How To Add, Change, or Remove a Quicken Data File Password

Create a data file password

1. Choose File menu > Set Password for this data file.
2. In the New Password field, type the password.
3. In the Confirm Password field, reenter the same password.
4. Click OK.

Create a transaction password

1. Choose File menu > Set Password to modify transactions.
2. In the Password field, type the password (the password is case-sensitive).
3. In the Confirm Password field, reenter the same password.
4. In the Required For Dates Through field, enter the date of the last transaction you want the password to apply to.
5. Click OK.

Deciding which type of password you need

File passwords protect an entire data file, that is, every account within the data file. Transaction passwords protect all the transactions in a file that occurred before a specified date.

Choosing a secure password

• Choose passwords that are easy to remember but difficult to guess. Consider using the first letter of each word in a phrase and include a special symbol such as an exclamation mark or colon in the middle of the phrase (rather than at the beginning or end). Avoid using personal information such as nicknames, license numbers, Social Security numbers, and so on, as well as words that can be found in English or foreign language dictionaries.
• Do not write down passwords.
• Change passwords from time to time.
• Do not share passwords.

Changing a password

If a data file is already protected by a file password, Quicken displays an Old Password field. Using the steps above to create a data file password, type the current password in this field, and then type the new password in the New Password and Confirm Password fields.

Removing a password

If the data file is password-protected, Quicken displays an Old Password field. Using the steps above to create a data file password, type the current password in this field, and then make sure the New Password and Confirm Password fields are empty.

If Quicken does not accept the data file password

Quicken does not accept the data file password.