You are a lucky one. I have not been so lucky year after year (not that luck should play a part in something so simple).
I have not let my computer update anything including my antivirus or malware software since January, and I won't until I am done using Turbo Tax sometime later this month (March). I have not attached my external hard drive to backup anything up either. While I'd prefer to enter my tax documents as they come in, I won't open Turbo Tax unless I have to out of fear it'll eat up my remaining activation code. I have not opened it since mid-February and I have several tax documents to enter. I suspect that when I do open Turbo Tax it will update and again ask me for an activation code as it has in the past. This should not happen.
If this were any other software I'd never use it again. I will be buying H&R Block tax software for next year. I've read it can import Turbo Tax files, but I'm at the point where I'll gladly enter all the raw data in from scratch. I had already stopped the Turbo Tax auto-renew function last year, but foolishly bought Turbo Tax again this year in the hope they finally fixed this bug. It's obvious now that Turbo Tax will not fix this issue.
I've NEVER had any other software require repeated activation unless I removed and reinstalled it. Turbo Tax should call Microsoft or any other software company for a consult. Many of the Turbo Tax Users have more knowledge about software activation than does the IT Dept at Turbo Tax.
As an executive, a problem like this would occur only ONCE. If it happened a 2nd time, heads would roll. This bug has been going on for years with no sign of a fix nor concern by Turbo Tax. Turbo Tax USED to be the best tax software out there, but no longer due to their bad business practice with this issue. Outsourcing isn't always the best decision when you're messing with your bread & butter product. I won't use Quicken or any other Intuit product as I have lost faith in Intuit. I had an older version of Quicken I removed last year instead of updating it because I lost faith in Intuit, and I see the downward spiral Intuit is headed. At least Excel is reliable to track my financials and it's time to put this unnecessary Turbo Tax problem behind me and use H&R Block Tax software in 2022.
