On 1/9/24 12:31 PM, Dianna Broughton wrote:
I previously asked about upgrading from 2.x to the current stable version, and may still do that.
No matter what, I'd upgrade to the last of the 2.x series which would be 2.6.21.
However, before I do, I have a couple questions. 1. Would it be easier to just download the current stable version and start fresh (with opening balances) for 2024, keeping the previous version/files backed-up and available for informational purposes, and in case of a future audit? Can I have two versions running on the same PC (Windows 10)?
As far as I know, you cannot have two separate versions at once on the same Windows installation. Starting over is a personal preference. Some folks do it every year!
2. If yes to #1, what is the most stable version to download?
That's oddly a personal question at the moment. The 4.x series is pretty good for most needs. 5.x introduced a new method for auto-filling text based on previous transactions. Some folks like this, some do not. There are still kinks to work out. If you are fine with this change, I'd recommend 5.4 as 5.5 (the current release) has some new bugs, and a big one has to do with report stability on Windows. (they are either blank in some cases, or outright crash the program)
So the short answer is 4.14, or 5.4 depending on your preference for the auto-fill process. (you'll likely eventually need to move to or past the 5.x series anyway as 4.x won't be supported forever)
3. I use this software for two small businesses and personal finances, but I've never officially closed out my books at year-end. Should I have been doing that? Should I do it moving forward?
Not necessarily. That too is a personal preference. The wiki should cover the major questions to ask yourself when deciding this.
Even if you chose to close the books, the process is easily reversible, as it just adds two transactions each time closing all Expenses & Income to Equity. Simply deleting those transactions will 'un-close' the books. There is no other magic that happens with that procedure. You could do that manually if you wanted to. It is just a shortcut.
4. I really like the current 2.x version I'm using, but I'm concerned that it won't be compatible with future operating systems (currently Windows 10). That's why I need to upgrade and figure this out.
Some older releases of 2.x were 32-bit. I'm pretty sure the last of the 2.6.x series were 64-bit. That would be the biggest concern with respect to future Windows versions as Windows may eventually drop support for 32-bit apps. (MacOS did several years ago)
However, one solution here, as well as a solution for keeping multiple versions at the same time, is to investigate turning your current Windows installation into a Virtual Machine (VM) when it is time to either upgrade GnuCash or Windows. Personally, after having upgraded GnuCash all along the way, I'd say that is much easier than messing with a VM, and even if you have several versions you need to step through this time around, you'll only have to do that once. (as long as you keep up every other year or so from now on)
Regards, Adrien _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list gnucash-user@gnucash.org To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
