The never ending Billminder struggle continues....
Billminder won't open on Vista Ultimate Edition 64 bit.
Double clicking on it pops up an error screen saying it failed to start and do I want to search the net for a fix (futile) or stop the program.
I dragged the .exe file into startup, rebooted and got a message that Billminder couldn't start because it can't find QWUTIL.dll so.. copied QWUTIL.dll into c:\Program files and again into C:\Program Files (x86) and noticed it is in the C:\Program Files\Qwicken folder.
Anyone running Vista 64 bit and Quicken? The Quicken website is of no help as always...
Well, yes, I run Quicken 2007 Basic on Vista Ultimate x64. But I turned off Billminder several years ago. It wasn't very easy to turn it off, as I recall, so I'm not eager to try it again.
Sorry about your problem, and sorry I can't help.
In my opinion, Microsoft goofed - big-time - in naming the Program Files (x86) folder! Since it first showed up when I installed WinXP x64 nearly 3 years ago, I assumed it was for 64-bit programs. It was several months later than I learned I was wrong - by about 180 degrees. :>(
For those who haven't yet been exposed to this new terminology, x64 refers to 64-bit Windows, just as you might expect. But 32-bit Windows is NOT x32! MS refers to 32-bit systems and programs as "x86", as in Intel 8086, 80486, etc. - the whole 80x86 family. While 32-bit WinXP and 32-bit Vista are x86 systems, we don't bother with that term UNLESS we are also using 64-bit WinXP or Vista. Of course, 64-bit applications, drivers, etc., won't even try to install in a 32-bit operating system, so there's little danger of confusion when running one of those.
Most applications are still set to install in the Program Files folder. But, in a 64-bit OS, we need to separate the few (and many more in the future, we hope) 64-bit applications and signal Vista x64 whether to use the
32-bit translator or not. So, Microsoft invented the new "Program Files (x86)" folder to hold 32-bit applications. A 32-bit application - such as Quicken - SHOULD get installed in Program Files (x86)\QuickenW, and only
64-bit apps should be in the Program Files folder. But only the newest Setup files are even aware of Program Files (x86), so Quicken Setup probably would default to Program Files\QuickenW, even though it is 32-bit app. (Confused yet?)
For years, I've dual-booted multiple Windows versions, but always kept my apps in a "neutral" volume (Drive E:) that I could access from whichever Windows (9x, 2K, XP - and now Vista) that I might be running at the time. This always worked well - until WinXP x64 and Vista x64. Now, my "Program Files\Office" and "Program Files (x86)\Office" folders are hopelessly confused, and so are the folders for many other apps.
Fortunately, though, long before the "Program Files" folder was ever introduced (Win2K?), I had started putting Quicken into its own top-level folder (E:\QuickenW), bypassing Program Files altogether. Now, I can still run Quicken by clicking E:\QuickenW\qw.exe (or the QDF file) from either WinXP or Vista, and from either the x86 or x64 version of either.
Sorry to digress so far from your Billminder question, XS11E, but you also asked about Vista 64-bit and Quicken - and brought up that Program Files (x86) folder. ;^{ And, yes, I do have E:\QuickenW\qwutil.dll, 3,470,888 bytes(!), dated 01/19/2007, but it is not in my Startup folder.
I'm sorry too, I find Billminder one of the more essential parts of Quicken since I tend to forget stuff and have sometimes gotten myself in trouble because of it...
Billminder should be easy to turn on and off *IF* you can get it to run, you just click on the "options" menu and uncheck all the boxes and that should do it, I think?
Your post seems to indicate you ran Billminder on XP and disabled it before you ran Vista if it was several years ago? I'm wondering if it did run on your Vista install 'cause I sure can't get it to do so!
Unless I have been asleep at the wheel, I think this is the first time I have seen this mentioned in this newsgroup or in the Intuit Quicken Forums. Also, unless I am misunderstanding what you have written, I believe this explains a number of complaints submitted by Quicken users trying to install/run Quicken under Vista.
Without realizing why, I have been increasingly suggesting that Quicken be installed in a folder created under the Windows root folder. I am beginning to think I understand why that may have been reasonable advice ... I hope.
Well, all that "x86" stuff doesn't matter in 32-bit Vista. We won't even hear it mentioned in that case. It doesn't matter UNLESS we are running a
64-bit Windows, either WinXP x64 or Vista x64. Then it matters - and it might matter a lot. At least, it offers great opportunity for confusion. Heck, I even got confused re-reading what I had written. :>(
As I said, MS could have avoided a lot of the confusion if they had simply continued to use the Program Files folder for 32-bit applications, even in x64 versions of Windows. Why didn't they just add a new Program Files (x64) folder? But, nooo! They had to reserve Program Files in x64 for 64-bit programs (of which there are still none, or practically none) and create this new Program Files (x86) folder for 32-bit programs - but ONLY in a
Quick review: Quicken 2007 installed on a Vista Ultimate 64 bit OS, Billminder won't start/open/run, just gets an error message.
I emailed Quicken support about the problem and they weren't much help, mostly pasting into their responses bits from the help file which I'd already done but I'm pleased to report they put me onto the fix!
I used MSCONFIG to, one at a time, eliminate startup programs and when I stopped Logitech's Setpoint software (drivers for mouse and keyboard) Billminder immediately began working with no problems!
I need Setpoint so I emailed Logitech's support and they suggested remove, do a clean boot (msconfig again, disabling all services and startup items) and re-install.
No luck, but when rebooting I see Billminder will open during startup but if I close it, I can't make it run again, same error as before so obviously Setpoint software is loading late in the startup process and doesn't kill Billminder that one first time.
We'll see what Logitech comes up with but if I can get reminders from Billminder on my initial startup, I can live with that. I find I can also log off and back on and Billminder will open if I should need it for any reason later on.
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