Table of Contents

Reckon Installation Switcher Guide

About Reckon Installation Switcher

Please DO NOT install Reckon Personal on a computer that already has earlier versions of Reckon Accounts Personal products installed unless you are using the Reckon Installation Switcher.

An Installation Switcher is a tool that helps manage and switch between different versions of Reckon Accounts Personal Range on a single computer allowing users to:

  • Install Multiple Versions: Run multiple versions or year of Reckon Personal products (e.g., Personal Plus, Home & Business) without conflicts.
  • Switch Environments: Create and manage different environments or snapshots of installations, enabling users to switch between versions easily.
  • Maintain Compatibility: Ensure that different versions of the software coexist without interfering with each other, particularly useful for testing or running older versions alongside newer ones.


It simplifies the process of handling different versions and ensures that each version operates correctly in its designated environment.


How to Download the Reckon Accounts Installation Switcher

Generally available for Accredited/Professional Partners.
  1. Log in to the Member’s website.
  2. Click on Download Software under Partner Tools.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and go to Plugins & Drivers.
  4. Find the Reckon Accounts Installation Switcher section for instructions and the download link.

Notes about Reckon Accounts Personal Range

Quicken Personal products include earlier releases of CashBook, Quicken Personal, Quicken Personal Plus, and Quicken Home & Business.
Quicken 2012 covers Quicken Personal 2012, Quicken Personal Plus 2012, and Quicken Home & Business 2012.
Reckon Personal products refer to the Reckon Personal range from 2013 onwards, including all prior Quicken Personal products.

Important Installation Instructions for Reckon Accounts Personal:

  1. Updated Compatibility: The Reckon Installation Switcher has been updated to work with Windows 11.
  2. Preventing Installation Issues: To avoid corrupting your existing Reckon Personal installations, follow these steps carefully.
  3. Single Version Installation:
    • For versions 2007 and later, install only one Reckon Personal/Quicken Personal product of the same year on your computer.
    • Versions 2006 and earlier can be installed normally without this restriction.
  4. New Folder Installation:
    • Do not install Reckon Accounts Personal in a folder that is already used by another Reckon Installation Switcher snapshot.
    • Ensure that you install Reckon Accounts Personal in a new, separate folder.
NOTE: If you don’t have access to an older version of Reckon Personal or are having trouble installing it from a CD, you can download it from the Member’s website.

After log in, click on Download Software under Partner Tools, and scroll down to find Other Versions of Reckon Software. From there, download the necessary version of Reckon Accounts or Quicken Personal.


Installation Instructions

SUMMARY

  1. Install Reckon Accounts Personal: Install each version in a separate folder and activate it.
  2. Run the Installation Switcher: Install and open the Reckon Installation Switcher.
  3. Take a Snapshot: Take and save a snapshot of the currently installed version.
  4. Install Next Version: Install the next version in a different folder and activate it.
  5. Take Another Snapshot: Take a snapshot of the newly installed version.
  6. Test Snapshots: Test the environment snapshots to ensure everything is working correctly.


DETAILED

Step 1: Install Reckon Accounts Personal

  1. Install Reckon Accounts Personal: Download it from the Member’s Site and follow the on-screen instructions.
  2. Activate Your Product: Click the Reckon Accounts Personal icon on your desktop to complete activation

Step 2: Install Reckon Installation Switcher

  1. Download the Software: Follow How to Download the Reckon Accounts Installation Switcher or use the provided link to download the software.
  2. Install the Reckon Installation Switcher: Run Reckon_Installation_Switcher.exe and follow the prompts to complete the installation.

Step 3: Create a snapshot of the latest version

  1. Exit Reckon Accounts Personal: Ensure the program is closed.
  2. Open Reckon Installation Switcher:
    1. Go to the Start menu, click All Programs, then select Reckon Installation Switcher.
    2. Alternatively, double-click the desktop icon.
  3. Take a Snapshot:
    1. In the Reckon Installation Switcher, click Take a Snapshot.
    2. Choose the version and level of Reckon Personal you’re using (e.g., Personal, Personal Plus, or Home & Business). Note: There is no Personal level from 2022.
    3. Select your country (e.g., Australia).
  4. Locate the Executable Path:
    1. Browse to the installation path of your Reckon Personal product. Default locations are:
      1. 64-bit OS: C:\Program Files (x86)\Reckon Accounts Personal\qw.exe
      2. 32-bit OS: C:\Program Files\Reckon Accounts Personal\qw.exe
    2. Find the qw.exe file and click Open.
  5. Save the Snapshot:
    1. Click OK in the Take a Snapshot window and save the snapshot.
    2. Clean the Environment: Click Clean Environment.
    3. Close the Switcher: Close the Reckon Installation Switcher.

Step 4: Create more snapshots

If you are installing Reckon Personal products from 2007 or later, including the latest versions, you can only install one product per year. For example, if you have Reckon Accounts Home & Business 2018 saved as a snapshot, you cannot install Reckon Personal Plus 2018.

However, you can install Reckon Personal products from different years (e.g., 2007, 2008, 2019) in separate directories. Follow these steps:

  1. Install the Product: Download Reckon Accounts Personal from the Members site and follow the on-screen instructions.
  2. Activate the Installation: Double-click the Reckon Personal icon on your desktop to activate the product.
  3. Take a Snapshot: Repeat the steps for taking a snapshot of your Reckon Personal installation.

If you are installing Reckon Personal 2006 or earlier versions, follow these steps:

  1. Install the Product: Insert the CD and follow the on-screen instructions to install Reckon Accounts Personal.
  2. Run and Activate:
    • Double-click the Reckon Personal icon on your desktop to run the program.
    • Activate your Reckon Accounts Personal version.
  3. Exit the Program: Close Reckon Accounts Personal.
  4. Take a Snapshot: Follow the steps to take a snapshot of your Reckon Personal installation.


Existing Users of Reckon Installation Switcher

Follow these instructions if you have a previous version of the Reckon Installation Switcher already installed on your computer.

Step 1: Uninstall the previous version of Installation Switcher

  1. Open the Existing Installation Switcher: Run the current version of the Installation Switcher.
  2. Clean the Environment: Click Clean Environment.
  3. Close the Switcher: Exit the Reckon Installation Switcher.
  4. Uninstall the Program:
    1. Click Start and go to Control Panel.
    2. Click Programs and Features.
    3. Select Reckon Installation Switcher and click Uninstall.
    4. Confirm by selecting Yes to remove the application and all of its components.

Step 2: Check existing Snapshots

  1. Open the Installation Switcher: Go to Start > All Programs > click Reckon Installation Switcher.
  2. Check Snapshots: Verify that snapshots taken with the previous version are still working with the current Reckon Personal Installation Switcher.
  3. Select and Run Snapshot:
    1. Choose a snapshot from the Available Environments area.
    2. Click Run in Clean Environment.
  4. Verify Operation: Ensure that Reckon Installation Switcher correctly opens the selected version of Reckon Personal.
  5. Update Snapshot:
    1. Close Reckon Accounts Personal.
    2. Click Update Snapshot.
  6. Clean Environment: Click Clean Environment.
  7. Close the Switcher: Exit the Reckon Installation Switcher.

For the next steps, see Installation Instructions.


Using Reckon Installation Switcher

Using Reckon Installation Switcher

Once you have saved the version of your Reckon Personal product in the Reckon Installation Switcher, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Reckon Installation Switcher.
  2. Select the Version: Choose the version of the Reckon Personal product you want to use.
  3. Run in a Clean Environment: Click Run in a clean environment to start using the selected version.
  4. Switch Between Versions: If you have multiple versions, repeat the steps: open the Reckon Installation Switcher, select the desired version, and click Run in a clean environment to switch between them.

Saving changes in the Reckon Personal product environment

When changing or creating data files in Reckon Personal and you want to keep the changes:

  1. Close Reckon Personal.
  2. Open the Reckon Installation Switcher.
  3. Select the Version: Choose the version of Reckon Personal with the changes you want to save.
  4. Update Snapshot: Click Update Snapshot.
  5. Close the Switcher: Exit the Reckon Installation Switcher.


Reckon Accounts Personal Installation/Reinstallation

Important: Failure to follow these instructions may result in your Reckon Accounts Personal snapshots not working properly.

Uninstalling Reckon Accounts Personal

To uninstall safely, follow these steps:

  1. Run the Existing Installation Switcher:
    1. Open the Reckon Installation Switcher.
    2. Click Clean Environment.
    3. Close the Installation Switcher.
  2. Uninstall Reckon Accounts Personal:
    1. Click Start, then Control Panel.
    2. Click Programs and Features.
    3. Select Reckon Accounts Personal 20XX (replace 20XX with the year version) and click Uninstall.
    4. Confirm by selecting Yes to remove the application and all its components.

Reinstalling Reckon Accounts Personal

To reinstall a Reckon Accounts Personal snapshot, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Reckon Installation Switcher:
    1. Click Clean Environment.
    2. Close the Installation Switcher.
  2. Reinstall Reckon Accounts Personal:
    1. Reinstall Reckon Accounts Personal in the directory where it was previously installed (not the uninstalled path).
    2. Note the version levels (Home & Business, Personal Plus, or Personal) you are installing over.
  3. Update the Snapshot:
    1. Open the Reckon Installation Switcher.
    2. Select the Reckon Personal version you have reinstalled.
    3. Click Update Snapshot.
    4. Click Clean Environment.
  4. Close the Installation Switcher.

Deleting Snapshots

Even after uninstalling Reckon Accounts Personal, snapshots may still appear in the Reckon Switcher’s Available Environments window. If a snapshot is not removed, delete the corresponding folder in the Envs directory. See the instructions below.

To delete a snapshot of Reckon Accounts Personal, follow these steps:

  1. Close Applications: Ensure that both Reckon Accounts Personal and the Reckon Installation Switcher are closed.
  2. Navigate to Snapshot Environment Location:
  3. Open the “Envs” folder in the default location based on your version:
    1. For Reckon Switcher 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and later:
      1. 64-bit OS: C:\Program Files (x86)\Reckon Installation Switcher\Envs
      2. 32-bit OS: C:\Program Files\Reckon Installation Switcher\Envs
    2. For Reckon Switcher 2016:
      1. 64-bit OS: C:\Program Files (x86)\Reckon Limited\Reckon Installation Switcher\Envs
      2. 32-bit OS: C:\Program Files\Reckon Limited\Reckon Installation Switcher\Envs
    3. For Quicken 2012 and earlier:
      1. 64-bit OS: C:\Program Files (x86)\Quicken Installation Switcher\Envs
      2. 32-bit OS: C:\Program Files\Quicken Installation Switcher\Envs
  4. Delete the Snapshot Folder: Locate and delete the folder for the Reckon Accounts Personal version you wish to remove.
  5. Verify Removal: Open the Reckon Installation Switcher to ensure the uninstalled Reckon Accounts Personal version no longer appears.


FAQs

Getting the message “Online information setup is missing. Please try reinstalling the application to resolve the issue.”
Click here to resolve the issue.
Activation Window opens when launching Reckon Accounts Personal using the Reckon Installation Switcher.
Click here to resolve the issue.

Need more help?

Ask the Reckon Community at: https://community.reckon.com/

Or Log a Support Ticket: https://www.reckon.com/au/support/


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