Free download of Microsoft Money Plus Sunset Deluxe
Who would want a personal finance software package with no online component or support? Apparently, many do when it’s completely free. The best budgeting software is often a matter of personal taste, and people are still downloading the now-defunct Microsoft Money now that it’s available with no cost or license.
Microsoft quit producing Microsoft Money Plus in 2009, its popular personal finance software program. At the time we suggested sixteen powerful alternatives to Microsoft Money. They’ve offered a bare-bones version in the form of Microsoft Money Plus Sunset Deluxe Personal Finance Software, but the link is now dead. You can find the software on Archive.org, with a direct link to the exe here.
Well, the biggest drawback is that these free versions of Money Plus have no online features or tech support. Here’s the scoop from Microsoft:
On Jan. 31, 2011, all online services and assisted support for all versions of Money end. The Microsoft Money Plus Sunset versions provide an alternative version of Money with the following:
- No activation requirement. This version can be installed/reinstalled as needed without a requirement to activate.
- No online services. Discontinued services include online quotes, bill payment, statement downloads initiated by Money, data sync with MSN Money, etc. If your financial institution provides OFX or QIF statement downloads, the Sunset versions will allow you to import those statements into your Money file.
- Online Help is replaced with a local Help file.
- No Assisted Support. Self Help and community support may continue to be available for a few more years
- File conversion from older versions of Money. The Sunset versions are able to open and convert Money Plus files and files from older versions of Money (e.g. Money 2006, Money 2007). The Sunset version cannot convert files created by regional (non-US) versions of Money.
Money Plus Sunset is available in two versions: Money Plus Deluxe Sunset (designed to replace Essentials, Deluxe and Premium) and Money Plus Home & Business Sunset (designed to replace Home & Business).
Because Microsoft has removed the activation requirement and provided a public download, they’re essentially giving this software away free (though that’s not how they’ve phrased it: “This version of Money Plus Sunset can be installed stand-alone or as an upgrade to any existing installation of Microsoft Money.”).
If you’re looking for PC-based financial software and don’t mind the lack of online features (I never use them in Quicken), then this could be worth a try.
If you are looking for budgeting software you can download on your mobile device, see our review of popular budget apps.
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There are 21 comments to "Free download of Microsoft Money Plus Sunset Deluxe".
I’ve stayed with Quicken98 for years, moving the registration info from machine to machine. This looks worth checking out, since Microsoft has finally priced *something* at about what their products are usually worth.
OTOH, what I’d really love to see is a *portable* (as in the portableapps.com) money/checkbook management program.
I got annoyed with Quicken’s forced upgrades — after being with Quicken since the 90s, I finally dropped them. I love the online features of Quicken, but wasn’t willing to upgrade.
I switched to MoneyDance, which runs on all platforms (including iPhones and Linux). I still haven’t paid for it — the trial version is good for 100 manually entered transactions, with the imported or downloaded ones not counting towards the 100. I had some issues with the import of my Quicken files, but nothing that was more than mild annoyance.
It’s not free, but at $40 with a promise of no forced upgrades plus the multiplatform support, it was (or will be, once I hit the 100 free transactions) limit.
Interesting move, but I guess it’s the least they could do after abandoning the software. It’s kind of sad, since I always enjoyed the friendly competition between Intuit and Microsoft.
By the way, I’ve had trouble installing both “free” versions with errors every time. I’m curious if I’m not the only one…
does anyone know of any free program or spreadsheets that evaluate stock trades performances? particularly i’m looking for something that i can only input the individual trades and maybe the mark-to-market prices and it’d tell me how my portfolio has performed. nothing too complicated but i can’t seem to find anything like that. i do trades about once or twice a month and i’m finding myself spending a lot of time calculating how much money i’ve put in and how much i’ve earned.
@ Wojo I am also having trouble downloading either versions……….
I’ve been using Microsoft money for years. I am fully a fan. I don’t use any of the canceled features, so I’m happy.
@elitie: referring to your question about stock trade performance; you could try building your own personal stock portfolios for free on Morningstar.com. Don’t know if this will give you what you are looking for, but the stock/mutual fund information that is available from them for free is pretty impressive and updated daily.
I use gnucash, it takes a while to figure out, but it is worth the time – and it will be free forever.
It does all my accounting
I agree with Dina – Moneydance is excellent, I’ve been using it for two and a half years now and it is so good. Deals efficiently with funds and investments, upgrades are free and there’s good support. Worth far more than the price.
Good news that Money is back in the fold, and free at that. I had grown so used to Money that the “alternatives” proved in-adequate. The lack of online services is not enough to dissuade me from installing the Sunset version next year since I have already “discovered” iCreateOFX Basic from http://icreateofx.co.uk/Convert-CSV-to-OFX to convert my bank and creditcard CSV files to OFX.
VIVA Microsoft! (I never thought I’d say that!)
I’ve been using MS Money Sunset edition for a few months now. I enjoy it. I was never up to date on the latest version of MS Money before and so I never ‘enjoyed’ the benefit of automatic statement downloads, so in reality, to me it feels like a free upgrade to the latest version. I still log on to my bank accounts and download my statements manually and then head back to MS Money to categorize my spending and tracking my goals and budget.
In summary, MS Money Sunset is the latest and last edition of MS Money, just without your automatic online syncing.
It keeps me happy, at least for a few more years I can prolong the search for something different!
I’ve been using Microsoft Money for many years and was bummed when they sunset the product.
Since I never used the removed features, this is a wonderful solution. Thanks for sharing!
I used MS Money since 1999 in 2001 I graded up to 2001 and is still using it. Problem: I getting a new pc and want to transfer al my data and program to the new pc. I changed my pc in 2006 and away from windows 98 to windows xp professional. The person who did the transferring of the hard drive did had any problems doing so. But know I’m getting Window 7 pro. and is worried that I may loose my data especially MS Money 2001. I can’t find my 2001 disc. Could I install on my old PC MS money 2003. Convert my 2001 data to 2003. Install 2003 0n the PC and transfer data from old PC to new PC. Please help I’m desperate.
I am using Money 2000. Works fine. Connects to the bank, etc. Just read this and now I’m rather concerned, of course. Will either the free download or Quicken convert my Money 2000 files?
Gordon:
Did you ever get a response to your query? I too have been using Money 2000 Deluxe for many years and wonder if Sunset would accept the 2000 files.
Hi, Ive been using MS Money home and small business 2002 for a small sports club. Just recently got online banking for the club and tried to download the statement, it went in but there didnt seem to be a way of assigning the payment to new invoices. Might be a dumb question but is this feature just to check what you have put in already, i.e. i put the invoices in and pay them and then download the statements to verify or can i download, see whats gone through the bank and assign invoices, Ive tried this in the business purchases section but cant find them through the bank.
Your bank may have discontinued the use of the ofx format and now uses csv. If so, you’ll need to convert the file from csv to ofx. A converter is offered in one of the above links.
I have tried to run the money sunset, but it constantly crashes on my xp. ‘encountered a problem and must close’ every time I try to add my 1st transaction. I set up 5 accounts and can’t use one. Any thoughts? TIA!
I recently had a problem with MS Money crashing when adding a new transaction… Before starting, make copies of your .mny file in case anything goes wrong.
Open MS Money and immediately select:
File > Repair Money File > Quick File Repair…
If that does not work, then try:
Open MS Money and immediately select:
File > Repair Money File > Standard File Repair…
This creates a new repaired file.
Seems I had to try the repair a few times before I got a working .mny file. A log file eventually reported that I had some corrupted transactions that were deleted and had to be re-entered.
You can also try archiving old transactions if you have a lot of history and then try the above file repair on just the more recent (troublesome) data:
File > Archive…
Good luck.
– Don’t ever trust anything that is “Free, not free” to make you any money.
– Trust money because it allows you to pay for what you like
– Trust what you like because you just paid for it
– Trust what you paid for because it came from a new friend
– Trust your friend because he needs money
– Trust money because he is now richer than you
– The circle of life continues
We’ve updated this story because Microsoft is still offering the software for free. What program or app do you use to track your money?