After you file

Right.  Buying the 2018 Desktop program will not unlock your online return.  You need to call in and tell them you paid for the Desktop program and ask them to unlock your return so you can download the .tax2018 file.  Then you open it in the program,  go to File-Open.

 

Did you also do a state return?  After you get the program installed the first thing to do before you open your tax return is to update the program and install any state programs you had. Then open your file. So you first might need to start a fake return to be able to download the state program (go to FILE - NEW TAX RETURN)