Here at the non-profit Conversations Network we’ve been using QuickBooks for Mac 2007 since…2007. It’s not a great program but it works. A few weeks ago I sent my Mac out for repairs and they had to replace the main logic board. When it came back, QuickBooks decided I was using an unregistered copy of the software and asked me to register. Only problem: Their registration program won’t run under SnowLeopard (OS X 10.6). The only choice: Upgrade to QuickBooks 2010. No other options.
I can count on a few fingers the software that forces me to buy a new version when upgrading the OS. I’m still running an antique version of Microsoft Office. Heck, even that stuff from sleazy Adobe still works. And none of these programs died just because I replaced the logic board. Let’s be honest here: If Intuit wanted to support its customers, they’d send out a fix to their registration program so that people who needed to re-install under an upgraded OS could so so. Again: the app runs fine; it just thinks it’s unregistered and therefore stops after 15 executions.
There are a lot of apps and vendors whose software I find annoying (eg, Adobe), but none are as sleazy as Intuit. I sure wish I knew of a viable alternative to QuickBooks for Mac that was suitable for a small non-profit.
p.s.: Officially, there’s no “upgrade” price for QuickBooks for Mac 2010. But the support people quoted me $159 so when I called Sales I held them to that price and they approved it.
Update: Sometimes I forget who reads this blog and my Twitter posts! A few hours after posting the above I got a call from an apologetic product manager at Intuit. Apparently there’s quite a bit of misinformation within his sales and support teams. Here’s what I learned:
- There’s no reason (other than that misinformation) that the QuickBooks support folks shouldn’t have been able to help me re-register my 2007 version for Snow Leopard.
- Although some features may not work right under Snow Leopard — I haven’t encountered any of those features — there’s no other reason I shouldn’t be able to continue to use my 2007 version on that version of the OS.
So if your old version of QuickBooks wants to be re-registered because you change your motherboard — I assume they’re locked into the LAN MAC address — don’t let anyone tell you the only choice is to upgrade.
BTW, I haven’t been keeping track, but I *think* the only other app that had to be re-registered after the Mac Pro came back from the shop was the Apple stuff: iTunes, Final Cut Pro, etc. I don’t think Adobe’s Lightroom, Photoshop, etc., required this, but I was so busy getting a week’s worth of stuff transferred from my laptop to the Mac Pro after the repairs, I wasn’t really keeping track.
I feel your pain. I fear the day a mandatory Quicken upgrade locks me out of my 20 years of detailed financial history. (I’m still running Quicken 2005.)
Where are the open source accounting tools? Or even the SAAS web apps? (I don’t count Mint.com. It lacks many Quicken features I use, and I don’t use very many of Quicken’s bloated features.)
I don’t know why these few applications are still owned by dinosaur commercial offerings.
Maybe check out PostBooks?
http://www.osalt.com/postbooks
I bought 2007 Quickbooks. It was sold as a great manufacturing bookkeeping program and had the ability to send invoices and reciepts to customers. A function I need on a regular basis. Today I get a notice they will be discontinuing the “On Line Services” for 2007 and I have to pay $159.00 to continue using the functions I bought. This is like buying a car and 2 1/2 years later the company takes your breaks away and says you have to buy a new car to have breaks.
What a bunch of jerks and very poor company. I dropped Microsoft bookkeeping to use a better company Intuit, it turns out I just jumped from the frying pan into a fire.
THis is why I prefer Peachtree. It is more of an Accountant’s software.
Why is Intuit allowed to extort money to continue features you have already paid for. This should be illegal. That is like a spreadsheet program saying you have to pay extra to have the “add” function work after April 1, 2010. Extortion!!!
You don’t know how much trouble your post just saved me…my iMac failed and had to be replaced, but all the data was restored to the new machine..and it’s the same exact story you’ve told. I’ll call and get it re-registered…and btw I am unimpressed with QB for so many reasons as well…it is truly funky to use with my small farming business but it’s better than an Excel spreadsheet. Talk about an undiscovered country for a bright software developer. Best to you!
I have an addendum. I called support and got the same run around. I was supposed to pay about $160 for an upgrade because Snow Leopard doesn’t support the software. When I pointed out to the gentleman in India that the software was running as we were talking (just fine), how is it that I am supposed to upgrade what is already working so that it can work? He kept insisting that it is a Snow Leopard problem and that there was NOTHING he could do. When I read him what you wrote above verbatim, he just kept on going. I am obviously not going to get any help. If this really matters to Intuit, they could put something on their site as a fix or at least circulate the correct information to their staff. So will the software go kaput in 15 days? If it does I’ll do a lot of things before I pay for an upgrade, this kind of stuff just pisses me off. I had to buy a new Mac in order to be able to do my business accounting, and now this crap. Just what I have time for!
Just got off the phone with Quickbooks Tech Support. Your post “Update” appears to be proffering complete misinformation. Don’t trust that friendly product manager who wanted to save face and told you this incompatibility issue was all a misunderstanding. Quickbooks Tech Support WILL NOT help you register your 2007 software on a Snow Leopard Mac. They WILL tell you your only option is to buy the 2010 software.
Ditto on what Anon said above — support won’t help you. They’ll give you a “super discount of $159.00″. What a crock.
BTW… found an easy fix on the Apple forums:
After 15 times (or whenever / sooner than)… go to
user/Library/preferences/com.intuit.QuickBooks2007.plist
Delete the .plist above and start your APP. It at least gets you back to the original spot where you have 15 times to use before registering.
I have QB enterprize 2007. I can no longer get payroll support. I paid $3600 dollars for this program and now they want me to pay $3000+ again. The problem is having to also upgrade my pos system which is only compatible with the 07 version. In this economy, THANKS Intuit for sticking it to me and other small businesses that are just trying to keep our doors open. This is just the bill I need right now!!
Same thing just happened to me. Sneaky bastards said they could help me, but first they wanted to update my quickbooks file from 2007 to 2011. Luckily I read this post and asked them what the hell I was suppose to do with a 2011 file. Then they mentioned that I would need to buy the new 2011 software. Such bullshit.
Also, when I go to user/Library/preferences/ , I can’t find the file com.intuit.QuickBooks2007.plist. Anyone else have this issue. I’m happy to delete this file every 15 times I use quickbooks if it means I don’t have to upgrade to 2011.
Got the same run around for QB 2007 for Mac (using for home acctg). I actually got an email says I’m registered but how to let the program know??? I also can’t find the com.intuit.QuickBooks2007.plist file. I have QB Premium Pro 2009 on PC for business – works great!
I wasn’t aware that buying a 2008 version of quickbooks was illegal, can’t be registered or used. I can’t afford to buy new version. I want to learn quickbooks but can’t use it now. After 30 days it will not work