The tag below your question says you are using TurboTax Online. But you talk about a shortcut icon, which sounds like you have the desktop TurboTax software. Please clarify whether you are using TurboTax Online or the desktop TurboTax software. You use TurboTax Online by signing in through a web browser, such as Edge or Chrome. To use the desktop TurboTax software you had to download and install the software on your computer, then run it by clicking an icon on your desktop, taskbar, or Start menu.
If you are using the desktop TurboTax software, is it in Windows or on a Mac?
I'm not sure what you mean by "the first blue screen." Do you mean the opening screen in the desktop software that shows the tax return(s) you have prepared and lets you select one to work on?
If you are using the desktop TurboTax software in Windows, do you have Norton 360 (Norton Antivirus) on your Windows computer? Norton 360 might stop TurboTax from running after a recent TurboTax update. The symptoms are similar to what you describe. TurboTax opens briefly then immediately closes. If this is your situation, try the following.
1. The problem might be transient. When the TurboTax window disappears, just click on the icon again and see if TurboTax will run.
2. Try temporarily disabling Auto-Protect in Norton 360. (See instructions below.) If that allows TurboTax to run, then while it is running, on the Online menu click Check for Updates to make sure you have the latest TurboTax updates. Also run Live Update in Norton 360 to make sure you have the latest Norton 360 updates. After updating both programs, enable Auto-Protect and see if TurboTax will run.
3, If TurboTax still will not run, except by disabling Auto-Protect, post back here and I will give you instructions for adding an exception to Norton 360 to allow TurboTax to run.
Here are two ways to temporarily disable Auto-Protect.
1. Right-click the Norton 360 icon in the taskbar. On the pop-up menu click Disable Auto-Protect.
2. Open Norton 360. Click Settings, then Antivirus. Click the toggle for Auto-Protect.
Whichever way you do it, it will offer you choices for how long to disable it. Select 10 minutes. Then see if TurboTax will run.
Let us know your results.
