Is Quicken support right about this?

From: "Bob Newmam"

| Quicken support says that no version of Quicken (I have 2008) will work on a | home network. Is this true? Mine appears to work there sometimes.

| Thanks... Bob

It depends on what is meant.

Share the application or share the data and if multiple users are to access the data at the same time.

You can easily share the data but only one person can access the data at a time.

The application does not support being used from a server.

ON my homework I can access the DATA from any computer. However, ONE user at a time, please!

That is what I meant. One user at a time but to separate computers in different rooms (each with Q installed) using the same data file in Vista's "Public" folder.

Bob

My network is excellent for everything else, even streaming hi-def video.

Running Quicken however resulted in Windows "delayed write errors". This can mean that data was lost. I decided to forget the convenience, and run Quicken directly on my desktop.

If you do run it on the desktop, backup often, and you may want to run validate on occasion.

-- Jim

That is what I meant. One user at a time but to separate computers in different rooms (each with Q installed) using the same data file in Vista's "Public" folder.

Bob

Actually I've had trouble getting it to run from anywhere right now. I spent 2 1/2 hours with the Q support chat line last night and they couldn't help. The program won't remember the last data file it used & goes back to the screen from the install program that asks if I want to use an existing file, a backup, or create a new one. I may be heading for MSoft Money soon.

Bob

I'm running XP, not Vista, so I have no idea about the Public Folder technique. I simply have Quicken 2002 installed on each of my 2 networked computers, i.e. Quicken is installed on the C drive of each computer and I have a full quicken data files on EACH C drive. I ONLY do changes to Quicken data on the MAIN computer and once a week I delete all data files on the SECONDARY computer and copy/paste the Quicken data files FROM the main computer to the secondary computer using the network connection. Of course you could do this via a thumb drive, too. Main thing is that I have never attempted to ACCESS **and** UPDATE, for example the PRIMARY computer's quicken file from the SECONDARY computer. In other words, I do not know if Quicken allows "cross network" access to its files.

From: "Bob Newman"

| That is what I meant. One user at a time but to separate computers in | different rooms (each with Q installed) using the same data file in Vista's | "Public" folder.

| Bob

Not a problem. I have had Quciken access data files shared for years.

However I think it is better to use a mapped driver rather than a UNC. { my opinion }

I run one data file but use Syncback SE to synchronize the data files between my main PC and my laptop. That approach seems to work pretty well.

Ah, so that is your problem. I could only make it work that way by mapping a network drive in Windows explorer, or using a "net use" statement to mount the directory as a virtual drive. Otherwise, Quicken won't find the file.

-- Jim

And, if Quicken doesn't find a file to open, then it assumes that it is a new installation, and asks if you are a new user.

A Windows "Delayed Write Error" is usually indicative of problematic hardware. Occurs often on USB drives (check chipset bugs), but sometimes on internal drives.

I would run the hard disk manufacturer's (non-destructive) diagnostics on that drive.