Sunday, December 30, 2007

Network status - 27 December 2007

Sorry this is late posting, been away for a few days and missed the problem report.

This issue is affecting a lot of people, so take note below. Further information or updated information can be found on the MSN Money Site Status Page


Problems signing into older versions of Money
When: December 27, 2007

Effect: We are currently investigating a problem where you may have problems signing into Money 2002-2004 (or Money 2002-2004 files that were recently converted to a newer version of Money).

Until there is a fix available, you can try the following:

  • If you have not changed your password, sign into Money in "offline" mode.
  • If you changed your password, sign in "offline" mode using your previous (original) password.
  1. Once you have successfully signed into your Money file, remove the Windows Live ID from the file, convert the file to a newer version of Money and then re-add the Windows Live ID.
  2. If you have already converted your file to newer version, sign into Money in "offline" mode. Change the Windows Live ID (Passport) to the exact same Windows Live ID (using your current password).
  3. Sign into Money in "offline" mode and use Money in offline mode until there is a fix available.

Saturday, December 08, 2007

MSN Money Site Update - 12 December

MSN Money December Site update

When: December 12, 2007 (changes will be seen this evening or the following morning)

Effect:

  • During the update time access to My Accounts and the Portfolio Manager will not be available.
  • You will not be able to update for accounts “using Yodlee” during this update window
    Microsoft Money customers may have problems signing into their Money data file “online”

Duration: Approximately 6 hours from 1pm to 7pm

The primary changes to the site include:
  • Adding quote entry boxes to more locations on the site, so that you can look up quotes from more places.
  • Creating a new Personal Finance section which will incorporate the old Banking and Planning areas
  • Updated Tax information for the 2007 tax season
  • New ETF Home page in the Investing area
Reference the What's new page for additional information after the site has updated.

Note: This update may now happen on December 13


Update 13 December: The update has been rescheduled to Monday December 17.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Microsoft Office Accounting 2008 (Professional and Express)

In recent weeks, Microsoft launched Microsoft Office Accounting 2008 in the UK (United Kingdom).

The publicity says the following:

Microsoft® Office Accounting Professional is an easy to use, comprehensive accounting package that works with other Office applications you already know.
  • Easy to learn and use

    • Works just like Word, Excel and Outlook
    • Get started in minutes with wizards that import your data

  • Save time managing everyday tasks

    • Share and reuse data across Word, Excel and Outlook
    • Manage customers, suppliers, employees and stock
    • Pay bills, track expenses, send invoices and bank online
  • Get a complete view of your business

    • Run customisable reports so you always know how you’re doing
    • See all your important data in one glance with the Digital Dashboard
    • Get reminders of important deadlines, pending bills and overdue invoices

One thing of interest for Microsoft Money users in the UK is that is does NOT support import of a Money file.

The URL for the software is http://www.msofficeaccounting.co.uk/. The express version is free, the professional version costs around £150.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

New articles to moneymvps.org in recent weeks

Haven't done one of these updates in a while, so below is a list of new articles to the http://moneymvps.org/ site in recent weeks (well, months).

I have a few articles which are on my list to write, but any suggestions for new ones are always welcome. Don't forget I am based in the UK, so things such as IRAs, the US tax system etc may prove difficult for me to write. However, submitted articles (so long as they fit in the general ethos of the site) are welcome.

The date below is the date I created the article. It may have gone through a revision since the original creation date.

FaqTitleDate
525Searching for transactions without categories04 November 2007
524Money Insights Settings19 October 2007
523What are Money Insights19 October 2007
522Statement from Microsoft about Product Registration30 September 2007
521Statement from Microsoft about Product Activation30 September 2007
520Missing Invoice Designer Templates after upgrade30 September 2007
519What happens if I do not activate Money Plus 30 September 2007
518Money Plus Rebate Coupon Wording21 September 2007

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Money Plus - Japan

Microsoft Money Plus Edition
(マイクロソフト マネー プラス エディション)
個人マネー管理ソフトの決定版
複数口座の一元管理、日々の収支管理、資産管理、ライフ プラン作成まで対応した、総合的な個人マネー管理ソフトです。
既存ユーザー向け 4,000 円キャッシュ バック クーポン同梱。


Microsoft Money に搭載されている「為替・株価の更新」や「明細自動ダウンロード」などのオンライン サービスは、Microsoft Money 各バージョンのサポート ライフサイクルもしくはあらかじめ定められた期間の範囲でご利用いただけます。オンライン サービスを継続してご利用いただくには、同様のオンライン サービスを提供する最新の Microsoft Money にアップグレードしていただく必要があります。この機会に、バージョン アップグレードをご検討ください。なお、オンライン サービスの期限後でも、Microsoft Money を使って、お客様の資産情報の表示や編集、資産や口座の情報や投資情報の手動での更新は可能です。

See http://www.microsoft.com/japan/money for more details

Saturday, October 13, 2007

MSN Money October 2007 site update

When: Oct 11, 2007

Effect:

Some of the changes that will be occurring include:

Adding a Print Chart link to the basic charts. Deluxe charts already have a print option under its File menu.
Adding the Euro, Yen and GB Pound currency rates to the MSN Money and Investing home pages
Adding the 40-Year and Interest Only Mortgage rates to the Mortgage rates list
Instructional demos:
Stock Scouter: http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/StockRating/srsmain.asp
Quick Watch List: http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/quotewatchlist/overview.aspx

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Problems with the Microsoft Money Plus trial version download

There currently is a small problem with the download of the trial versions of Microsoft Money Plus, if you are trying from the Microsoft Money page hosted by Microsoft.

Fortunately, the links referred to in my trials page are still working, even though they point to a Microsoft site!

Normal service should be resumed by Microsoft shortly :-)

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Ultrasoft Money for Windows Mobile goes gold

David Kendall has announced in the Ultrasoft Forum that the release version of Ultrasoft Money for Windows Mobile is now available.

It will be available to purchase on the Ultrasoft Website in the next few days. The website and the Ultrasoft KnowledgeBase will be updated shortly.

In the meantime, a preview version is available at http://www.ultrasoft.com/Money/WindowsMobile.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Money 2007 (also 2006) Online Service Expiration

If you see a message that indicates that your Money 2007 or 2006 online service is expiration, then you should ignore it.

It appears that you may have experienced a problem which shouldn't have manifested itself with Money 2006 or Money 2007, and occurs due to a convoluted scenario based on the file you have, whether it has been upgraded and the last time it was used online

I am reliably informed that this problem is fixed, and a simple close/reopen should be sufficient.

Of course, if you know different, please let me know.

grxcy

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Money plus rebate form

I saw a question a few days ago which asked what was on the rebate form that you get after an online purchase.

This was an interesting question.... how do you read the small print, when you can't see the small print until after you've made the purchase?

So, I made a copy of the text (but not the form...), and put it in an article.

moneymvps.org website currently unavailable

The FAQ website at http://moneymvps.org is currently unavailable and has been down since 7:20pm UK time this evening.

I did a few code updates to reduce the compilation time, and seem to have hung the site... Because it is remotely hosted, I need to get someone to reset it for me, which may not be quick :(

In the meantime, please use the MSN or Google cache to view it.


Maybe in the morning, it will be working again. I hope so...

....update 11:15pm.....just back up now. Just under 4 hours downtime. Must not complain, at least I can go to sleep without worrying it was still unavailable.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Third Ultrasoft Money preview available

As posted to the Ultrasoft Money newsgroup, a third preview version of UltraSoft Money is available. THis version will expire at the end of November.

-----
A third Ultrasoft Money preview is now available. You can download from this location:

http://download.ultrasoft.com/files/UltrasoftMoneyWM.exe

This preview has critical synchronization modules signed, and so should run on locked SmartPhone devices.

We've also fixed some bugs and attempted to improve out-of-the-box automatic synchronization.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Microsoft Money 2005 Online Services Expiry on 1 September 2007

On September 1st, most people using Microsoft Money 2005 Online services will have found that these expired. This is per the Online Services Policy that you would have accepted when you first used the product.

Microsoft® Money 2005 includes up to two (2) years of Internet-based Services. You will be able to use the Internet-based Services in Microsoft Money 2005 for a period of two (2) years from installation of the product or until September 1, 2007, whichever is earlier. After expiration, if you elect not to upgrade or are unable to upgrade to a version of Microsoft Money that continues to support Microsoft Money 2005 Internet-based Services, you will not be able to automatically update your accounts and investment values in Microsoft Money 2005. You will still be able to view and edit your financial data in Microsoft Money 2005 and to manually update your accounts and investment values. Microsoft may from time to time without notice, automatically download and install onto your computer updates for Microsoft Money, including updates necessary for you to continue to use the Internet-based Services.


Some of the features of Online services can be found at FAQ Article498

To work around this issue, you must upgrade to a later version (Microsoft Money Plus is the latest version).

Note: Microsoft Money UK products did not expire on this date. They will now expire in December 2009.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Updated Preview of Ultrasoft Money now available

As posted by David Kendall in the Ultrasoft NewsGroup and Ultrasoft Support Forums. Note that this software should work fine with UK versions of Microsoft Money and also Windows Mobile 5 devices. (It won't be free software though)

An updated build of preview release of Ultrasoft Money for the Windows Mobile
platform is now available.

This build will expire on September 15th. If we haven't released by then, we'll post another build.

If you're interested in trying out the preview, please visit http://www.ultrasoft.com/money.

Additional details are here: http://support.ultrasoft.com/faq.asp?id=168

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Location of Money file in Vista

I've just updated the http://moneymvps.org website this morning with a short article on Windows Vista and Microsoft Money - specifically the location of your file.

In previous versions of Windows, you could put your file anywhere. With Vista, you can't - you can find that the money file isn't saved between updates, or worse, deleted!

See FAQ Article 515.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Ultrasoft Moneylink for Microsoft Money Plus Released

Ultrasoft Moneylink is a program provided for free by Ultrasoft, which allows you to access your Microsoft Money data in Microsoft Excel.

Ultrasoft have recently released a version of this software for use with Microsoft Money Plus. You can find it on the Ultrasoft MoneyLink Download page

As usual, this will also be referenced from my Money downloads page (http://moneymvps.org/downloads/moneylink/default.aspx)

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Aug 17 MSN Money site update

The MSN Money Network Status page is showing an update scheduled for August 17th

Changes include:

  • Update to the Deluxe (Toolbox) version of the Portfolio for Windows Vista users only. This update will allow you to run it without having to add moneycentral to your Trusted Sites list.
  • Improved data quality due to changes in data source and improved data quality monitoring
  • Improved performance with My Accounts
  • Improvements to the Basic Charts (not the Toolbox version).
    For example: http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/charts/chartdl.aspx?iax=1&Symbol=MSFT (note that you won't see the changes until after the 17th)

Friday, August 10, 2007

Ultrasoft Money for Windows Mobile

Ultrasoft have now released Ultrasoft Money for Windows Mobile.

You can download a preview copy from their website at http://www.ultrasoft.com/Money/WindowsMobile.

Ultrasoft Money for Windows Mobile supports Microsoft Money 2002 to 2007 and Microsoft Money Plus. It does not support earlier versions of Microsoft Money.

The software has been extensively tested with the U.S. editions of Microsoft Money. It has also been tested with the U.K. and Canadian editions.

Note: Ultrasoft Money does not support Microsoft Money Essentials Edition at this time.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

New articles on moneymvps.org site

I had a major day of putting up new information on the main FAQ site yesterday, which included the following new articles:

It is anticipated that article 510 (known bug fixes) will be expanded as more are discovered.

Certain articles I always produce for each new version, such as the list of default categories and currencies.

Money Plus (2008) Insights

Now that the trial versions of Microsoft Money Plus have been released, more information on the product can be discovered.

Insights
One of the newest items is what could be considered the re-introduction of Money Express, but under the guise of 'Insights'.

Insights provide you with the ability to see information about bills, spending and cash flow from outside of the program. There are three insights in the program, and a brief summary can be see in the articles below

Insights do not require you to have Money running, as the program uses your Money file directly. It lives in the taskbar on the Windows screen, highlighting you to alerts as required.

Options within these insights are limited. They are designed to provide pertinent data to allow you to go into the Money file if something needs to be done.

When some of the MVPs were in Redmond earlier in the year, we did see some of the prototype work here, and it is good to see that some of the things we saw made it into the program.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Trial versions of Microsoft Money Plus (2008)

The trial versions of Microsoft Money Plus (2008) are now available.

This year, there are three trials:
  • Home and Business
  • Deluxe
  • Essentials
All of them are valid for 60 days.

As usual with trial versions, any data created in them cannot be used in previous versions of Microsoft Money. Usage starts from the first time you open up the product and ends 60 days later.

If you later decide to purchase Money (and it would be appreciated if you did so through an Amazon link on this blog or the main website of mine), you will be able to open up any trial file you created.

The downloads are listed on my downloads page

Update - 9th August 2007

The links changed, and so the trials page is wrong (as is the Microsoft Money US site too). The new links will go live on the FAQ site shortly, but they are:Thanks to an anonymous poster informing me

Monday, August 06, 2007

Change in UK 2005 version expiration?

In recent weeks, the UK product page for Microsoft Money which can be found here was changed to indicate a new date for the expiration of online services.

The date quoted at the bottom of that page is now 31st December 2009 - which is just over 2 more years worth of service.

This will mean that updates continue to work until that date - definitely for new users, but potentially for existing users too.

The linked internet based services policy has not been updated at the time of writing this comment.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Box shots of Money Plus 2008

Click on the box shots for larger images.

Microsoft Money Plus Home and Business 2008

Microsoft Money Plus Home and Business 2008

Microsoft Money Plus Premium 2008

Microsoft Money Plus Premium 2008

Microsoft Money Plus Deluxe 2008

Microsoft Money Plus Deluxe 2008

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Comparison of Money Plus 2008 products

Yesterday, I gathered some information and put together the page which shows the differences between the new Microsoft Money Plus (2008) versions. You can see this at FAQ Article 499.

It is a simple comparison which only shows some of the features in each product. Until we get our hands on the product, it is hard to know exactly what everything means.

In addition, FAQ Article 500 lists what is new in the product. There's not much there yet, but the 'Insights' feature looks interesting, and there will be a separate article on that later on.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Money 2008 Information Filtering through

Information on Money 2008 is now starting to filter out, through retail websites such as Amazon and CostCo.

Some snippets of information gathered:
  • System Requirements - see FAQ Article 489
  • Money Plus Home and Business - Retail Link
  • Money Plus Premium - Retail Link
  • Money Plus Deluxe - Retail Link
  • It appears that there will be online activation for this product. More details as I get it
  • The naming is slightly different from previous years - for example, Money Plus Deluxe or Money Plus Deluxe 2008
  • Release date expected around the end of August.

More information will be provided over the coming weeks.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Quicken ahead of Money (in terms of release)

One thing that I state in a number of web pages on my site (e.g. I have Quicken and want to convert my file to Microsoft Money) is that Quicken is usually released before Money is, and thus Money will not convert files which have the same 'year' release (ie. Money 2007 cannot convert Quicken 2007).

Information on Money 2008 is currently very scarce. However, for Quicken 2008, although not released, Amazon are publicizing a book about Quicken 2008 already. It is called 'Quicken 2008: The Official Guide'. It has a release date of September 15th, 2007.

This suggests that Quicken will be out around the same time, but also, when/if we see Money 2008, both are in development at the same time, and each product will not convert the other's files, as per usual.

Money Online Banking Update

Money's banking services are being updated in mid-July to improve the online banking experience. The update will affect many (but not all) customers who use MSN Money My Accounts, Microsoft Money 2005, 2006, and 2007. During the update, online services such as account balance updates and transaction downloads may not respond. After the update, you may need to set up your accounts again to regain access to online services.

For more information see Update Instructions

Monday, June 25, 2007

Banking Services Update coming in July for Money users

The following information was posted to the MSN Money Network Page recently, about an update coming in July 2007:

When: Mid July (expected around 19 July)

Effect:

In mid-July, Money’s banking services will be updated. The update will affect customers who use Microsoft Money 2005, 2006, and 2007 and MSN Money My Accounts users. During the update, online services such as account balance updates and transaction downloads may not respond. After the update, you may need to set up your accounts again to regain access to online services.

To prepare, do the following:

  • Record the name and password for all accounts that need access to online services.
  • If you are using Money 2005, 2006 or 2007, create backup copies of all your Money files. In Microsoft Money, on the File menu, click Back Up. Note: it is a good practice to save copies in multiple locations for added security.
  • Review the Microsoft Money Support Web site (http://support.microsoft.com/money) for additional information about backup, sign-in, and online services.

During the service update period you may not be able to sign into your Money file with full online access. You can access your Money file during the update by selecting the check box I want to sign into Money directly, without access to all online services on the Money sign-in page. This sign in issue will impact Money 2004 and older versions as well as the newer Money 2005, 2006 and 2007 versions.

Duration: The service update period may be a few days in duration.

The scheduled event will be updated with more information as it becomes available.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Money 2006 with Windows Mobile Device Center on Vista

My Xbox360 is broken - three red lights of death appear on the console, and it is already at the repair centre. Hopefully things will be fixed because it has been great fun over the last year.

So, in the meantime, I decided to go through my 'to do' list for the Money site, and I came across one that was entitled 'Registry Fix for MS Money 2006 and MS Money for PocketPC 2006 in Windows Vista with Windows Mobile Device Center' - wow... long title name, but says exactly what it's about. I'd had it in my to do list for quite a while, but managed to get around to putting it online

This article was written by scottyfunshack@hotmail.com, who had fixed an issue using said programs (MS Money 2006, MS Money for POcket PC 2006, Windows Vista and Windows Mobile Device Center).

It also addresses some issues what some people have had with errors in ActiveDsk.dll (see FAQ Article 486.

As always, articles related to MS Money and its associated programs are always welcome. There is a contact link at the base of each of my FAQ site pages.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

moneymvps.org website down again

Hi

The moneymvps.org website is down again today. It's been out of action now for a couple of hours.

Looks like it could be down a few more hours yet, so if you need articles in the meantime, you may need to go to the google cache (do a search on google, find the page on my website, and then press 'cached' to read it).

MY apologies. I've been trying to get things back up for the last two hours, but I don't think it can be fixed without intervention from the server administrators.

I possibly may have to start looking for some alternative hosting, but would prefer not, as i'll have to change the URL if I do :(


Update 10pm: seems like we're back in business. Let's hope so as I have an early flight in the morning and would prefer the site back up for the next 4 days before I come back

Friday, June 08, 2007

Trio of new articles

Three new articles this morning - one is a calculation article, the other two are some obscure problems that can occur (one with Money, the other with MSN Money (but can also affect Money)).

Hope they're useful to someone.

Article 484
How weekly amounts are extrapolated to yearly amounts in the budget

Article 483
Setup was unable to install some of the components needed to run Money

Article 482
Unable to sign into Windows Live with Windows 98 or ME

Changes in the latest update to the MSN Money site

On June 7, 2007, there was a minor update to the MSN Money website. The changes will be available late on this date or first thing Friday.

The changes are
  • Improvements to the Quotes Watch List
  • Organize your investments in accounts
  • New columns such as High and Low Targets
  • Redesigned Quote Detail page
  • Stock Recommendations hosted by Motley Fool

More information can be found on the What's new page on the MSN Money site

Friday, May 25, 2007

Ultrasoft® Money for Windows Mobile® Pocket PC and SmartPhone

Ultrasoft Digital Media have announced Ultrasoft Money for Windows Mobile Pocket PC and SmartPhone devices. There is more information on their website at http://www.ultrasoft.com/Money/WindowsMobile/ but the general gist is that it looks like it will support all versions of Microsoft Money from 2002 onwards and also Windows Mobile devices.

Availability
Beta available June 1, 2007
General release August 1, 2007

Compatibility
Microsoft Money 2002 and later.
Pocket PC and SmartPhone devices running Windows Mobile 2003 SE and later.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Money 2005 and Expiration

The following words are written in the licence agreement (EULA) for the UK version of Microsoft Money 2005:

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MICROSOFT MONEY INTERNET-BASED SERVICES POLICY LOCATED AT http://money.msn.com/Money/2005/GBR/IBSP.asp, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE INTERNET-BASED SERVICES OF THE SOFTWARE TWO (2) YEARS AFTER YOUR ACTIVATION OF THE SOFTWARE OR SEPTEMBER 1, 2007, WHICHEVER IS EARLIER.

Note the date - 1st September 2007 or 2 years after product installation. They also say they have the right to withdraw or modify these services at any time.

Money 2005 was released in late 2004, and so a good proportion of users will have had their 2 years already. Fortunately for them, the 2 year rule has not (yet) been implemented and they continue to be able to download stock price quotes and statements from their bank.

Those people who have tried the scenario mentioned in FAQ Article 354 will have noticed that nothing happened when setting the clock date forward - this would imply that the cut off is also on the server and not totally reliant on the desktop installation of Money.

So, what is going to happen? That is still an unanswered question. The guarantee of Microsoft Money says:

Microsoft guarantees that (a) for a period of 90 days from the date of receipt of your license to use the software or the shortest period permitted by applicable law it will perform substantially in accordance with the written materials that accompany the software

Therefore it has to work for 90 days - Microsoft have an obligation to provide substantial functionality for that amount of time (one can definitely argue that download capabilities fall into this category - and it does mention these on the packaging). If you take 90 days from today (Monday 14th May 2007), this takes us to mid-August, about 2 weeks before the cut off date in the EULA.

In addition, Money is still being sold in the UK by retailers such as Amazon.co.uk, so unless that stops within the next two weeks, then Microsoft will need extend the service (at least for these new purchasers) beyond the 1st September 2007.

Of course, how does Microsoft know that someone buying the product, say in June, has never used 2005 before? Simply by the file conversion date which can then be used to determine when the 90 days are up. However, if someone had bought 2005 before and buys it again for an extension to the online service (unlikely, but possible), then there would need to be a way that they could know this. It is easier to keep it going for all, rather than revisit 3+ year old code and implement a timeout service again coping with this scenario.

When 2005 was released, it probably hadn't been envisaged or decided that there wouldn't be a 2006 or 2007, so Microsoft have managed to get themselves into a position which perhaps is undesirable.

So, in conclusion, it is most likely that before the service is shut down (if it is), we'll have to see it being stopped from sale for 90 days. Only then will we know for sure... this is similar to how Quicken was withdrawn.

One final thought - if we were to see another version - the 2005 version could be immediately withdrawn from the market and servers changed (after 90 days) to allow only the new version to connect.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Moneymvps.org currently down

The Money FAQ site is currently out of action - not sure on the reason at the moment, but nothing i've done :-)

If you need to view any pages whilst it is down, then then google cache can be used.

Click on http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3amoney%2emvps%2eorg to view the full index as Google sees, and then press the 'cache' option

Normal service will be resumed soon I hope.

Glyn

Update: 18:00 BST - all back and working. No idea what happened.

Another Update: 14 May - down again, this time longer than before :(

Depreciation and Appreciation

When buying assets, such as vehicles, the price of the asset may depreciate over time. Although it's not strictly necessary to put this into Microsoft money, you may want to avoid sharp dips in your 'net worth' by recording the asset and then writing off the value over time.

In FAQ Article 474, I mention the use of appreciation/dereciation and how to record it in the program. In the following article, it can be used as a mechanism of writing off the value of an asset bought for cash.

Of course, in a non-business scenario, choosing a period to write off an asset is very subjective. When I do it, I typically do it by writing off a nominal amount each month, and then reducing this nominal amount each year. It the asset ever hits a zero value, then I stop depreciating it.

With house price appreciation, then I typically use a fixed amount each quarter. However I review the asset value each year to make sure I haven't got it totally wrong. Recently having my house on the market has enabled me to put in a very accurate valuation (accurate to the point I knew how much someone was willing to pay for it).

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Tracking a house move - part 2

In my previous blog post entitled tracking a house move, I mentioned that I was going to write some articles on how I track this in Microsoft Money.

Unfortunately, circumstances do change, and I'm not now going to be moving house for a little while, so these articles will need to go on hold until we do actually move (could be a couple of years(!)).

Won't go into details, but sorry to disappoint.

Now that a house move is not looming, maybe I'll find some more time to put up new information on http://moneymvps.org and this website.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Tracking a house move

A couple of months back, I put in some articles about Buying and selling houses with Microsoft Money. At the time, it seemed to be a good idea, as it was something on my list of things to write.

Now, two months later, I am going to be going through the process, having agreed on a sale of my house today. This gave me an idea of tracking how I do it in Microsoft Money through a series of articles on this blog.

Once I start altering my Microsoft Money file with transactions, I'll try to post information and screen shots here showing the process as it happens.

Hope you'll find it useful

Glyn

Monday, April 02, 2007

Money file backups

I've seen an increase in the number of people who do not have an adequate backup of their money file, and subsequently lose (or almost lose) their data. So it seems appropriate to comment on it.

The first thing to note is that backups are created at the end of a Money session. This can be a real problem, as if some corruption creeps into the file during the session, then this is saved into the backup - which may mean the backup is useless. If this is your only backup, then you're really going to have problems

Consider it being saved at the start - well, I suspect this is not done because of the time it would take to start the application.

So, how else to backup? A memory stick is good and supported within the program. Multiple backups are also supported from Money 2006 onwards (see http://moneymvps.org/articles/backup.aspx for a mechanism of automating it in previous versions).

If you're using certain versions of WIndows Vista, then using the shadow copies functionality is really good too. I looked the other day and had 10 shadow copies of my file going back to early January. In addition, if you have two disks in Vista, then use the automatic backup tool to save to the other disk. If only one, then you should still consider using it to other external media.

I tried Carbonite online backup also recently. This backed up my file on a remote server - it's also another option to ensure you have a safe copy. There are other companies that also provide online backup solutions too.

So, how do I backup my file now?
a) Backup in the file on each close
b) Backup every 7 days to a removable USB drive
c) Weekly backups to a second hard drive
d) Shadow copies based on the default schedule in Windows Vista

Your Money file may be the most important file you have - don't lose it!

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Day with the Microsoft Money team

Well, today three Money MVPs, including myself had a day with the Microsoft Money product group, which was rewarding, we think, for all parties.

The day consisted of meeting the team, including the testers, developers, product managers and other people who are involved in creating the product. We talked about the product, design, support, development and test. In addition there was some brainstorming for the future and opinion sought from us.

It was really quite refreshing to know that information and ideas we provided today, were discussed and considered for any potential future products. I'd be interested in seeing if anything makes it into Money 2008 or Money 2009 (or later).

Most of the content we discussed was NDA, so I can't share it, but I felt that the team were very open and was a 2 way process.

A couple of questions that people told me in advance were discussed, and some statistics from my website (moneymvps.org) were shared. Obviously MSN Money and the Money KB far outstrip anything I can provide, but the little niche that I help with my site, at least got an airing. The information I gave could help the product in future, but even if not, it gives the team some feedback on what some other people see.

Thanks to them, and those who contacted me before I met the team.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Ultrasoft Money for the Pocket PC??

A couple of times recently, I have noticed on the Microsoft Public Newsgroup for US users that Ultrasoft might be working on a client for the Pocket PC, similar to the Palm offering they have (FAQ Article 84 on my main website).

If this is true, then this is good news. Microsoft haven't released a Money for the Pocket PC version for 2007 users, nor have they for Windows Mobile 5 users, although there are some others (SPB Finance springs to mind). This may mean that these users have a choice available.

Of course, Ultrasoft Money for the Palm is not free software, and there is no indication that this will be either, but saying that, if it looks good it will mean I upgrade to Money 2007 and start using this software too.

More information as I find it.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Microsoft MVP Summit just days away… « Community Group Therapy

Microsoft MVP Summit just days away… « Community Group Therapy

The 'leader' of the MVP program blogged the article referenced above. I'm now in Seattle awaiting the start if the event tomorrow. Hopefully in the next few days I'll get to see and learn about Microsoft Money development and plans.

In addition, I'm hoping that I'll be able to help my day job, which is involved with ASP.NET development (the moneymvps.org website is built that way. Looking forward, I want to see the WPF/E stuff.

Friday, March 02, 2007

MVP Summit


In about 10 days time, I'll be crossing the Atlantic and be at the home of Microsoft at Redmond, Washington, USA for the MVP summit.

The MVP summit occurs every 18 months or thereabouts, and enables MVPs for many technologies to meet the Microsoft product teams. It gives an opportunity for us to discuss Microsoft products with the people who actually design their products.

This means that I'll get the chance (along with some of the other Money MVPs) to ask questions and give feedback to the product group.

So, I'll ask you whether there are any questions you'd like me to put to the product group on your behalf - I'd ask you to avoid product support questions (these are better directed to the newsgroups), but aim more at what you'd like to see in future products, areas for improvement, what you like/don't like. Please post to this blog or email me directly.

I'll print out the questions before I get to meet the product team, and try to respond to you directly (or on this blog).

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Converting my file from UK to US Money

I was asked recently about the conversion from UK to US Microsoft Money - something I did, but is not supported.

It seems useful to blog an edited and tidied up response I gave.

About the transfer

Firstly, it is difficult. The more accounts you have, the harder it is, and the more inter-currency transfers you have, the harder still.

On my FAQ site, the relevant article I used was the QIF route (http://moneymvps.org/faq/article/28.aspx), which is the mechanism I used for the basic account moves (using QIF export/import), but when doing the transfer, there is also the need to factor in the creation of scheduled bills, recreating the budget (if you use it) and planning data.

If you have a Pocket PC which you synchronize, then note there is no PPC program
for Money 2007 (at least from Microsoft).

How long it took

I had quite a lot of historical accounts which only linked between themselves, so in a sense they were easy as I did them before doing the main accounts that I use today. Similarly with investments. No idea how long that took, as in a sense, that was some of my dry-run data.

I didn't copy any planning data and I regenerated my bills/deposits from the existing data (I manage my accounts so that I have as few as these as possible, so there were no complex loans for example). Inventory I didn't care about.

Finally I took the plunge and did the main accounts (I had done dry runs before this). I then sorted out the tranfers which used different currencies, and it probably took a few hours in total

To help matters, it was done using Microsoft Virtual PC, so I could have both the US and UK versions open at the same time.

Comments


This is not something I would necessarily recommend, and you need to be committed to do it, otherwise you may waste a good few hours of your life. If you want to do it, then you may like to check out the trial version of US money first (http://moneymvps.org/downloads/trials/default.aspx and use that to perform dry runs and tests.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Selling and Buying Houses in Money

An infrequent operation to perform in Microsoft Money is to track the sale and purchase of a house.

When selling or purchasing a house, the transactions should cause a neutral effect on your net worth, assuming you track the loans and assets in Money. To this end, I've put together three articles on the way I do it.


As ever, feedback is useful

Glyn

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Vista Application Compatibility Update

Microsoft have released a compatibility update for Vista which includes updates for Microsoft Money 2005 and 2006.

At present, I haven't had an opportunity to look to see whether the OFX import is fixed for Money 2005, which is a common complaint, but I am reasonably hopeful that it is

More details at my FAQ site in Article 459 or at the Microsoft KB article KB 929427.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Money 2007 Service Pack 2

Microsoft released a small Service Pack for Money 2007 to fix an issue in Windows Vista. See FAQ Article 458 for some more details.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Overhaul of site done

I've been doing some work, on and off, over the last few months on the http://moneymvps.org website. I have today redeployed the changed code.

The main purpose of this update was to make the whole site quicker and more efficient. I've put in some effort on the caching of FAQ and category pages.

In addition I added a 'keywords' section - this is based on some tags that I have for many pages and serves as a glossary for the site. If you are looking for a particular word, then if I deem it important enough to be part of the keyword index, it will hopefully be featured in the new section. I have plenty of work to do in this area, as not all FAQ articles yet have keywords, and some don't have enough.

There are a few changes that I've incorporated in the background to make it easier for me to administer the code. These include the use of HttpModules for error handling and some changes to the way the system retrieves data from the database that it sits on.

Hopefully you'll see the speed improvements, and hopefully I'll see a lot less errors :-)

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all readers. Hopefully I'll be able to put more time into this site in the next few months, but i'll have to see.

Anyway, on new year's day yesterday, I managed to put a couple more articles together which had been on my list of things to be added for a while:

  • FAQ Article 453 - A quick walkthrough of downloading an OFX statement and importing it
  • FAQ Article 454 - Saving income in expense categories and vice versa


I updated a few other articles with some minor changes, referencing article 453, for example. Updated articles can always been found on the recently updated page