But not every software company cares about backwards compatibility, and many go bust. I suspect a lot of people are still running Quicken 2002, which was released in 2001. If you calculate the number of hours it would take you to re-enter up to 14 years of accounts, I suspect you will find that it would cost far more to replace your data than your PC and software.įortunately for you, both Windows and Quicken have tens of millions of users, which encourages Microsoft and Intuit to try to maintain compatibility over long periods. Worse, you may be at risk of losing access to your data.
There is also a risk that unpatched security holes could leave you vulnerable to viruses. The most obvious is the one that concerns you: it could eventually stop working. There are several problems with running old software. Unfortunately, this feeling may be illusory. If you use the same program for a decade or more, you get to know it well, and you will feel safe and secure.
