Update to my Money backup mechanism

Over the last few years, I have used many mechanisms to keep my Money file and backups safe. These include

1. USB Drives
2. Automated network copies
3. Manual copies
4. Floppy disks
5. etc.

As you can see, a variety of methods.

I've been looking for something which would also automatically backup, with no effort on my part, and cheaply (or better, free), my Money file. Live Mesh was my preferred solution as it would allow me to synchronize and backup other files, but this wouldn't do .MNY files. I also understand that the next iteration of it won't work on Windows XP, so I have to move away from it.

I've decided to go for DropBox. I wish I had found it before -I can store my main Money (.mny) file in the DropBox folder and it will synchronize changes to the cloud. With the 30 day history, I know that each time I use Microsoft Money, the previous versions are automatically being saved.

Note that this is not the only way I backup, I still use the settings in Money that output to a USB drive, as I am of the opinion that you can't have too many backups.

If you're looking out for cloud-based storage for your Money file, think about checking DropBox out.

Money Plus Local Help Files

The last several versions of Microsoft Money have utilized an online service to deliver help content, which required users have Internet access in order to access online help content.

The online help system used by Money has been marked for deprecation on or around July 1, 2010. Once fully deprecated, Money's online help feature will not be able to successfully connect to the server side service.

To mitigate this loss of service, the Money help content has been converted to a standalone help file that can be copied and run on the users local machine.

There are downloads on the Microsoft download center for Money Plus Deluxe, Premium, Business and Essentials, as well as for the Japanese Deluxe version.

Microsoft Money Forum

A few weeks ago, I posted that Microsoft were going to close their newsgroups and move to a a web based forum for community support.

It is now possible to access this community forum, which can be accessed by going to http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/money.

Some of the MVPs and regular posters from the newsgroup will be there to assist.

Given that Microsoft are no longer producing Money, it is unlikely that any of the Microsoft Money team will be posting there.

Money Plus Sunset Home and Business

Money Plus Sunset Home and Business is designed to be a replacement for expired versions of Money Plus Home and Business.

Note: The Money Plus Sunset versions come with online self-help only. See Overview section for more info.

You can download the sunset sku for Home and Business from the Microsoft download site.

Money "sunset" sku

Microsoft Money products since Money 2007 have utilized a digital rights management system which required users to activate their product at or shortly after setup. Now that the Microsoft Money product line is nearing the end of its supported lifecycle, the activation services will also be ending. To enable users the ability to continue to use Microsoft Money manually, (without online quotes or online banking services), Microsoft is releasing "Money Plus Deluxe Sunset", and a "Money Plus Home and Business Sunset". The Sunset skus do not require activation, and come preconfigured with no online services, thus allowing users access to their Microsoft Money data files.

You can download the product from here.

Closing of Microsoft Newsgroups

Beginning in June 2010, Microsoft will begin closing newsgroups and migrating users to Microsoft forums that include Microsoft Answers, TechNet and MSDN. This move will centralize content, make it easier for contributors to retain their influence, reduce redundancies and make content easier to find. Overall, forums offer a better spam management platform that will improve customer satisfaction by encouraging a healthy discussion space.

Read more at source.

Note that this WILL apply to the Microsoft Money newsgroups.