noise got so loud, they changed it back. Knock on wood, for now it works ok.

Gets me down to two points. If you have not, check and see it your financial firm offers data in .qfx. That is pretty standard, for financial data transfers. It it does, you are pretty much ready to go with 2006, but you may have to download into a temp file, then import into Quicken from the temp file. That's not too hard. I have to do that, or pay Quicken a monthly fee for the data. To hell with that.

The last point is that you might Google for a comversion utility. I do not know it to be so, but it seems it should be reasonable to convert .qif to .qfx. If Goodle doesn't get you there, try the Quicken support data files, for either a conversion utility, or specifications for both, and you write your own utility.