I bought a new laptop. It has Windows 10. Getting Microsoft Money to run on it the way I wanted took a few tweaks. I’m documenting them here in case someone else also wants to do the same thing.
Microsoft Money is a software program on Windows for tracking your accounts, similar to Quicken. Microsoft stopped selling it in 2011. They made the last version a free download for everyone (see Money Plus Sunset Deluxe). Even if you never used Microsoft Money before, you can still start using it now, and it’s all free. Other than not being able to automatically download transactions and securities prices, the software still works. I had no problem installing it or running it on Windows 10.
The new generation online and mobile account tracking applications such as Mint or Personal Capital are easier to use but desktop applications such as Microsoft Money or Quicken still have their advantages in some ways. See Mint and Personal Capital vs Quicken and Microsoft Money.
PocketSense
With some initial input from me, a third-party developer Robert developed ways to download transactions and stock and fund prices and update them in Microsoft Money. Because Robert did a much better job than my initial primitive attempt, I now use Robert’s system called PocketSense.
The setup is well documented on the PocketSense website. This takes care of updating the stock and fund prices and downloading transactions from banks and brokers that still support direct downloads in Money’s OFX file format.
Import Quicken Download
However, many banks and brokers now stopped offering direct downloads in Money’s OFX file format. Because Quicken is still around, most of them still offer downloads from their websites in the Quicken Web Connect format. If you just save the downloaded file and you change the file’s extension from .qfx to .ofx, you can import the transactions into Money by double-clicking on the downloaded file.
If you want to skip the manual steps of saving the file and changing the file extension, you will have to do a few tweaks to make the computer open the .qfx file directly as if it’s a .ofx file. After these tweaks, the download will go directly from your browser into Microsoft Money.
Add .qfx Extension
First, you have to make the computer understand the .qfx extension. You need to add a few registry entries. There is a registry file in Reg file to import Quicken QFX files automatically into Money on Ameridan’s Microsoft Money Offline Weblog, but running it didn’t make it work for me. Following the manual edits in the comments from James Pelham Burn worked.
If you log in as an administrator account only to install software and you log in as a regular account for routine use, make sure you do the registry edits in both accounts.
Associate .qfx With Money Import Handler
There’s one more registry change before it all works. In RegEdit, find the key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\mnyimprt.exe. Delete the NoOpenWith entry. This makes the Money Import Hander appear in the Open With … list and you won’t get the error “The program you have selected cannot be associated with this file type. Please choose another program.”
Now download a transaction file in Quicken Web Connect format and save it somewhere. Right-click on it and select Open With. Navigate to Program Files (x86)\Money Plus\MnyCoreFiles (hidden folder, just type it in) and choose mnyimprt.exe. Check the box to always open this type of file with this program.
It takes some work upfront but after you are all done, you can just download transactions from the websites of your banks and brokers in the Quicken Web Connect format. The download will go directly into Microsoft Money.
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Chris says
I’m testing MS Money Plus Sunset for viability as a replacement for Quicken Windows 2017. I’m stumbling on reproducing my Q data in Money. I tried QIF export and Recover Accounts in Money, with no success. Has anyone had success with something like that? Perhaps it will work if I tweak the QIF format?
Rich says
Did you ever get an answer to your question? I am also trying to convert from Quicken to Money.
Chris says
I did not. I’m still using Quicken because I find no suitable replacement that integrates cash flow, taxes and investments as well as it does. It’s slow and occasionally buggy but I haven’t found something better enough to switch.
SF Giants Fan says
I have Quicken 2015 Premier for Windows and was able to transfer Quicken data only after following the registry edits that Harry lists above. I then was able to export to a QIF file in Quicken and Recover Accounts in Money.
David says
I had to replace the hard drive on my laptop. I’m running Windows 10 Pro, and have been using Microsoft Money for years (without the online features Microsoft stopped using years ago). I’ve installed Money again using my original CD, but when I attempt to open my Money file, it tells me I’m using the wrong password (which is not true). When I attempt to download and install the Sunset version, I get a message: “The requested operation requires elevation” and it doesn’t install.
Can you give me any help?
Chris says
Try running the install as administrator. Right click the executable to do that. Also, you may need to run it in compatibility mode, i.e., right-click, then select compatibility and specify which version Windows should emulate. Considering the age of Money, that might be XP.
David says
Chris, a huge thank-you to you…this worked and I’m back in business. Thanks so much for your help, and for your prompt response!
Donald Schlicht says
I have tried to associate the *.qfx files to mnyimport.exe . Everything looks good, however when I double click on an qfx file nothing happens. I changed the extension of the file to ofx and it imports correctly. Any ideas what I am doing work? I am using the Sunset edition, and my OS is Win 7 Pro.
Harry Sit says
Did you create and run the registry file described at the link below?
https://microsoftmoneyoffline.wordpress.com/reg-file-to-import-quicken-qfx-files-automatically-into-money/
Donald Schlicht says
Yes I did.
Lois says
I used to use Money all the time and then switched to Quicken when they discontinued it. I saw your article and have been looking to find something other than quicken. Can I import my current quicken file into the Money Sunset file? Also, can you still use this with the H&R Block tax software?
Harry Sit says
I doubt it. While Money was frozen Quicken moved forward. It probably changed enough that Money from years ago can’t understand. That said, because Money is a free download, nothing stops you from trying to import a copy of your current Quicken file. If it can’t, your current Quicken file is still intact.
Tanya says
Super easy fix. I downloaded the file as quicken. found the file under downloads. change the name by deleting the .qfo change to .qif and presto! the icon changed to microsoft money, and it understood it from there…no reg changes =)
JK says
Does this still work for you? I’ve tried and have not had any luck.
James PelhamBurn says
For stock quotes into Microsoft Money, this worked really well for me:
https://gaiersoftware.com/Money
buckyswider says
Hi! Using the Money sunset version on Win7. Works fine with .OFX from a bank that still provides them. However, Wells Fargo only does .QFX. Tried the rename/double click thing, but Money tells me “The file you attempted to import appears to be invalid or contains corrupt data”. I’m guessing I’m just SOL, but figure I’d see if you have any ideas before scrapping my plan. Thanks!
SomebodyInGNV says
While I don’t recall the details, I believe the difference between QFX and OFX is in the first few lines of the file. Open a working OFX and a non-working QFX is a text editor like Notepad++ and compare them for differences. You may be able to edit the QFX to match the format of the OFX and make MS Money happy.
Bucky Swider says
Thanks for the reply and tip! Looks like the difference is that the Wells Fargo QFX has characters between each element, while OFX does not. The Wells Fargo QFX doesn’t even have a different character between elements which I could use to replace with the CRLF characters. I did download a .QFX from another institution (Citizen’s) and that one contains the CRLF. I imagine quicken would import the Wells files, since they are a pretty large institution and if it were a bug it would be quickly noticed. Crazy that quicken even allows files without delimiters- must be a ton of extra coding to support that…
SomebodyInGNV says
What program are you using to read/edit the text files? Notepad? If so, use something better like Notepad++. It’s open source, and safe. It’s also far more powerful. You can search and replace hidden formatting characters, such as replacing LF with a CRLF pair, if that fixes it.
If the Wells Fargo “characters between each element” are a consistent character, you can search and remove (or replace) those, as well.
Bucky Swider says
I’m using Notepad++. I can see the CR/LF in the Citizen’s QFX, but absolutely nothing in the WF QFX.
OFXHEADER:100DATA:OFXSGMLVERSION:102SECURITY:NONEENCODING:USASCIICHARSET:1252COMPRESSION:NONEOLDFILEUID:NONENEWFILEUID:NONE
OFXHEADER:100
DATA:OFXSGML
VERSION:102
SECURITY:NONE
ENCODING:USASCII
CHARSET:1252
COMPRESSION:NONE
OLDFILEUID:NONE
NEWFILEUID:NONE
SomebodyInGNV says
Since you have to open the file manually anyway, just insert CRLFs in the appropriate locations, and save?
Bucky Swider says
They are also missing between every element in the data itself, too, not just the header. So it would be a couple hundred additions 🙁 . Seems like some code will be in order. A rainy-day python project. I think I’ll just strip off everything before the the OFX tag, replace it with a header chunk pre-built with the CRLF (I don’t think money will care too much), and then insert a CRLF prior to every “<" encountered in the data portion.
If only quicken weren't so awful. MS Money was (and still is) superior in so many ways…
SomebodyInGNV says
Did you try opening it in Word? I’ve seen text files opened in Notepad not have CRLFs, but the same text file opened in Notepad formats correctly. You could then copy it from Word back into a new text file.
James Pelham Burn says
Hi Bucky,
I’m also a Money Sunset user and a WF customer.
WF are not properly following the QFX standard (which is the same as OFX) but of course no-one can get them to fix the problem.
I have updated a utility program in Python that fixes various QFX formatting issues including the WF ones but leave well formatted extracts alone.
I associate QFX files with a batch script that executes the utility and generates an OFX output which can be imported into MS Money normally.
See this thread for more details :
https://microsoftmoneyoffline.wordpress.com/2018/09/04/fixing-wells-fargo-qfx/
Bucky Swider says
Thanks SiGNV! Looks about the same in Word- adding CRLF while saving as text doesn’t put them in the proper spots either 🙁
Thanks for keeping the thread alive- looks like somebody already did what I dreaded trying to do!!
Bucky Swider says
Thanks James! Looks like that did the trick!
I appreciate the reply- and your coding and sharing!!!
Money User says
I’ve been using MS Money for years and switched to the sunset edition after it was discontinued. I’ve been running it on Windows 10 for about 4 years now without issue and have had no problem downloading qfx files from my credit card providers and importing them into Money… until recently. American Express recently updated their website and Money is now telling me the file is invalid or contains corrupt data. I’ve had the same issue with Target over the summer so I tried using Quicken but got the same error so I figured it was a Target issue and since there’s so few transactions I’ve just been hand entering them, which is not something I’m willing to do with my AmEx. I tried using Quicken, but absolutely hated it and would like to continue using Money. Does anyone have any work-arounds to importing this new qfx format?
James Pelham Burn says
Yes.
I have written a Python utility that fixes the known problems with QFX downloads from Amex and Wells Fargo before importing them to Money. There are several steps you have to follow to install the utility but once complete, double clicking on e.g. an Amex QFX file will import it to Money without any other actions.
See https://github.com/jamesfpb/hleofxquotes and click on the readme file for more details.
I don’t know what the problem is with Target QFX files but if it’s not remedied by the current Python utility, I’m happy to take a look at a QFX sample file and see if I can expand the Python utility to also correct whatever problem Target has introduced.
MSMoneyMan says
Hey James. Thanks for this effort. I am trying to get this working without success. The script takes my activity.qfx file that I download from the Amex site and outputs a new activity-fixed.ofx file and attempts to import into MS Money. Money comes back with an error of “There is a problem with the data received from this online provider. If the problem persists, call the provider’s customer service number for help.” I have been importing the quicken files from the Amex site for years into my very outdated MS Money 2001 Deluxe, which I still love. Thanks for any thoughts.
Money User says
Thank you James!! That did the trick for the AmEx file. Unfortunately the Target file still gives me an error, but that’s not as big a deal. Since the Target qfx file had also broken in Quicken when I tried it over the summer, I’m assuming Target is not exporting a valid qfx file to begin with. I’d be glad to send it to you. Do you prefer the gmail address in the script?
Money User says
PS. I compared the raw and the fixed versions and it looks like the only difference is the xmlns was removed from the OFX tag. I’m surprised (but not really) that was the only thing stopping Money from parsing the file.
James Pelham Burn says
Glad you were able to get it working!
Some banks have departed from the qfx/ofx standard; others like Amex are compliant but Money doesn’t like some aspect of what they are doing. Either way Money isn’t changing now so have to fix externally first
Please send sample Target qfx file to email address in script and I’ll take a look.
Thx
James says
I called into Amex to complain about this change. The guy who answered gave me a nice workaround which may not work past May 1, 2020, but it does work now.
1) Once logged in to your account go to the “Statements & Activity” tab
2) Click on the left-hand link “Year-End Summary”
3) Look down the page on the left for the small link “Statements & Activity > Year-End Summary” and click on the “Statements & Activity” linked part
4) You are now on the old page for downloads, running the old export code. I was so happy when I saw this old page format.
The page has a banner as of March 3, 2020 stating that “We are retiring this older version of Statements & Activity on May 1”, but the guy on the phone said that date has been pushed out a few times and expects it will until folks stop complaining.
Money User says
Rather than go to an old page on the AmEx site, I’ve found the easiest fix is to edit the qfx file in a text editor such as Notepad++. All you have to do is delete the xmlns attribute from the OFX element at the top of the file before importing it into Money. I’ve been doing this now for 3 months without any issues.
Emil says
Hey James. Good Job. Post the phone number so I can call them too.
James says
Money User, thank you. American Express finally did pull the plug on that old way of exporting. This brought me back to this page and I followed your instruction.
I deleted this string from the OFX tag:
xmlns:ns2=”http://ofx.net/types/2003/04″
I saved the file and as you said MS Money had no trouble processing it. This is so strange, but it really is a simple fix. By the way, I feel like I also ran into a problem with another bank. It seems that USAA has pulled their downloads for MS Money and Quicken. I am going to have to start complaining. 🙁
Richard T says
I had this same problem downloading Amex stuff once they got rid of the “older version” of the download page.
THANK YOU for the solution — removed xmlns:ns2=”http://ofx.net/types/2003/04″ from the Amex downloaded QFX file, changed it to an OFX extension and it imported without an issue.
THANK YOU! I thought I was going to have to pay for crappy Quicken.
Bill Hackney says
Thank you for this fix (deleting the string in the OFX tag).
I’m a Microsoft Money user in the UK who has been trying to figure out how to import QFX files downloaded from the UK American Express website, now that they have discontinued support for the formats that Money can open natively.
Having made the registry changes shown here https://microsoftmoneyoffline.wordpress.com/reg-file-to-import-quicken-qfx-files-automatically-into-money/
and ensured that the Microsoft Money Import Handler would recognise QFX files, I still couldn’t get QFX files to import (I continued to get the “The file you attempted to import appears to be invalid or contain corrupt data. Please download the file again. If this problem continues, contact your financial institution.” message).
But that simple edit to the downloaded activity.qfx file now solves the problem.
Many thanks
Phil says
Me too. The good news is that James’ solution above, https://thefinancebuff.com/import-quicken-downloads-to-microsoft-money-on-windows-10.html#comment-25148, worked for me.
I tweaked the .bat file to suit my installation but the key python script works ‘as is’.