Many users want to install Microsoft Money on Windows 10 and Windows 11, but the process is trickier than you’d imagine. In the UK, the last version of the software was Microsoft Money 2005 – but it still has a loyal user base who want to monitor personal finances. Here’s our guide on how to get some very old software onto the latest versions of Microsoft Windows.
Which version of Microsoft Money?
We’re going to focus on the UK edition of Microsoft Money from 2005 which is a completely different product from MSN Money (available to download from the Microsoft Store).
Where can I get Microsoft Money from?
If you have a CD or DVD of the original program, these can be used to install the Microsoft Money. Alternatively, it is still possible to download the software online. Microsoft no longer hosts the program, but in a blog post from 2011, they reference a non-Microsoft website which still contains the download link.
Grab the software (it’s only 28MB) and we’ll begin.
How do I install Microsoft Money on Windows 11?
Double click the downloaded file and setup will begin. You will be prompted for a few permission requests, but accept them until the Welcome to Money Setup screen appears.
Click I Accept, then dance around the room to the Microsoft Money installation tune before selecting Finish.
At this point, you may think that the installation has failed, as nothing happens. No message, no desktop icon. Welcome back to 2005!
Click the Start button (or press the Windows key on the keyboard) and Microsoft Money’s icon will be there. Click it to continue the process.
Microsoft will flash up the fantastic news that Microsoft Money includes up to two years of internet-based services… which expired on the 1st September 2007. Trust me – they were the best! Click OK.
Microsoft Money will now make you more promises about tracking your finances via the internet, but non of these are applicable any longer. Microsoft Money is now a manual system. Click Next.
Choose a file location for your Money file (.mny), then click Next.
Money now gives the option to login using a Microsoft .NET Passport. These were early versions of the Microsoft Account which is now used across Windows, Xbox, Teams, Office and a shed-load of others. However, don’t try it here as it no longer works. Select Don’t use a Passport then click Next.
Money offers to increase the security of your financial records by adding a password to the data file. Feel free to add one or tick the box to continue without. Whatever you do, don’t select I want to use a Passport instead of a regular password.
Money used to be able to connect directly to bank accounts, sucking in transactional data to work it’s magic. Banking security has moved on and I’m unaware of any UK financial institution which still allows this. Alternatively, if your bank still allows the export of .qif or .ofx files, then these can be imported into Microsoft Money.
Click Skip Account Setup.
“Congratulations!” says the lady on the yellow sofa. Your money file is setup, so click Finish.
Microsoft Money is installed on Windows 11, but before you head into that stack of floppy disks to find your old data, you may need to take care of another relic from Microsoft’s past.
Why doesn’t Microsoft Money launch?
Microsoft Money is old software and it relies on other bits of old software to run, particularly the now retired Internet Explorer. Many Money users have discovered that sometimes the software won’t launch, so a quick tweak to the registry is required.
Open REGEDIT and work your way to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
From the right-hand pane, select Version and edit the value to:
9.11.10240.0
Exit REGEDIT and restart your computer. All should be well again.
Installing Microsoft Money on Windows 10?
The great news is that installing Microsoft Money on Windows 10 and Windows 11 is an identical process. Follow the steps above and you’ll have Microsoft Money running on Windows 10 in no time.
What is Money Plus Sunset and should I install it?
Microsoft Money Plus Sunset (often referred to as the Sunset edition) was released by Microsoft in 2010. It was a cut-down version of some of the other commercial versions of the software, Money Plus Deluxe and Money Plus Home & Business. You can certainly download and install it, but it uses a different format of the .mny file, so directly importing historical data from UK editions is not possible.
If Microsoft Money Plus Sunset detects a .mny file, it will offer to convert it and then fail, so if you’re wanting to work with old UK formatted files, stick to the Microsoft Money 2005.
Is Microsoft Money still used?
Yes. Despite the age of the software, Microsoft Money retains a large user base. The advancement of technology means that many of the interactive features, which made it so popular, no longer work. That said, if you don’t mind a bit of manual import or data entry, it’s still a great way to keep an eye on your personal finances.
I use this every day – it is fundamental to running my finances.
The only thing I am aware of in W10 is that if you use full screen, it will not revert to a window – you have to restart it.
Should you wish to, this is how to split Categories and Sub-categories on forms.
Microsoft Money – Separate Categories & Sub-categories.
Run regedit … (if you don’t know how to do this then get somebody else to help) :-
Locate HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Money\14.0
Edit; New; DWORD Value 32 bit
Put in new DWORD value of UseDualCatMode
Modify the new DWORD to a Value data of 1
Exit
Thanks for that info. I love Microsoft Money and not sure how I’d keep track of business and personal accounts if I couldn’t use it. I’m concerned that by allowing the windows 11 update it would no longer work. Can I go ahead and update from windows 10 to 11 without it affecting Money?
My guess, and it is only a guess, is that it will work fine. What I will do is when I do the W11 update I will post here the result but I certainly expect it to say that it works fine.
I have been using this for years, especially the Portfolio manager. The man who developed it Dan Gaier has now developed a simple programme that downloads share, bond and fund prices every time you start MS Money. It is fantastic and less than £10. He has his own site in his name ‘Gaier Software’
Hi – The following MS Money Sunset error message killed my days. I would expect that to run on windows10 21H2.
“MONEY IS NOT ABLE TO LOAD SOME OR ALL OF YOUR FINANCIAL PLANNER DATA. PLEASE NOTE THE ERROR NUMBER OF THIS MESSAGE, AND THEN CONTACT MICROSOFT TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR MORE INFORMATION. HRESULT=0x80046213”
Any learnings in the community that would help me to get back my 10+yrs of transactional history?
Thank you,
Micko
Had a hard drive crash. Now Money is asking for my product key to activate. In 10 days, the message says I will not be able to enter any new transactions (a problem) or use online services (been that was a long time anyway). Will it actually deactivate? I purchased the CD in 2008 from Digital River and can’t find product key. Help!!!
Just tried this and it still won’t launch! It tries(flashes for up a second). It was working fine over the weekend but after doing an update it no longer works. Any ideas???
Sorry, no idea. I am still on W10 Edition Windows 10 Home
Version 21H2
Installed on 22/11/2021
OS build 19044.1466
Serial number MP21FEEQ
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.3920.0
Money version is 14.0.120.1105 © 2004
All working fine – no issues.
I upgraded (?) from Windows 10 to Windows 11. All seemed to work fine until today (that’s when I noticed the problem). I can’t access my old version of Microsoft Money. It has a new version of MM, but I’d like access to my old files. Can You suggest a solution?
Hi, I have used MS Money Sunset version for years. Why, in the previous couple of weeks, does it constantly ‘refresh’. Is this someone collecting my financial data?
Hi, I hope your are able to help, I think after a recent Windows update to Evaluation Build 22581.ni_release.220318-1623, MS Money 2005 now throws an error ‘we are unable to load a required library autoupdate.dll, Error code:0x0000045a’.
Cannot get round this, and have reinstalled Money, change IE reg value back to value displayed here, but still no resolution.
Do you have any advise to give here, I do have another Windows 11 Laptop which will still able to run Money but would like to find out with your help what the issue is here?
Regards Alan
I had similar problems and thought I would have to give up on my old machine, I thought I had tried everything. Then one day went back in and there was the program waiting to be loaded. Don’t ask me why or how, I don’t know. Just keep trying.
I own a small used car business and am just wanting something where I can print my customers an amortization statement. Can you help me?
Thanks for the tips. I have been using Money since 2002. I have the original Money 2002 installation disk, Recently I had to replace my windows 7 computer with a windows 11 computer. I installed Money 2002 without any problems, or so I thought. The program works fine, as long as I DO NOT restart or shutdown the computer. After a reboot I get a message that Money was not installed correctly. A reinstall fixes the problem, but that can get old. I changed the IE version to the number to 9.11.10240.0 as you showed in this article, no affect. Do you have any ideas on how to fix this glitch?>
Thanks Lee – I didn’t realise it was you until I got to the end of your piece, but I should have recognised your prose style from your excellent and highly amusing PC Pro columns. This article is so well put together and clear.
This is a life-saver as I have been using MS Money since 1st January 1997 (almost 26 years – is that a record?) and it’s probably the only piece of software I (almost) never complain about. I’m running Money Version 12 (Money 2004, I believe) on a Win 7 Sony Vaio laptop (11 years +). One of the things putting me off a move to Windows 8, 9 (sorry), 10, or 11 has been doubt over whether I can get Money running on it. Last week I ordered a high spec Chillblast PC (so I’m pretty sure it will be able to handle the vast history of my Money accounts.) I’ll still keep the Vaio at Win 7 just in case, even if it’s just to run MS Money.
Dave
I uploaded the 2005 version from the link on this website to my computer in Florida. It accepted the .dbf backup file I had made in my 2004 Original version of money. However, when I came home to England and tried to upload the backup file .dbf, I had made in Florida, it crashes the Money programme. Any suggestions? Can I convert the file I made in Florida to one that will run on my MS Money 2004 here?
Please help
It looks like you converted a 2004 file to 2005 format which is fine. However you can’t then go backwards to 2004 format. You need to download 2005 UK version which 4ths fine on win10 or win 11
Did you ever try MM on W11?
Please help – I have anew laptop and had all of my files transferred to it. I installed the sunset version of Money on my new laptop, but it is asking for a password that I don’t have and there isn’t a way to reset the password. I went to my old computer and went to Money (also a sunset version) and clicked on password manager. The default was to log in with windows live, but I changed it to password and created a password. Then I saved the file to a flash drive and copied it onto the new laptop over the old file.
The password I created doesn’t work.
Suggestions?
Afternoon. I have made various posts to this thread (starting on December 14th last year). I am still on W10 and still running Money every day with no issues. I installed from Money2005-UK-QFE2.exe.exe (yes, really two .exe).
Of course you will need to know the password of your existing .mny file!
This is a copy of the note I wrote myself :-
Run Money2005-UK-QFE2.exe.exe (yup, .exe is repeated) to install Money.
I can’t actually remember what happens but, basically, you DO NOT want to create a .mny file at the end of the installation process. Instead, once it is installed, double click a my money.mny file in file explorer. That should open the file in money and ask for the password.
I don’t think the regedit for W10 is needed any more but it is documented if you do.
The split category regedit is also documented. Personally, I like them split.
Useful link here https://bigtechquestion.com/2021/12/13/software/how-do-i-install-microsoft-money-on-windows-10-and-windows-11/
27th January 2016 (link added December 2021)
I have successfully loaded Money onto my new laptop (Windows 11) and the basic programme loads successfully. During the installation I was asked for my password which I gave. However, I am experiencing a problem when I try to load my backup file, my password isn’t recognised. Any ideas please?
After spending hours trying to get my old Microsoft Money (years of my accounts!) onto my new Windows 11 PC, I came across your website, and the link you provided worked! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!
I was having the same problem except I didn’t have a password set up, so I didn’t have one to give. I discovered that I installed the UK version instead of the US version. Once I installed the correct version, I was able to open the .mny file and Money opened up and loaded my file.
Lee I would love to dump Quicken it is unusable. Do you know where I can download a usable version of MS Money 2010? Any help would be greatly appreciated.