Why sign in to the Community?

  • Submit a question
  • Check your notifications
Sign in to the Community or Sign in to TurboTax and start working on your taxes
Returning Member
posted Feb 23, 2020 6:59:17 PM

Can I recover a 2019 return I started to input?

HI,

I started my 2019 return inputting my information, but my computer needed to restart. Upon restarting and clicking on the TurboTax icon it appeared as though (saw a spinning circle said recovering) it was going to recover my work but it did not. Is there a way to retrieve all the work I input? Wouldn't Turbo Tax auto save? I really don't want to have to start over after 6 hours of work into it.

 

I am using the PC disc on my lap top, Windows 7.

 

I searched under turbo tax and couldn't find any 2019 file. I hope there is a place this is saved. I did not do any manual saves. Till this point I was never prompted to save.

 

Would really appreciate the feedback. Thanks

0 8 1869
8 Replies
Expert Alumni
Feb 23, 2020 7:38:21 PM

The Desktop version of TurboTax software does not "auto save" the way online software does.  When using the desktop software you have to go to File and Save your return.  The program will prompt you to save when you exit, but there is not "autosave" 

 

Recent versions of Turbotax create a temporary file when you open a tax return. Try looking in the Turbotax folder in your Documents folder for a .tax file that begins with a "~" character and then open that file.

Returning Member
Feb 26, 2020 1:49:25 PM

I'm having a similar problem but when I try to save the file my iMac says the file is "Locked" and provides instructions to unlock. However when I get file info the file is not checked as locked. This started abruptly and i had already reopened the file at least once with no problem. I lost hours of work.

New Member
Mar 2, 2020 8:42:52 AM

A notice popped up saying "Unable to Autosave" when I was almost done entering Income in Turbotax Deluxe on a Mac. I see another user just reported the same problem and having lost hours of work. I will not proceed until I see a reply.

New Member
Mar 2, 2020 10:16:35 AM

Your reply does not take a Mac user to anything useful. See the other user besides me who responded today. The file is NOT locked. There is no filename beginning with ~ and ending with .tax

Intuit Alumni
Mar 3, 2020 6:42:21 PM

@Rumo4118, please click here for instructions to attempt to locate the tax file on a MAC. If you are unable to locate your .tax file, the best point of contact is going to be customer care.  Please click here for instructions to get in contact with customer care.

New Member
Mar 20, 2020 7:54:40 AM

I use safari and am having trouble saving  input during preparation.  I lost info twice.  I save once when closing out of turbotax but lost all current input - wasted 2 hours.

 

How do I save input while working on the return

 

Paul

Intuit Alumni
Mar 20, 2020 10:47:49 AM

Try checking for software updates first, then follow the instructions below to save your file.

How do I back up my tax file in the TurboTax CD/Do ...

Find your tax data file in Mac - Community

New Member
Jul 12, 2020 7:03:09 PM

I saved the return that was finished.  Then it disappeared.   HELP, please.

Richard