Q2016 cannot open if connected to the internet becasue it says it cannot connect to the internet!

The actual error message is: "Unable to check for updates, the server file failed to load." More detail suggests I check my internet connectivity.

If you're not using Release 19.5 (select "Help" > "About Quicken", I suggest you download and apply the Quicken 2016 Release 19.5 Mondo patch:

I should have mentioned that I am using Release 19.5. Thanks.

You may want follow:

Thank you. That is a good find. More current than what I had seen in the past. I hope something happens. It is pretty clear this is on Quicken's end, not our computers.

Quicken is actively trying to screw us. They are making continued use of the non-subscription version difficult, so we buy a subscription based version.

"Let me inform you that Quicken 2016 is an unsupported version now so you will not be able to get access in to the program with internet connection. You will need to get an active subscription to keep working without any crashes while your are connected on the internet. In order to get more information about the packages and subscriptions availables for you, you can visit:

Doesn?t metter that you do not download information from the bank

Quicken 2016 is an unsupported version now so you will not be able to get access in to the program with internet connection."

So, unless someone comes up with a fix, I will just have to turn off internet every time I want to open Quicken 2016.

"Quicken is actively trying to screw us. "

Nonsense.

"They are making continued use of the non-subscription version difficult ...".

Hogwash.

Virtually every version of Quicken has required the user to upgrade at least every 3 years (*), if the user wants downloads and support (**). Q2016 is now in that category, and Q2017 (the final non-subscription version) will soon fall in that category as well.

Bottom line: you only get what you pay for. You have no legitimate complaint: the policy has long been known

[ (*) The policy was adopted around Q2004, and became retroactive at that time.] [ (**) Quicken has even provided some limited support for pre-subscription versions whose support has technically expired.]

I don't want downloads and support. I just want to use what I paid for without having to overcome their tricks. No hogwash, just the facts.

"Taxed and Spent" wrote

I don't want downloads and support. I just want to use what I paid for without having to overcome their tricks. No hogwash, just the facts.

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My comments were in direct response to the specific quotes from your post that I included in my reply.

Your comments that I quoted were pure hogwash - not a single fact anywhere in that quoted material.

[The ONLY reason you would need to upgrade to the subscription version is to get downloads and/or support.]

Then why do I have to disable my internet connection to get Q to open? The only reason is Q is being a PITA and trying to convince you to spend more money with them. There is no technical reason it must be so.

Among the "not a single facts":

"They are making continued use of the non-subscription version difficult, so we buy a subscription based version."

"Let me inform you that Quicken 2016 is an unsupported version now so you will not be able to get access in to the program with internet connection."

"Quicken 2016 is an unsupported version now so you will not be able to get access in to the program with internet connection."

"So, unless someone comes up with a fix, I will just have to turn off internet every time I want to open Quicken 2016."

Then why do I have to disable my internet connection to get Q to open? The only reason is Q is being a PITA and trying to convince you to spend more money with them. There is no technical reason it must be so.

Among the "not a single facts":

"They are making continued use of the non-subscription version difficult, so we buy a subscription based version."

"Let me inform you that Quicken 2016 is an unsupported version now so you will not be able to get access in to the program with internet connection."

"Quicken 2016 is an unsupported version now so you will not be able to get access in to the program with internet connection."

"So, unless someone comes up with a fix, I will just have to turn off internet every time I want to open Quicken 2016."

But now I consider myself "lucky". I have heard that later versions, after the subscription expires, plaster large, obtrusive nag messages on every Q screen you open, pestering you to pay more money.

Not to get involved in the somewhat childish back and forth, but there is a simple action you can take to avoid all your problems. Simply pay the rather modest fee for their support and your download ability should you wish to do so. Quicken is the ONE program I use daily (other than email) for multiple accounts as I am the treasurer of multiple NPOs. The fee to support the program is something I certainly do not mind paying on a yearly basis and have been doing so for 34 years in the DOS days.

I consider it my pleasure to support them for such a fine product that makes my life infinitely easier than a spreadsheet or other not so robust programs.

A simple "fix" my friend.

"Taxed and Spent" wrote

Then why do I have to disable my internet connection to get Q to open? The only reason is Q is being a PITA and trying to convince you to spend more money with them. There is no technical reason it must be so.

Among the "not a single facts":

"They are making continued use of the non-subscription version difficult, so we buy a subscription based version."

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Once again you are making false statements.

Quicken is not "MAKING continued use of the non-subscription more difficult ....".

There is no intention on Quicken's part to cause expired versions to stop working (other than the aforementioned loss of downloading and support, which are intentionally ended when the "subscription" ends).

The "technical reason" for your problem is way more likely to be attributable to human error. A software bug, or (as suggested in the discussion Sherlock pointed you to) something wrong with the server Quicken needs to contact when it opens.

[You do realize that since about Q2014, Quicken must authenticate you as a valid user, by verifying your "Quicken ID" ... right? Quicken does that by communicating with a server on the internet - hence the need for a successful internet connection to that server.]

Other expired versions of Quicken (versions that existed prior to the introduction of the subscription version have also experienced problems from time to time. When those problems could be determined to be Quicken problems and those problems prevented Quicken users from using the product as Quicken intended ... Quicken fixed the problem ... even when the problem version was no longer supported.

There is no such thing as bug-free software, or perfect human beings. Your attempt to pretend that Quicken is intentionally creating problems, or intentionally not fixing problems, is not supported by a shred of evidence.

You should also understand that there is a very good reason for "support" ending for expired Quicken versions (every version since at least Q2004 expired after 1 to 3 years). Providing support costs money and expecting something for nothing is a dead-end presumption. Eventually Q2016 will stop working due to changes which Quicken will not correct (incompatibility with newer operating systems, for example).

Up until this morning, I had Q2016 R18.4 installed and it was working with no problem. This morning I installed release 19.5, and it too runs with no problem.

So either Quicken fixed the problem while you were wasting time falsely attributing unethical behavior to them, or there is more to the problem than so far posted.

I agree with everything you say, however...

...I've long felt that that if support for a product (Quicken or any other product) ends after some period or a feature like one-step update ends after a period, that should be made clear when the product is sold. It should say what that period is on the product's box, it should say it in the product's ads, etc. It should never come as a surprise to someone who bought it without knowing about it.

"Ken Blake" wrote

I agree with everything you say, however...

...I've long felt that that if support for a product (Quicken or any other product) ends after some period or a feature like one-step update ends after a period, that should be made clear when the product is sold. It should say what that period is on the product's box, it should say it in the product's ads, etc. It should never come as a surprise to someone who bought it without knowing about it.

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Unless Intuit knew from day one that they would be terminating certain features after some length of time; there would have to have been a point at which that information was first conveyed to users (which was around 2004, I believe). After that point, I agree that the information should be readily available ... and I think it is today.

Discontinuation information has been on the Quicken box for quite some time. See:

[Discontinuation information may have been on boxes even before Q2011.]

The discontinuation policy has long been available online at:

[It's also a simple matter to go online (here, or the Quicken Community) and ask (or search) for information about this - you don't have to own Quicken to ask questions about it online.]

As far as I'm concerned, if they didn't know about it from day one, and informed the potential customer about it on day one, they have no right to terminate the features on day two. If I buy a product (again, *any* product), it should never get any restrictions that I wasn't told about when I bought it. Adding restrictions after the fact may not be illegal, but it's immoral and should be illegal.

In tiny print--smaller than everything else on the box. As far as I'm concerned, that's a way of hiding it from the potential customer. It was effectively "hidden" from me; I never noticed it before.

And I have usually bought Quicken versions on a web site, usually Amazon. If it was available there, I never saw it.

Although that's true, when you consider buying a product, information about it should be readily available. You shouldn't have to search for it or ask questions (or use a magnifying glass). And if you're not aware of a restriction, it usually wouldn't even occur to you to ask a question or search for info about it.

If I may change the subject and ask a question ...

I run Quicken Deluxe 2020. It permits amounts up to 99,999,999.99. That's *way* more than enough for me, but I'm just curious--what about billionaires? Is there some version of Quicken that permits larger numbers? Or does Quickbooks permit larger numbers?

Are you serious? The billionaires' software is called accountant. It only executes on special hardware called meat.

I find Quicken easy to use, but the billionaires' accountant is even better in that regard. You wouldn't like it. It is by subscription only.

But I don't want continued support and download capability. I just want Quicken to open in stand alone mode, without me having to turn off internet connection to do so. But as of today, I cannot do so. And my communications with Quicken say this is their intent.

My communications with Quicken stated this was their intent.

Quicken need not verify me as a valid user. That is a choice they make.

Except what Quicken specifically told me.

I am happy with support ending.

Still fails for me.