Quicken on two networked PCs

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news:1152392231.911136.125770@

What you are suggesting is (I believe) using the upstairs machine to see and run programs on the downstairs one. Such remote computing is possible, but I don't know exactly how. Something like "gotomypc", but that works over the internet and costs something like $15/mo.

You could share the directory on the downstairs machine and install Q upstairs as well. However, it is almost guaranteed that you will forget something and get data corruption if you have the ability to access the same files from 2 machines.

It would be best to set up a rigorous backup routine, and use copies of the datafiles separately on each machine.

I thiink that it is best to always work on one machine, but copy backups to the other one.

I am not great computer guru but since you are networked I beleive the solution is relatgively simple:

1. Install Quicken on the upstairs PC, but write the data files (by saving them there the first time) to the basement PC's HD. To do this the drive or parition on the absement PC where the data files will reside should be set to "share" on the network with both read and write priveleges. This way you are using the basement PC as a file server.
2. From then on, every time you open Quicken on the upstairs PCs, you can open the data files on the basement PC.

There is a potential risk involved if your network is wireless because anyone could break into your network and read your Quicken files. So make sure you have good encryption and password security on the wireless network (read up about it). The risk exists even if the data files are on the same PC if your wireless network is not secured. If your network is not wireless but connected by cables, that is not a concern.

Also, working with files accessed on a network will be slower than having them on the same hard drive. How much slower depends on the speed of your network connection.

Hope that helps.

Jeff

Isn't any computer connected to the internet -- networked or not -- at risk of a break-in?

Isn't any computer connected to the internet -- networked or not -- at risk of a break-in?

To some degree yes, but with a router between your computer network and the internet reasonable security can be achieved. A good router permits encryption (preferably WPA) if used with good passwords, firewalls consisting of MAC filters that only permit the specific PCs you own and assign to be able to access the network, etc. Any protected network can be broken into, but with proper firewalls and routers you are protected from all but the most expert hackers who would need months of constant work to break in, and they would not bother with a home network. On the other hand many home networks are not protected at all and in a huge percentage of cases the owner has not even changed the default factory network name (!) or added any password. They justg connect the modem or router to their system and accept the default factory settings which are unprotected to permit easier installation. I can tell you that is true because in my home I am surrounded by my neighbors' "unsecured networks" that I could access with no problem.

Jeff

From:

| Hi, | | I'd like to have Quicken locally installed on my basement desktop | computer, but also have the ability to open and use Quicken on my other | networked PC upstairs. Is this possible? Would it be possible to just | share the Quicken root directory on C: and just open it on my upstairs | PC or would I have to install it on both PCs and open the networked | Quicken folder from my basement computer on my upstairs PC? | | Thanks, | James

It sure is !

Assuming both are Win32 platforms...

Use File and Print Shares and share the folder that has the Quicken data files.

Make sure BOTH computers use the same Account name and Password.

Make sure the account that access the NT Share has full Read and Write privileges in both the Share and in NTFS.

On the second computer, map a drive letter to the share of the Quicken data files.

Just make sure only ONE computer accesses the Quicken data files at any given time.

This is exactly what I do. Only the PC with the share is a WinME PC and the second PC is Win2K.

Why would they both have to be Win32 platforms? A 64-bit Windows (assuming it's running 32-bit Quicken) wouldn't be able to share the file? Just asking. I would have assumed 64 and 32 could work together. But I could be wrong.

From: "DP"

| Why would they both have to be Win32 platforms? A 64-bit Windows (assuming | it's running 32-bit Quicken) wouldn't be able to share the file? | Just asking. I would have assumed 64 and 32 could work together. But I could | be wrong. |

I expressed Win32 oly to mean MS Windows platforms. The fact that I used Win32 did not mean an exclusion of Win64. Even a MAC can share the data but I didn't want to get into the use of Dave or Samba to access a NT share.

So what you meant was, "as long as both machines are running Windows"? (If I sound argumentative, I'm not trying to be. Just trying to make sure I understand the point.) And presumably the version of windows (98, ME, etc) is irrelevant as long as both versions can run whatever version of Quicken you have? I mean, if ME can run Quicken, then it doesn't make any difference if the other machine is XP, x64 or even Vista Beta as long as it can run that same version of Quicken, right?

I guess file structure might be an issue. If one machine can only handle Fat32 and the file is on an NTFS disk. Does that matter?

From: "DP"

| | So what you meant was, "as long as both machines are running Windows"? (If I | sound argumentative, I'm not trying to be. Just trying to make sure I | understand the point.) | And presumably the version of windows (98, ME, etc) is irrelevant as long as | both versions can run whatever version of Quicken you have? I mean, if ME | can run Quicken, then it doesn't make any difference if the other machine is | XP, x64 or even Vista Beta as long as it can run that same version of | Quicken, right? | | I guess file structure might be an issue. If one machine can only handle | Fat32 and the file is on an NTFS disk. Does that matter? |

No, you are right. I chose words that were NOT totally clear and I could have done better :-)

The partition scheme (FAT, FAT32 or NTFS) has NO consequences unless the data is being shared on a NTFS partition and the user accounts are using security thus the account accessing the share would also need NTFS Read & Write permissions. To make sharing easy, I actually have my WinME PC share the data and both my WinME PC and my Win2K PC are using the same version of Quicken 2006 Premier.

The OS doesn't make much difference as long as the version of quicken is the same. If a particular version runs under Win9x/ME as well as WinXP/Win2K no problem.

If the OS is Win32 or Win64 is shouldn't make a difference either.

If one of the PCs is an older MAC PC then to access a NT share it would need the software Dave to access to SMB (NetBIOS over IP shares).

If one of the PCs is a newer MAC which uses a Unix kernel then one would need Samba enabled to provide access to SMB (NetBIOS over IP shares).

In the above two cases what is important is that the PC and the MAC versions of Quicken use the same file format level. You don't want to have one version upgrade the data files and thus lockout the other version. The same goes for the Win9x/ME and NT based OS scenario.

Again it is important to note that only ONE computer can access the Quicken data files at any given time. The data files don't allow multiple computers accessing the same data files at the same time.