Review by ConsumerAdvocate (dakotad555) at (gmail) dot (com)

I foolishly decided to upgrade my 2007 version of Quicken to 2009 after being prompted by Quicken to do so. I figured the new version would potentially offer some improvements from the 2007 version, and specifically I was hoping that it would download my Vanguard ROTH IRA information correctly since my existing version never could tell the difference between a stock purchase and a cash transaction…

I am fanatical about backing up my data, and so I have several copies of my Quicken file that are on an external drive, as well as one uploaded to my online data cache in case of a fire. Without these backups, installing Quicken 2009 would have ended in tragedy.

Immediately after going through the update installation and first running the program, I knew there was a real issue. Almost all of my data was jumbled, with a total loss of historical data (including uploaded images of bank statements, canceled checks, etc). The program was sluggish, and when I ran the download function, nothing but my bank transactions and one of my credit cards downloaded. I double checked passwords and they were correct. The download failed again and every subsequent attempt I made failed as well.

I decided to start with a clean slate and deleted all Quicken files and registry entries, rebooted, and ran the installer again. This time the program did convert my old data file correctly and my historical data was intact.

However, the program still doesn’t import my ROTH IRA transactions correctly, and the new layout is very poorly designed and frustrating to use. I use QuickBooks non-profit at work every day, and the differences between Quicken and their professional software seem to increase with ever permutation of Quicken. They have gone for a reductionist philosophy of design, and my making everything simplistic, have further eroded my ability to easily generate reports, track spending across categories, etc…

Overall this is an unnecessary update that includes nothing of substantial value. Worse, the new interface is poor and I find myself wishing for my 2007 version which I am seriously considering re-installing. Issues with the corruption of my data file suggest that the program has major bugs. I cannot recommend the program to anyone except those who are forced to upgrade (Users of 2006 and older versions of Quicken). If you do decided to upgrade, I strongly recommend you back up your data file to an external location before making the upgrade in case Quicken 2009 eats your data file. I also advise you to do an uninstall of the older version before installing the new version.