How do I open my saved return for TY 2021 done with TT Deluxe 2021 on my Windows PC

[PJnRAM]

2021 was the first year TT asked to password protect my return. I do not remember the password and cannot open last years (TY 2021) return. How do I get this return?

TY

[bluedeb · Accepted solution]

Maybe the following will help:

How do I access my password protected TurboTax Desktop file if I forgot the password?

TurboTax offers the ability to password protect your tax files in both Windows and Mac. If you forget the password, here are a few ways you can attempt to recover access to your file.

PC

Select Forgot Password in the password request pop-up to answer your security question. That will get you back in. Once you're back in, you can select Password from the File menu if you want to update or remove your password altogether.

Mac not using Keychain

If you haven't given TurboTax Keychain access, you can select Forgot Password in the password request pop-up to answer your security question. That'll get you back in. Once you're back in, you can select Password Encrypt from the File menu if you want to update or remove your password altogether.

Mac using Keychain

In some rare cases if you've given Keychain access to TurboTax, you can go to Applications > Other > Keychain access > Keychains > Login > Category > Passwords > find Intuit or TurboTax and right-click Get Info > Attributes > Show Password.

You will be prompted for your Mac password and it'll show you the password you used to encrypt your TurboTax file. This is may not work for all users.

Disclaimer

Password protection of TurboTax CD/Download files is set by the user. TurboTax can't assist in unlocking the file or removing the encryption. If these steps don't help, you'll need to start over in a new file.

[PJnRAM]

When I  select Forgot Password the pop-up does not have a security question. Just two blanks

[bluedeb]

Try entering something to see if it will ask you to change password.

[Katina S]

Try following the instructions in our FAQ regarding getting blank screens, missing buttons, or missing images.

@PJnRAM 

[bluedeb]

They are asking about how to open a return that they password protected on their computer, NOT about seeing blank screens ect 

[ddw1946]

I have the exact same question. No memory of password protecting the file, and no security question pops up. Also, TurboTax says I didn't use TurboTax for my 2021 returns although I've used them for the past 14 years. This is the first time I've ever had this problem starting my current year's return. Ugh.

[PJnRAM]

@Katina S I do not have blank screen or buttons.  The box it there to type the password just nothing works.  How do I open this document.

[bluedeb · Accepted solution]

@PJnRAM Not what you want to hear but, since you prepared your return with the Desktop software, TurboTax cannot help you since your return is on your computer and not on TurboTax servers.  It is more in Windows, see the following:

What happens if you password protect a document and then forget the password?

A password-protected document cannot be recovered if the password for that document is lost or forgotten. Microsoft does not offer a service to retrieve documents to which passwords have been added, nor does it offer any information about such services or processes.

[PJnRAM]

Correct, not what I want to hear,  Not sure what Microsoft Word has to do with the Turbo Tax file.  I guess I'll just keep trying passwords.

Thank you for replying @bluedeb 

[bluedeb]

Yeah, I was just showing you that unfortunately, if you can't get the password or change it, it might be lost.

Here is from TurboTax:  Because your password information is stored locally on your system, we are unable to help with forgotten passwords. Make sure you store your password in a safe place, such as a password manager program.

[bluedeb]

@PJnRAM  Just to add, this also from TurboTax:  Select Forgot Password in the password request pop-up to answer your security question. That will get you back in. Once you're back in, you can select Password from the File menu if you want to update or remove your password altogether.