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Microsoft Money

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Microsoft Money
Developer(s)Microsoft
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
TypePersonal finance
LicenseProprietary commercial software
Websitewww.microsoft.com/money/default.aspx

Microsoft Money was a personal finance management software program by Microsoft. It had capabilities for viewing bank account balances, creating budgets, and tracking expenses, among other features.[1] It was designed for computers using the Microsoft Windows operating system, and versions for Windows Mobile were also available (available for Money 2000-2006 on select versions of Windows Mobile, up to, but not including, Windows Mobile 5.0).

Money is no longer being actively developed. From its inception in 1991 until its discontinuation in 2009, Microsoft Money was commercial software. Microsoft discontinued sales of the software on June 30, 2009 and removed access to online services for existing Money installations in January 2011.[2] In 2010, Microsoft released a replacement version, called Microsoft Money Plus Sunset, which allows users to open and edit Money data files, but lacks any online features or support.[3] It is available in two editions: Deluxe, and Home & Business.

Localization

There were localized editions of Microsoft Money for the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Canada and an International English edition for other English speaking countries. However, Microsoft had not updated the U.K., French and international editions since Money 2005. The last Canadian edition was Money 2006.

There were also localized editions for other countries, such as Russia, Brazil, Germany and Italy. However, these editions were discontinued due to what was believed to be an insufficient user-base to justify the expense of localization for more recent editions or the expense to integrate support for the national online-banking standard like HBCI in Germany.

Microsoft offered a free downloadable time-limited trial version of Microsoft Money Plus.[4] This trial version can import data files from the Canadian edition of Money,[5] but not from other non-US editions.[6][7] Users upgrading from other non-US editions must manually export and reimport their accounts, and may have to re-enter certain information by hand.[8]

History

The first version of Microsoft Money dates back to 1991 and was originally part of the Microsoft Home series.[9]

Due to Microsoft's propensity to market product versions using the year number rather than the actual version number, the version number reported in the About dialogue box may not actually reflect that of the packaging of the distribution media.

Note that a version 13.x was never created.

Release history

Marketed version Release Date Actual version Notes
Microsoft Money October 2, 1991 1.0 Initial release for Windows 3.0.
Microsoft Money 2.0 September 9, 1992 2.0
Microsoft Money 3.0 January 6, 1994 3.0 Final Win16 version.
Microsoft Money 95 August 16, 1995 4.0, 4.0a First Win32 version.

To celebrate Windows 95's release and to promote the advantages of a native Windows 95 application, Money 95 was available as a free web download from Microsoft's web site between August 24, 1995 and October 31, 1995. Users also had the option of paying $9.95 USD plus tax (for US residents) or $14.95 CAD plus tax (for Canadian residents) for CD-ROM or 3.5" floppy disk media along with a hard copy user's manual during that promotional period. This was requested either through a promotional mail-in card (was distributed in stores) or calling Microsoft directly. The freely downloaded (moneyweb.exe) version was the same as the paid 3.5" floppy disk version but no user's manual was available. The CD-ROM version included Multimedia Catalog (an electronic catalog of Microsoft products available at that time) and an online user's manual. Users who took advantage of this (media cost + freight cost) only version did not receive the retail box, but the contents were the same as the ones sold in stores. Windows NT 3.51 was also supported.[10]

Version 4.0a corrected file import bugs.[11][12]

Microsoft Money 97 October 15, 1996 5.0 Added ability to close accounts, provided online banking capabilities including online stock quotes (supported until February, 2004), and contained minor UI improvements. Last version to support Windows NT 3.51.
Microsoft Money 98 September 25, 1997 6.0 First version to require Internet Explorer as part of the interface.
Microsoft Money 99 July 29, 1998 7.0 Last localized release for Germany and Brazil.
Microsoft Money 2000 August 4, 1999 8.0 First edition for Windows Mobile platforms. Last localized release for Italy.
Microsoft Money 2001 July 26, 2000 9.0
Microsoft Money 2002 August 1, 2001 10.0 Last version to support Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 SP5.
Microsoft Money 2003 October 10, 2002 11.0
Microsoft Money 2004 September 17, 2003 12.0 Last version to support original version of Windows 98 ("First Edition").
Microsoft Money 2005 December 31, 2004 14.0 Last localized release for the U.K., French, and the International edition.
Microsoft Money 2006 July 1, 2005 15.0 Last localized release for Canada. Last version for Windows 98 SE/ME, and Windows 2000 SP3.[13] Also the last version for Windows Mobile platforms.
Microsoft Money 2007 September 14, 2006 16.0 First version to require product activation for copies installed from downloaded installation files.
Microsoft Money Plus November 29, 2007 17.0.150.1415 (Home & Business)

17.0.120.1415 (Deluxe) 17.0.80.1415 (Essentials)

Final release. First and only version to require product activation on those copies installed from CD. Microsoft has announced that they will be releasing an edition of Money 2008 that does not require activation. See Discontinuation below.
Microsoft Money Plus Sunset June 30, 2009 17.0.150.3817 (Home & Business)

17.0.120.3817 (Deluxe)

See Money Plus Sunset below.

Discontinuation of Money

In August 2008, Microsoft announced that it would stop releasing a new version of Money each year and had no version planned for 2009. The company also announced that it would no longer ship boxed versions of Microsoft Money to retail stores and would instead sell the product only as online downloads.[14]

On June 10, 2009, Microsoft announced that it would stop developing Money, would stop selling it by June 30 that year, and would continue supporting it until January 31, 2011.[2] The company cited the changing needs of the marketplace as the reason for Money's demise, stating that "demand for a comprehensive personal finance toolset has declined."[15] Product-activation servers used for Money 2007 and beyond were also to be deactivated after January 31, 2011, preventing these versions from being reinstalled after that date.

Money Plus Sunset

On June 17, 2010, Microsoft announced the release of Money Plus Sunset,[16][17] a downloadable version of Money Plus Deluxe and Money Plus Home & Business. Money Plus Sunset does not require online activation or the installation of any previous version of Money on the user's computer, and it should not be installed over the original 2008 version, if online services are still required.[15]

Money Plus Sunset comes with most of the functionality that was available in the retail versions of Money Plus. The features missing are:[18]

  • Money Plus Sunset cannot import data files from non-US editions of Money
  • Money Plus Sunset is missing all the online services features from earlier versions of Money, e.g.:
    • automatic statement downloads initiated by Money (though users may import downloadable OFX and QIF statements from one's financial institution into the user's Money file)
    • online bill payments
    • online investment quotes (though one can "go to the Portfolio Manager and Update Prices – Update Prices Manually")

A few third party add-ons have been made to overcome the online limitations of the sunset edition:

  • MSMoneyQotes[19] is a for-pay tool to update quotes. The add-on was written by an ex-Microsoft employee who coded the Portfolio Manager in Money.
  • PocketSense[20] is a free tool to download bank account statements (via OFX) and quotes.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Introduction". Microsoft Money Plus User Guide. Microsoft Corporation. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Statement from Microsoft on the discontinuation of Microsoft Money". Moneymvps.org. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  3. ^ "Microsoft Money Plus Homepage". Microsoft.com. August 5, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  4. ^ Simpson, Glyn. "Microsoft Money Trial Versions". Microsoft (MS) Money FAQ, Help and Information. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  5. ^ Simpson, Glyn. "Money Plus for Canada". Microsoft (MS) Money FAQ, Help and Information. Retrieved January 17, 2012. I have had many reports that conversion of a Canadian file with Money Plus (US) works
  6. ^ Simpson, Glyn. "Purchasing Money Plus outside of the US or Japan". Microsoft (MS) Money FAQ, Help and Information. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "You receive 'Money cannot open this file because it was created by an incompatible version' when you try to open Microsoft Money". Microsoft Support website. February 11, 2011. Article ID 2118008. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  8. ^ Simpson, Glyn. "How to export/import accounts (using QIF)". Microsoft (MS) Money FAQ, Help and Information. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  9. ^ "Chronology of Personal Computer Software". Islandnet.com. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  10. ^ "Microsoft's Money Gets Early Responses". Nytimes.com. August 31, 1995. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  11. ^ "Microsoft Money". Smart Computing Article. January 5, 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  12. ^ "Err Msg: Msworks Caused an Exception 10H in Module Msworks.exe". Support.microsoft.com. January 19, 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  13. ^ "System Requirements for Microsoft Money 2006". Microsoft.com. August 5, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  14. ^ "Full Money 2009 Announcement". Moneymvps.org. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Money FAQ". Microsoft.com. August 5, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  16. ^ "Money Plus Product Page". Microsoft.com. August 5, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  17. ^ "Money Plus Sunset". Microsoft.
  18. ^ "What Is Microsoft Money Plus Sunset?". Microsoft Support website. August 5, 2010. Article ID 2118008. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  19. ^ "Restore Microsoft Money Online Quotes with MSMoneyQuotes". GaierSoftware.com. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  20. ^ "Reconnecting Microsoft Money Online Downloads". PocketSense. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
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