How can I read a Microsoft Money data file using .NET?
I have a requirement to read and import data from MS Money data file. How can I achieve this? Is there a SDK available?
I would like to have a similar mechanism to read Quicken files too.
Answer
With Microsoft discontinuing the MS Money product, I was researching the same issue to try to do a full data export of MS Money data file transaction information. The best I have been able to come across was a forum posting detailing manipulating the file to be readable via MS Access. Unfortunately, his method required purchasing a piece of software to "repair" the file to make it openable. The thread is here: http://www.archivum.info/microsoft.public.money/2007-09/msg00739.html and the text is below.
Well for $300 bucks + some custom SQL programming I finally found a way to get out of Money jail. Here is how
- Get FileBinReplace utility here http://www.softtreetech.com/24x7/script.htm
- Run it as FileBinReplace *.mny "MSISAM Database" "Standard Jet DB"
- Rename *.mny to *.mdb
- Use AccessFIX tool ($300; search the web for a download link) to repair the MDB file.
Query TRN and TRN_INVOICE tables as needed.
By the way, when I saw the internal database design in Money, I was literally shocked. That database was surely designed by entry-level database programmers… students maybe… who had little idea about relational database design, normalization or efficiency... Just for the record, invoice text strings (addresses, customer notes, lines item descriptions, etc.. are stored tin the same table where on-line transactions are stored, invoice headers and details are stored in the same table!!! you get the idea about who and how designed it)
I would hope since MS is no longer going to support the product or data file format that they would release the data file spec so that tools could be created to properly export existing data.
Here is also a SourceForge project for exporting MsMoney data in other formats: http://sunriise.sourceforge.net/