Rating: 
Summary: Do not convert your 2003 data to 2004
Review: I have used Quicken for 10 years, and succesfully upgraded every year. I didn't even have a problem switching platforms from Mac to Windows. I just upgraded and converted my data files to Quicken 2004. The program is completley buggy to the point of me not even being able to open it. I bought Money 2004 in an attempt to vote with my dollars, I returned Quicken and bought Money 2004 to no aviail. My automatic backup had copied over my 2003 backup with the 2004 files. Money 2004 cannot import files from Quicen 2004. Intuit can provide me with no further technical assitance, and I am stuck with software that crashes when I open it, at least until they release a patch.
Rating:
Summary: A disaster! Don't buy it!
Review: I have been using Quicken for 13 years. Although I was unhappy with the Quicken 2003 (to which I had upgraded from Quicken 2000) largely because of the crowding of the register to the point where it could not be read easily at least THAT version functioned. The new Quicken 2004 upgrade is FULL OF BUGS. Hidden accounts randomly reappear and there is no way to get rid of them. Popups advertising Intuit products interrupt one's work constantly and cannot be removed. The stock market quotes' download does not function at all. Intuit's technical support has been moved to India and Intuit has failed to inform and train that staff about the bugs. They have not issued patches or revised software. [They're still "working on it", three months after discovery of the bugs in August.] I lost 13 years of data in five separate databases and despite three backups, could not retrieve it because the backups were corrupted by the new buggy software. Intuit's President's office at Intuit has been nasty and unsympathetic. The best advice I have is: DON'T buy this product at this time. It's very dangerous to your database(s).
Rating:
Summary: Friday the 13th - Intuit Style
Review: One star only because I had to.
Well Intuit has done it again. You don't really need my thoughts here since it is well documented, but I will spend the time because it seems a more valuable use than troubleshooting Intuit's software for them.
I have been using, building, reparing, teaching PC's since early 1982 and using Intuit products since their inception. Around the turn of the century, I had two companies and an individual tax return to manage and file.
I had Quickbooks, TurboTax and Quicken developed and integrated to help me perform this function in under an hour for each return. Load TTax, import last year's return, download from QB or Quicken, put in a couple of numbers and answer a few questions and you were done. Magnificent! But not anymore.
In the first of a one/two knockout punch, Intuit introduced the cDilla disaster with Turbo Tax. So, with considerable effort, I switched tax programs two years ago. No data transfer, no importing, starting from scratch ... a giant leap backwards for computer users. Well, from all of the fallout, did Intuit learn anything, of course not. When they shouted, "mea culpa," I shouted too late, I'm not going back, even if it causes me more pain.
I hoped others would follow suit. Then my bank told me that to continue operating online, I needed to upgrade my Quicken 2000, which has been working fine and has more functions than I require anyway. They even send me the program for free. I procrastinated as long as I could, but have become addicted to total automatic online functionality, so I bit. Dumb, dumber, dumbest. When will I learn.
I urge you, if you are not an online junkie, NOT TO BUY INTUIT PRODUCTS, it only encourages them to do more of this BS.
Rating: 
Summary: These reviews make little sense
Review: I use Quicken on my laptop and desktop, both of which use Windows XP professional. I've had no problems whatsoever. Moreover, the program is PC Magazines Editor's Choice (5 stars). I presume they have some idea of what they're talking about. Therefore, it mystifies me that there are so many negative reviews here with only one star. How can the program be that bad? Could it be that many of these reviews are written by people with an interest in boosting Microsoft Money sales? - which, by the way, is also a good program.
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!! -10 stars
Review: This product is worthless. I have used Quicken for 20 years and had vertually no problems but I could not even get this version to install. The help desk was a joke so I threw the disk away. For now I am using Quicken 2002 but I am considering moving to Money. To be honest, I don't like Microsoft anymore than Intuit but at least their product works. Do Not Buy....
Rating:
Summary: Garbage
Review: I got this product at a major discount earlier in the year where it sat on one of my shelves until today. Installation was fair enough but as many reviewers say I immediately noticed all of the advertising garbage strewn throughout the program. When it came to setting up my online bank accounts they all errored with error ol-332-a. I can download to the program from my credit card website in the web browser though but doing it from quicken I get ol-332-a (huh?). Then I tried to update the product to revision 5 and I get "A patching engine error occurred." I downloaded the patches manually and the first patch says the same thing when trying to install it. No KB articles on their website of course. After coming here and reading some of the review it is obvious I should not take any further time attempting to troubleshoot. Garbage.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible
Review: I am on Windows 2000 (never any issues running ANY programs) I followed the simple instructions for installation. Now everytime I try to open the file my CPU maxes out at 100% and the hourglass hangs forever. Until I kill the QA (QW.EXE) program using from 35,0000K - 75,0000K. NUTS for $ 45.00. Of course Intuit's useless helpdesk is closed when I need it and there is a little warning on my card that Customer Support / Tech Support may cost me something. Intuit you just don't get it do you ? This is 2004 like you box says (not 1994). People don't have to put up with a lousy product and "Customer No Service". We have other choices ! I will let my feet do the talking and return this total waste of time. I believe I will try Money or Quick Books. For you folks who rated this 5 stars... good luck one day you WILL need Intuit Customer / Tech Support.
Rating: 
Summary: Quicken 2004 has worked flawlessly for me !
Review: Regarding all these negative online reviews, I just don't get it. I don't understand how this software could be as bad as some reviewers want you to think. For comparison purposes I would like to note that I am using Windows XP and I did an upgrade to Quicken 2004 from Quicken 2002 . I backed up my current quicken data on zip disk and loaded the Quicken 2004 CD. For me the upgrade went quickly and smoothly. (After backing up the current quicken data files users of pre-Windows XP OS might want to do a complete uninstall of their older Quicken first. You should also take a note of my other suggestions below). After installing the new Quicken I ran all the online Quicken 2004 live program updates without a problem. The new Quicken did require that I confirm a creation of a Quicken online account which you do not have to use and you can simply choose not to upload any information to the online web account if you do not want to use it. My older Quicken 2002 data and online account information migrated fine. The new user interface is a departure from the older style but after a while you begin to like it much more than the older interface. It would be nice to have the option to customize the account colors as you could with previous versions but this is my only minor complaint. From my experience this past year I don't see what all the major complaining is about that I read from some of the other reviewers. Financial programs are obviously very important and therefore to avoid any possible problems I would recommend several things to newer users who want to migrate to Quicken 2004. First, if you are using an operating system other than Windows XP be aware that previous versions of Windows such as Windows 98 are not as good at uninstalling older versions of software which is what is needed to be done during most newer software program upgrades. You might want to consider upgrading to Windows XP or to a new computer with Winodws XP installed in the near future to avoid these problems if you haven't done so already. Secondly, make sure you have a copy of your current version of Quicken on CD so that if you do have problems you can re-install your older software if you really have to. Third, before you do anything securely back up your current Quicken data files to a reliable removable media source such as floppies, zip disk, USB flash memory drive, etc. because data files on your system hard drive could become corrupt or inaccessible if your computer system ever runs into problems of any kind. Finally, after installing or upgrading to Quicken 2004 run all the online internet updates for the Quicken software so that it can install its needed patches and upgrades which is a normal procedure for almost all modern software releases. I have upgraded to Quicken 2004 on my desktop computer running Windows XP Pro and on my notebook running Windows XP Home. Neither computer system had any problems at all and I actually find this version of Quicken to be the easiest to use, most trouble free, and best looking interface since I began using other Quicken versions over years ago. My favorite improvement to Quicken 2004 is the increased reliability of the internet account updates. Quicken 2002 used to crash all the time during internet account downloading or download error recovery and Quicken 2004 has been flawless for me.
Rating:
Summary: Difficult to Use
Review: This program is not an improvement on Quicken 2003, which was easier to use. It simply made things more complicated. It is now more difficult to enter stock sales and mutual fund transactions. What a pain!
Rating:
Summary: Intuit is greedy, value to customers is a joke!
Review: Like most of the folks here I have been a Quicken user since the DOS days. It seems with every passing year Intuit gets more greedy and less customer oriented. Money is cheaper and, I bet, offers better support - MS at least does seem to recognize the need to keep users happy! The annual Quicken "upgrades", at an absurd price, are a joke. No real new functionality has been added to the program in years, but now they only support the "current" version so once your version is more than a year old you're screwed - if you find a bug (and there are MANY!!!) either upgrade, pay a ridiculous fee for support that may or may not fix the problem, or you have to live with it. I have already made the switch from Turbo Tax to TaxCut, it looks like I'll be switching to Money soon. By by Intuit, I hope you fail like you deserve to!
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