So, is this current activation scheme acceptable for Turbotax? NO IT IS NOT. What other consumer programs behave this way? NONE over the 40+ years I've been using PC's. As a SHORT term fix, I suggest Turbotax ad a note to their message asking for your activation code, suggesting that "removing OR adding thumb-drives/external drives, so as to have the same configuration as when originally activated, may solve your activation code problem." As a PERMANENT SOFTWARE CURE, I suggest that Turbotax use the unique serial number that every AMD and Intel CPU has and can be read with software to limit the activation. ALLOW 5 Different CPU serial number's to be used before the gig is up! This would also keep people from reusing a license on a cloned HD! I understand Turbotax needs to get paid for their program.
Turbo Tax limits the number of activations per code to 5. I've used three because of hardware issues in the last two years.
I am currently working on amending a 2018, 2019, and a 2020 returns all together. My 2020 had a different hardware set up than the 2019, and thankfully 2018 did not have the current activation scheme. SO PLEASE allow earlier data files created with any of the previously user used CPU serial numbers to be used at the same time on the current computer-even though it is a newer CPU.
