Quicken File Sharing?

Posted by Art Prest on August 22, 2007, 9:15 am

Please log in for more thread options

Does anyine have any idea how I can reliably share the core Quicken data
files between two computers on a home LAN?

I am trying to figure out how I can place my Quicken files on a file server
or external hard drive and access them easily from two different
computerson my home LAN. I placed the Quicken files in a directory on an
external hardrive on PC #1 connected to my LAN. From PC #2 on that same
LAN I can navigate to them on the external hard drive connected to PC #1 and
open them but when I shut down Quicken on PC #2 and then reopen Quciken on
PC#2 it doesn't open the files on the external hard drive connected to PC
#1. Yes I can navigate to them once again or launch them from the bottom of
the File menu in Quicken on PC #2 but I want to make sure that I am always
using the same Quicken files.

Posted by Han on August 22, 2007, 8:23 pm

Please log in for more thread options

> Does anyine have any idea how I can reliably share the core Quicken

> data files between two computers on a home LAN?

> I am trying to figure out how I can place my Quicken files on a file

> server or external hard drive and access them easily from two

> different computerson my home LAN. I placed the Quicken files in a

> directory on an external hardrive on PC #1 connected to my LAN. From

> PC #2 on that same LAN I can navigate to them on the external hard

> drive connected to PC #1 and open them but when I shut down Quicken on

> PC #2 and then reopen Quciken on PC#2 it doesn't open the files on the

> external hard drive connected to PC #1. Yes I can navigate to them

> once again or launch them from the bottom of the File menu in Quicken

> on PC #2 but I want to make sure that I am always using the same

> Quicken files.

For me that worked fine for a while.

USB external drive on desktop (fast, but not exceedingly so, XP Pro),
which is wired to the ActionTec 1424WR router.
Slow Vista Home Basic laptop, wireless to the (upstairs) router.
Q2007 trial on laptop

I moved the Quicken file to the laptop after I had opened the file on the
ext HD once, and the register only showed a single window of
transactions. Apparently, the data were not altered, so moving the data
set to the laptop "cured" that problem.

Sorry, I don't think I'm not going to try to reproduce the symptoms.

Of course I will erase the data from the lapop if and when I take it on a
trip.
--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

Posted by Marty K on August 23, 2007, 10:13 am

Please log in for more thread options

Han wrote:

>> Does anyine have any idea how I can reliably share the core Quicken

>> data files between two computers on a home LAN?

>> I am trying to figure out how I can place my Quicken files on a file

>> server or external hard drive and access them easily from two

>> different computerson my home LAN. I placed the Quicken files in a

>> directory on an external hardrive on PC #1 connected to my LAN. From

>> PC #2 on that same LAN I can navigate to them on the external hard

>> drive connected to PC #1 and open them but when I shut down Quicken on

>> PC #2 and then reopen Quciken on PC#2 it doesn't open the files on the

>> external hard drive connected to PC #1. Yes I can navigate to them

>> once again or launch them from the bottom of the File menu in Quicken

>> on PC #2 but I want to make sure that I am always using the same

>> Quicken files.

> For me that worked fine for a while.

> USB external drive on desktop (fast, but not exceedingly so, XP Pro),

> which is wired to the ActionTec 1424WR router.

> Slow Vista Home Basic laptop, wireless to the (upstairs) router.

> Q2007 trial on laptop

> I moved the Quicken file to the laptop after I had opened the file on the

> ext HD once, and the register only showed a single window of

> transactions. Apparently, the data were not altered, so moving the data

> set to the laptop "cured" that problem.

> Sorry, I don't think I'm not going to try to reproduce the symptoms.

> Of course I will erase the data from the lapop if and when I take it on a

> trip.

If you want to use Quicken on your laptop when away from home store its
data files in an encrypted volume created using TrueCrypt software.
(http://www.truecrypt.org/). This is free open source encryption
software that can protect an entire hard drive or you can create
encrypted virtual disk drives using a password you create with no
degradation in performance.
BTW, This is not the same as the windows encryption.

The only caution is "don't forget your password", there is absolutely no
way to recover from a lost password for a true crypt volume.
I use this for all my sensitive data files which includes my Quicken
files.

Posted by Han on August 23, 2007, 9:32 pm

Please log in for more thread options

<snip>

> If you want to use Quicken on your laptop when away from home store

> its data files in an encrypted volume created using TrueCrypt

> software. (http://www.truecrypt.org/). This is free open source

> encryption software that can protect an entire hard drive or you can

> create encrypted virtual disk drives using a password you create with

> no degradation in performance.

> BTW, This is not the same as the windows encryption.

> The only caution is "don't forget your password", there is absolutely

> no way to recover from a lost password for a true crypt volume.

> I use this for all my sensitive data files which includes my Quicken

> files.

Thanks Marty

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

Posted by Hank Arnold (MVP) on August 23, 2007, 5:10 am

Please log in for more thread options

Art Prest wrote:

> Does anyine have any idea how I can reliably share the core Quicken data

> files between two computers on a home LAN?

> I am trying to figure out how I can place my Quicken files on a file server

> or external hard drive and access them easily from two different

> computerson my home LAN. I placed the Quicken files in a directory on an

> external hardrive on PC #1 connected to my LAN. From PC #2 on that same

> LAN I can navigate to them on the external hard drive connected to PC #1 and

> open them but when I shut down Quicken on PC #2 and then reopen Quciken on

> PC#2 it doesn't open the files on the external hard drive connected to PC

> #1. Yes I can navigate to them once again or launch them from the bottom of

> the File menu in Quicken on PC #2 but I want to make sure that I am always

> using the same Quicken files.

As others have said, you should:

1) share the file location on the "file server".
2) Give appropriate security permissions for the users for that folder
3) Map the share on the users' computers to a drive letter

Be advised that Q has no "record locking" capabilities. This means that
more than one person can have a record open for editing at the same
time. The consequences for this can be significant (even catastrophic).
You are responsible to assure that only one person is editing teh
database at one time. Intuit/Quicken will not do that for you.

If you proceed, I'd be *VERY* careful to make sure I have good, frequent
and restorable backups....

--

Regards,
Hank Arnold
Microsoft MVP
Windows Server - Directory Services