Keep Q2003 while trialing Q2006, How to

You have pretty much summed it up. Let the '06 install uninstall the '03 version (or uninstall '03 yourself), install '06 *then* install '03 to a different folder. If you can copy your '03 data to a different folder for '06 to use.

Regardless of which folder you choose for the install, Quicken versions share other folders such as \Program Files\Shared\Intuit\.

Keep in mind also that Quicken versions share things such as QUICKEN.INI and that this is not kept in the install folder. This means that Quicken may attempt to open the last used file in one version with the other version, leading to instant file corruption if the 2003 version opens the 2006 version files.

Finally you need to remember to keep your data files separate for the above reason.

In general, I'd say that it is a bad idea to run multiple versions of Quicken on the same machine. John Pollard used to do this, but I believe he has also now given up trying to do it - the side effects got too bad. So unless you have two computers, I suggest that you close your eyes, trust that since July the 2006 users have discovered all the catastrophic bugs , and make the conversion instantaneous.

For best results on the conversion, do the following.

Make a Quicken copy of your current data file. Validate the copy. Uninstall Quicken 2003. Use the QCleanUI.exe utility on the Quicken

2006 CD (in the tools folder) to remove all traces of prior Quicken versions from your machine. Then run the install off the Quicken 2006 CD. Open the validated copy of your Quicken 2003 data with Quicken 2006 and let Quicken convert it.

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Yes, I have almost totally given up on running multiple versions of Quicken in the same partition; which, so far for me, means the same machine.

I did not notice a major problem, but the minor problems got to be too much for me; most of the problems had to do with those Quicken functions that utilized the internet (which includes almost all of the planning functions): they simply would not work with any other than the most recently installed version. And when it comes to Q2006, if you want to have a second version of Quicken installed, Q2006 will never be the most recently installed version.

The lesser problems had to do with the "mru" file list (shared with all Quicken versions), and some problems with unrequested changes in Quicken Preferences (which also occur in Q2005 even if there is only one Quicken version installed); and some others that I have forgotten.

I do not recall any problem that compromised my Quicken data.

But I have had a suggestion for some time now which no one seems willing to try, but which I think would permit successfully running two versions of Quicken on the same pc with absolutely no interference. Create a dual boot pc with the same Widows os as the os for both partitions. One partition could be very small; only needing the os and whatever Quicken apps and data were required; the other partition could be the "regular" (default boot) partition.

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