Customer Reviews

Microsoft Money Standard 2005 [OLD VERSION]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

I agree with all the other reviews. It's like this product came completely out of left field, which is odd because for the most part, Microsoft Money tends to improve each version. Sure, 2004 had stuff that 2003 didn't need, or 2002's version moved things around slightly from 2001, but the main program core remained the same.

Not the case with 2005. Gone are cash flow forecasts, dual-category transaction forms, and plenty of other little things and features you've been seeing in the program since 1996. The help file is buggy and while you try to find out how to get 2005 to do the same thing 2004 used to do, you get completely irrelevant results.

This program won't upgrade 2004, it'll just add another confusing installation directory. It'll automatically reformat your Money 2004 file to it's own new format, thankfully it created a 2004 backup that I could go back to because 2005 gives you no option to save "down" to a previous version.

Even 2004's annoying but sometimes useful audio help is gone for no particular reason. 2005 is a bit prettier, but it turns off many features and hides other VERY basic preference settings under so many layers worth of screens and windows. Your wheel mouse doesn't work in 2005 for some reason. Reports and links to sponsors show up with red X's as images for some reason. Just sloppy, sloppy.

I didn't bother seriously trying the debt reduction planner or budget planner, as it appeared to have changed significantly from the elegant 2003-2004 versions.

I don't know WHAT Microsoft was thinking when they released this. Very poor product that delivers plenty less than you're used to in the 2004 version. Don't upgrade and skip 2005 - hopefully version 2006 will be much better.

I am a MS Money fan so was quick to get the 05 version. Well I am uninstalling and rolling back to last years version!

First there is a new Internet Services Policy you must agree to. It starts out with "Microsoft® Money 2005 includes up to two (2) years of Internet-based Services. You will be able to use the Internet-based Services in Microsoft Money 2005 for a period of two (2) years from installation of the product or until September 1, 2007, whichever is earlier."
**** In two years you can not perform online banking!!!

Second the little Money Express program that reminds you of upcoming bills is gone.

I have 3 words for this program - Do Not Upgrade!
Stay With Your Current Version

This version of Microsoft Money is not as bad as people are saying. I almost returned it before installing it when I read some of the reviews, and I'm glad I didn't. Overall, I'm happy with it.

Some of the things written by other reviewers are incorrect. The dual-category transaction forms are not gone - they are still there. I suspect the person making that comment did not check the "Show transaction forms" checkbox.

They HAVE changed the way "upcoming bills and deposits" work, but they're still there, if you go to the Bill Calendar. They're not in one all-inclusive list anymore; rather they're arranged in calendar format, with the bills appearing in the date box on which they're due. Once you get used to it, no big deal. But I can see how a person could get confused - Microsoft is definitely pushing users to sign up and use their bill-pay service. But you don't have to; you can still manage your bills the way you always could.

Others have claimed that Microsoft is uploading your financial data to their servers. This only happens if you explicitly sign up for that service. I will admit that it's not crystal clear that it's optional, but it is. The agreement that you have to accept when the product installed has to do with updates to the program itself - patches and such.

I don't see all the cause for alarm. It's a good product.

I've had 2005 on the shelf for a while and finally upgraded from 2004. I've been happy w/ every upgrade since 2001, until now. First, it doesn't upgrade the 2004 installation, it installs separately. In the end, this turns out to be the best feature of 2005, because when you inevitably uninstall 2005, you don't have to reinstall 2004!

The most annoying items for me were:
1. The toolbars at the top take too much space due to an internet navigation toolbar that cannot be turned off. Every other MS product has fully customizable toolbars, what happened here!

2. In many cases, when clicking on something to get to some aspect of your financial info, you are first taken to an MSN MoneyCentral website, which is very intrusive!

3. There is a more complex and nested arrangement of menus for features which makes it harder to find and get to stuff.


I didn't use it much beyond that. #2 was really hard to accept.

First, let me say that I have been an avid fan, user, and recommender of the Microsoft Money products since I first became acquainted with them after the 1998 version release of the product.

Words cannot express how greatly disappointed I am with the product itself and Microsoft as a company for unleashing this grossly inept, buggy, and endlessly frustrating piece of trash upon its previously contented users.

I have spent countless hours trying to fix problems that Money 2005 has created in my personal financial records, and even more hours with their support people communicating with them via e-mail (a journey in frustration itself - you have to format your messages a certain way for it to even get to them).

I am, as of today, sending a request to Microsoft for a refund of my purchase price and am going to try one of the Quicken products. I've never even used ANY of the Quicken products before, and am already convinced that they are surely head and shoulders above this latest version of Money.

Shame on Microsoft for thinking that nobody would be willing to jump ship and take their business elsewhere.

I'm generally excepting of changes in software, licensing, etc, as these things tend to evolve with the times and usually end up being worth it in the end. However, I've never been burned like this and feel compelled to warn others.

To me, Money 2005 Standard was a great disappointment, and now I'm stuck. Having been a very satisfied user of Money 2002 and 2003 in the past, I was greatly shocked to discover many downgrades and no obvious improvements, other than prettier colors. My absolute favorite tool, the Cash Flow forecaster, is now no longer available in Standard. There is also now a "two-year paid subscription" on internet-based services, where 2003 was limitless. I might also add, be warned that the Debt Reduction Planner is also missing. I think I might have let all the downgrades go if it were not for the missing Cash Flow forecaster. To me it is a basic necessity and I cannot do my banking without it. I am flying blind without it to tell me where my bank balances stand in future weeks and months and will be hurrying to get it back ASAP.

On the upside, I did not seem to have any problems installing it and converting my 2003 data to 2005 and so far have not experienced any crashing or merging problems. However, I've only been poking around for two days and do not feel any enthusiasm for trying other "new" or "improved" functions, if they exist. I just feel cheated.

To add insult to injury, having upgraded from Money 2003, I am also finding out I will no longer be able to roll back and still keep my data. I am forced to bite the bullet and buy Money 2005 Deluxe.

Be warned....DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT....especially if you have business accounts that you need to keep separate from personal accounts. When the program updates from the bank, it downloads every account with that User ID....Unlike 2004 or earlier versions, you cannot pick and choose which accounts to download...and if you try to delete one account, you get a message saying deleting one will delete ALL....You CAN set the account to closed...but the stupid program downloads it anyway....

I'm not sure it gets much worse than this, I should have stuck with 2004. When it "converted" my 2004 Money file none of the totals were right. It didn't carry over the starting balances listed in the account settings for each of the accounts, it took me days to figure out that is what the problem was. Occasionally this will happen again when it has trouble connecting to the online services at your bank, it just wipes everything out and starts all over.

Had I known it was going to be this bad I would have never touched it.

I'm horrified by this product and will not consider buying it, here's why:

When you use its online statement download feature you have to provide a .NET password login in order to proceed, as this is done YOUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION IS UPLOADED to the MSN Money site without any warning and without your consent. In this age of rampant identity theft, do you dare to have all your financial information posted online?

I found this out running the trial version and I'm staying with Money 2003.

I decided to upgrade from Money 2003 Standard assuming that I would only be receiving more features. WRONG! After browsing around and looking for my favorite feature - the cash flow projection tool - I found out that it was only available on the Deluxe edition. Very angry at this point (opened software cannot be returned) I decided to bite the cost and just stick with Money 2003. When uninstalling Money 2005, it gave me a warning saying that my data would not work with an earlier version. I couldnt believe this, so went ahead and did it. But to my amazement, the fact that I had installed Money 2005, even though it was only for 10 minutes, I could no longer use my data with Money 2003. So I was stuck having to upgrade to Deluxe. What a SCAM!! Out of principal, I will not purchase this program from Microsoft again. Next time I feel like upgrading my financial software I will choose QUICKEN. I am currently drafting a complaint letter to Microsoft.