What if Quicken doesn't accept my password, asks for a password I didn't add, or gives me an invalid password message?

If Quicken doesn’t accept your password, shows an invalid password message, or prompts you for a password you never set, it usually means the file is protected and the password has been forgotten, mistyped, or added unintentionally. This can happen after restoring a backup, transferring files, or enabling password protection without realizing it. Before contacting support, you can try several recovery steps to regain access to your file. These include checking for common typing errors, restoring a backup, or using the built-in password removal tool.

Step 1: Check common causes

Before assuming the file is locked, double-check the following:

• Try all passwords you’ve used in Quicken or for any password-protected Quicken files.

• If the password includes numbers, make sure Num Lock is turned on.

• Quicken passwords are case sensitive. Check that Caps Lock is off, then retype the password carefully using the correct capitalization.

Step 2: Restore a backup file

If you created a backup before setting the password, restore that file:

1. Rename your current (locked) file so it won’t be overwritten.

2. Restore your backup.

3. Reenter any transactions or changes made after the backup was created.

If you don’t have a manual backup, try an automatic one. Quicken automatically creates backup files every seven days and saves them in the Quicken\BACKUP folder. If the password was added recently, the automatic backup may not include it.

To check:

1. Browse to the Quicken\BACKUP folder.

2. Open one of the recent automatic backups.

3. If it opens without a password, copy it to your main data folder and resume working from that file.

You may need to reenter some recent data if the backup is older.

Step 3: Create a new file (optional)

If your data file is small or lightly used, you might consider starting over with a new file. This is a practical option when reentering the data is faster than recovering the password or restoring a backup.

Step 4: Use the Remove Password feature

If your file contains critical information and none of the above steps work, you can use Quicken’s built-in Remove Password feature. This allows you to regain access by verifying your identity.

To remove the password:

1. Open Quicken.

2. Attempt to open the locked file.

3. When prompted, click Forgot Password.

4. Answer your security questions to verify ownership.

If verification is successful, Quicken will remove the existing password. You can then open the file and set a new password if needed.

Note: You may need to close and reopen the file before the Forgot Password link appears.