MS Money, MacOS 2Jul2025

[N G]

msmoneysetup_MacOS_FullInstall_2Jul2025.zip

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BKypBlf3XrfOqG9YrXoRgrLSa_SoHUVH/view?usp=share_link

This is the latest installer for MacOS.

Caveats: The problems with the non-Sunset versions of Money still exist. I have a new test with the registry that I want to try, hopefully more on that shortly.

For this version of msmoneysetup, the bug fix is that ofx/qfx/qif files should be properly associated with mnyimprt.exe. Double-clicking on any of those file types should automatically open Money (or preferably, open MSMoney first and then double-click those files). A new app called MNYIMPRT.app lives in msmoneysetup/desktop; I don't copy it to Applications because it is only used indirectly. I have code in Install.app to set MNYIMPRT.app as the default program for those files. 

For existing users this will require double-clicking Install.app. Before doing so, please drag MSMoney and GetData from Applications to the trash. Alternatively, you may have to open Applications in Finder and type Command-Delete on your keyboard. 

I'm also still working on pocketsense. I don't have any accounts that use DirectConnect anymore so I can't test that, but my ofx/qfx files are imported properly from the import folder and are received by msmoney.exe via MNYIMPRT.app.

 

I've been a bit short on time recently with some family issues but hopefully I'll be able to rework pocketsense in the next couple of weeks. I would still like to have pocketsense be universal between Mac and Linux so anyone that would like to test is very much welcome.

Nathan

[N G]

Hi everyone,

It’s come up recently that the latest MacOS installer is failing to install properly. Macports (most of what is downloaded to support MSMoney) was upgraded to version 2.11.0 a couple of days ago and changes the way packages are downloaded and installed; it uses git now instead of rsync. Macports needs xcode to do what it does, and until recently the CLI (CommandLineInterface) Tools were sufficient. Unfortunately, the CLI Tools do not provide git. 

For now I can confirm that by hard coding macports to use the last release (2.10.7) instead of detecting the latest works as expected. To support the new git-based method I have a couple of choices:

1. Let the installer download the full Xcode. Xcode is for developers who write programs. For MSMoney, we don’t need the full package so that’s why it currently only installs the CLI package (Command Line tools). The full xcode takes quite a while to download and has a bigger footprint. It’s much quicker and seamless to do it the current way but the CLI tools don’t provide git. Lastly, I’ve had trouble getting my script to wait until the full xcode has installed before continuing. I’m not a fan of this choice.

2. Manually download and install a git client that macports can use. It does mean installing another piece of software to your mac, that potentially is only used one time. 

3. Continue to limit macports to version 2.10.7. There is an argument for security updates, but macports is only used one time to get wine, wget, cabextract, gdown, python3.12 (for pocktsense). In practice, macports isn’t used after MSMoney is installed, and it doesn’t have permission to do anything without your password so it won’t be doing anything behind the scenes. 

I worked really hard to figure the CLI part so that users don’t need to manually download anything. I wanted the script to be automated as much as possible so I’m leaning towards staying with 3., at least for now. I haven’t really explored 2. yet.

So expect that if you download the last 02July2025 msmoneysetup that it won’t work. I should upload a new msmoneysetup soon with option 3.

A side note for Money 2005 users: I’ve been trying (and failing) daily to figure out what can be done to fix the thread deadlock problem, triggered by either Balance This Account or matching transactions. I’ve tried everything I can think of so I think I’m going to pause for now. (not giving up!) But realistically it doesn’t look good unless the Balance account tool and matching transactions aren’t needed. 

Nathan

[Bill Hackney]

I’m voting Option 3, Nathan.  Xcode is a large download, which may need 20Gb plus to install, hence users need the disk space for that, as well as there being the additional complications that you flag.

Best wishes

Bill

[Nathan Giard]

Thanks Bill, I was thinking of you when I wrote that post. Bill helped a lot in the early stages of the Mac script and it required many attempts.

I did look into option 2, and because it would be unsigned by an Apple Developer signed certificate, the user would have to authorize it, or I would have to bypass Gatekeeper. Either choice seems undesirable. 

Option 3 is probably going to be the winner unless something changes.  

Nathan

On Jul 12, 2025, at 6:51 PM, 'Bill Hackney' via Microsoft Money <microso...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

I’m voting Option 3, Nathan.  Xcode is a large download, which may need 20Gb plus to install, hence users need the disk space for that, as well as there being the additional complications that you flag.

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[N G]

msmoneysetup_MacOS_FullInstall_13Jul2025.zip

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nyCMi9_K2714wozTkKFtSxFrpzpJJKE9/view?usp=share_link

Hi everyone,

This update was a hard fought couple of days!

Found out that my code that downloads Xcode would either intermittently fail, intermittently not install properly, and macports would intermittently not update itself! (I've probably spent 75% of my time on this project on the Mac side 25% on the Linux side lol phew!)

It's possible that something has changed with how the downloads for Xcode (Apple) in the command line work, so that code is more robust. Also, we're back to using the current latest version of macports. I had to fix/tweak those lines of code as well, including a few lines to make sure macports is updated and aware of all the packages available. I wasn't doing that before, and I still don't understand why it's necessary now. Based on the changes, I'm amazed the script worked at all before! There is more logging now too to hopefully help me understand and diagnose problems quicker. Anyway, hopefully the install goes through cleanly for everyone now. 

File associations for ofx/qif/qfx should work by double-clicking. There's an app called MNYIMPRT.app that lives in msmoneysetup/desktop, if there's a file association problem on your machine, that's what you want to open the ofx/qfx/qif file with. It should be automatically registered though, but just in case. The four items in the extras folder should also work with double-clicking, make sure to double-click on the .app versions, not the .sh versions. (The four apps will use the four .sh files.) I'll get the winetricks.app next time after I can test it.

Since I'm using wineconsole for the output from msmoneyquotes, its output isn't stored in the wine-quotes log file. If you want to slow it down, go into msmoneysetup/desktop/MSMoney.sh, find this line:

    $PORT_CMDS/wineconsole "$MSMONEYQUOTES" -b -c -v -m 2>&1 | tee  "$LOGS/wine-quotes-log.txt"

and change it to 

    $PORT_CMDS/wineconsole "$MSMONEYQUOTES" -c -v -m 2>&1 | tee  "$LOGS/wine-quotes-log.txt"

remove the -b (batch mode). Then when msmoneyquotes runs it will pause at the end so that you can review it first.

All the log files in msmoneysetup/logs will be saved as txt files on the Mac from now on. Double-clicking on log files opens console instead of textedit.

Please test pocketsense and let me know about any issues. I'll do my best with this since I don't have any accounts that are Direct Connect anymore. Importing files from the import folder should work and auto-import into Money. I recommend opening MSMoney from Applications first, and then after loading your statements into the import folder, click on GetData in Applications. The security issues with running these the first time is still a thing. I tried using Automator to create actual applications, thinking it might work out better (for security) but not really. I'm back to just calling the scripts directly again. This means it's easy to edit Install.sh / MSMoney.sh / GetData.sh / Uninstall.sh.

When running winecfg to change desktop settings, the checkbox for Emulate a virtual desktop is grayed out. Not sure why or when that started since it still works in Linux. I've been running with "Allow the window manager to control the windows" checked only, and Screen resolution is 144. 120 might be better, please try both.

Unfortunately no luck so far with fixing the MS Money 2005 UK. 

So that's it for now, I really hope this version is more robust and reliable.

Nathan

[Rakesh Shah]

Option 3 seems to make the most sense if we're only going to use it once for the install. 

Thanks for your continued help!

 - Rakesh

[N G]

msmoneysetup_MacOS_FullInstall_15Jul2025.zip
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VxB2OFLGhOpPWLMAWvtFiENzo3lrjnaM/view?usp=share_link

It seems that the Xcode and macports functionality is stable and working as expected. (Yay!)

The function that I implemented for registering ofx, qfx, qif file associations was breaking things with the Mac Settings app that required a reboot to fix. I wasn’t the only one to experience this, but until it happened to someone else I didn’t connect it to what I was doing. I have reworked that and so far so good. I don’t want anyone to have to reboot (certainly I’m not trying to cause any damage), and installing wine/MSMoney shouldn’t require a reboot.

Next, instead of installing the MSMoney and Getdata apps into Applications I’m going back to the simpler route. Instead, I'm naming the Install.sh, MSMoney.sh, GetData.sh, and Uninstall.sh files with the "command" extension. For example, Install.sh will be Install.command. This tells MacOS that these are executable scripts and are to be run in the terminal when double-clicked.

This next part is how I used to do it before I started this project (back when running Money like this was only for me).

From the msmoneysetup/desktop folder, drag MSMoney.command onto the dock in the area to the right with Downloads, Applications, and Trash. I don't think I can script that part very well and I don't want to introduce any instability. After dragging MSMoney.command onto the dock, if desired, the same can be done with GetData.command.

Finally, I took the opportunity to print out all the script files for both Linux and macOS to standardize the code between the two that can be the same, and verify that the remaining parts make sense. After making so many small changes things can be kinda "patchwork" over time and today was a good day to go through everything with my red pen.

Friendly reminder: when closing Money, click back to your account list page first and then close.

I'm hoping to achieve the same level of polish, stability, and reliability on the Mac side as the Linux side. I'm all ears for feedback.
Nathan