Issue Activating TurboTax 2025 After Installation on Windows 11 Pro

[LostInIRSLand]

I purchased TurboTax 2025 Home & Business from Costco. I downloaded the installation file from InstallTurboTax.com without issues. Installation succeeds regardless of running installation either in admin mode or not. 

However, after installation, when I start TurboTax 2025, I get an error message saying "We've hit a snag activating your product...". This error message shows up BEFORE the screen asking for the activation key comes up. So the issue could not be with a bad activation key. See the below picture.

I tried troubleshooting this myself following the directions at Troubleshoot TurboTax Desktop for Windows issues but to no avail.

I called the TurboTax support line, and spent 6hrs with an agent and a supervisor trying to fix the issue. I shared my screen with them so that they could see exactly what I was doing. They tried many different things, but nothing worked. They even asked me to take my screen resolution down to 1280x1024 but that failed as well.

They told me that the TurboTax I got from Costco was a problem and that I need to buy a new one directly from them at a much higher price. They sent me a new copy of TurboTax 2025 Home and Business which I downloaded from Intuit's internal site. When we tried to install that one while the agents were monitoring, I still got the exact same error. 

We tried:

• running turbotax program in admin mode
• running installation in admin mode
• downloading installation multiple times from the 2 different sites (InstallTurboTax.com and internal intuit site)
• running turbotax in selective startup mode
• installing turbotax in selective startup mode
• running turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
• installing turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
• windows was already up to date
• drivers were already up to date
• we ran dism utility and sfc utility. After that we again tried:
  • running turbotax program in admin mode
  • running installation in admin mode
  • downloading installation multiple times from the 2 different sites (InstallTurboTax.com and internal intuit site)
  • running turbotax in selective startup mode
  • installing turbotax in selective startup mode
  • running turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
  • installing turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
• we created a new temporary admin user and tried the following under that:
  • running turbotax program in admin mode
  • running installation in admin mode
  • downloading installation multiple times from the 2 different sites (InstallTurboTax.com and internal intuit site)
  • running turbotax in selective startup mode
  • installing turbotax in selective startup mode
  • running turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
  • installing turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
• I tried installing on another laptop from a different manufacturer but with similar Windows version, antivirus software and windows security settings. I tried the following on the 2nd laptop:
  • running turbotax program in admin mode
  • running installation in admin mode
  • downloading installation multiple times from the 2 different sites (InstallTurboTax.com and internal intuit site)
  • running turbotax in selective startup mode
  • installing turbotax in selective startup mode
  • running turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
  • installing turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
  • windows was already up to date
  • drivers were already up to date
  • I ran dism utility and sfc utility. After that I again tried:
    • running turbotax program in admin mode
    • running installation in admin mode
    • downloading installation multiple times from the 2 different sites (InstallTurboTax.com and internal intuit site)
    • running turbotax in selective startup mode
    • installing turbotax in selective startup mode
    • running turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
    • installing turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
  • I created a new temporary admin user and tried the following under that:
    • running turbotax program in admin mode
    • running installation in admin mode
    • downloading installation multiple times from the 2 different sites (InstallTurboTax.com and internal intuit site)
    • running turbotax in selective startup mode
    • installing turbotax in selective startup mode
    • running turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled
    • installing turbotax with BitDefender and Windows Defender antivirus disabled

Everything failed. This also meant that the issue was not with the software downloaded from InstallTurboTax.com, but rather with TurboTax's software. However, the TurboTax agent did not see it this way.

After 6hrs the TurboTax agent and the supervisor gave up and said the issue was due to my BitDefender Antivirus, even though the antivirus was actually disabled during most of the tries mentioned above.

Taking their advice, after hanging up with them, I completely uninstalled BitDefender from my main laptop. The only antivirus software that was now running but was disabled was Widows Defender. I again tried installing TurboTax 2025 Home & Business, but still got the same error after installation every time. I even tried installing other versions of TurboTax 2025, like Business, Deluxe, Premier, etc. and got the same exact error with every single one of them. I again followed all the steps above and the directions at Troubleshoot TurboTax Desktop for Windows issues and got the same failing results every single time.

By now I had spent over 15hrs on this.

I re-installed windows. This process deletes all 3rd party apps (including 3rd party AntiVirus solutions) but leaves my data on the HDD intact. Before installing anything else, even my BitDefender Antivirus, I again tried to install TurboTax 2025 and again got the failure. I again followed all the steps above and the directions at Troubleshoot TurboTax Desktop for Windows issues but still no luck. A point to note here: I did see that re-installing windows did not reset my windows security settings.

Finally, I backed up my laptop and reformatted it by resetting to factory default settings. This erased all my applications and data. I reinstalled everything, recopied all my data back to my notebook and got all my programs setup and customized as I like them. Only after I had everything else working as I wanted it to, I finally went and installed TurboTax 2025 Home & Business again. During this installation try, I did NOT disable Windows Defender or my other antivirus, BitDefender. This time I was successful in installing and activating TurboTax 2025 Home & Business without issues. 

However, there were 2 things that I did differently:

1. I set my display resolution down from 2880x1800 to 1024x786 before starting the installation of TurboTax 2025.
2. I left Windows Security settings at default. For example,
   1. By default Smart App Control is switched Off. Before reformatting my PC, I had this turned On.
   2. Similarly, by default some of the Exploit Protection features are turned Off by default. I had all of them turned On earlier.
   3. Many Core Isolation settings also turned Off by default in Windows 11 Pro. I had every one of these turned On before reformatting my PC. 
   4. Device/Data Encryption is turned Off by default. I had that turned On earlier.

I do not know which of these 2 changes helped, but I suspect that the 2nd point above (i.e. leaving Windows Security settings at default) made the biggest difference. Windows Security allows users to improve security of their system.

1. App and Browser Control settings help ensure that apps cannot make unexpected changes to kernel or do not have unhindered access.

 

1. Device Security settings help isolate the core, and enable low level protections.

Maybe TurboTax 2025 cannot work with improved security settings in Windows Security (many of these settings, once set, cannot be removed or turned Off without a complete reformatting). Or maybe TurboTax 2025 needs very low resolution to install successfully. Only Intuit knows which one it it.

This is something that Intuit needs to investigate and fix. I spent days through this process. This is completely unacceptable.

Following are the system configurations of my main laptop where installation initially failed before I successfully installed it after a factory data reset:

• Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360
• Intel Core Ultra 7 256V @ 2.2Ghz
• 16GB RAM @ 8533 MT/s
• Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVME with 1TB of space
• 64 bit Windows 11 Pro 25H2 OS Build [removed]
• Display Resolution: 2880x1800
• Scaling: 250%
• Additional Apps Installed: (list can be provided upon request)

Please let me know if you need any other information to help root-cause and fix the issue.

[user17701430753]

I am having the same issue with a COSTCO purchased TurboTax 2025 Premier.  I'm trying to use the PC rather than the online version. This needs to be elevated to social media if Intuit does not fix this. 

Thanks,

[MarilynG1]

Here's detailed info on  Troubleshooting TurboTax Desktop Issues.

Main points include Running as Administrator and disabling Anti-Virus programs.  As the above user posted, leave Security settings at Medium.

@user17701430753 

[Hollymariekc]

agreed!  I am trying to launch the software I purchased on Amazon -- I will not be using Turbo tax again

[asifhassan76]

I have also spent many many hours on trying to get past the software activation with no success.  Two long sessions with expert help with screen sharing.  Both sessions ended with telephone call break.  When I called back I could not get to the person who was working with me earlier.
It is extremely frustrating.  Since you have jumped into this issue why don't you take up the matter at a higher level and make a new build of the software that solve the problem of activation.

[LostInIRSLand · Accepted solution]

And why should I have to lower or decrease security? Shouldn't Intuit be designing software that works with higher level of security? 

As a paying customer, I cannot accept this answer as a valid answer.

Or is Intuit saying that medium or low security is good enough and if a ransomware attack or a virus or something cripples my system, leaks my data to the dark web, etc. Intuit will be responsible for the millions of dollars of damage that can occur? 

It's one thing to disable antivirus during installation and re-enable it afterwards. With Windows Security settings, you can't do that. If I enable them now, after installing TurboTax 2025, I do not know if TurboTax 2025 will work or not. What would happen when an update needs to be installed? I can't revert these Windows Security settings back to default without full reformat. Reformatting is a lot of work.

And even if TurboTax 2025 runs and updates without issues with higher level of Windows Security settings, what will happen next year when I try to install TurboTax 2026 while . Will I run into the same problem?

So, again, unlike disabling antivirus during installation and re-enabling it afterwards Windows Security settings cannot be changed every time you install or run TurboTax and Intuit needs to figure out a solution that fixes this issue. I have many other applications from hundreds of different vendors. Not a single one of them have this issue. TurboTax is the only one.

[asifhassan76]

If we have added "*.intuit.com" in trusted sites on the internet security TurboTax should work fine,I think.  We shouldn't have to lower the security or disable the fire wall.

[jcberardo]

After TT is installed, please make sure it populates all input information..

 TURBOTAX PREMIER 2025 DESKTOP IS NOT UPDATING AND POPULATING DATA THAT I HAVE INPUT. WORKING WITH CARRIE AND ASHANNA SUPPORT THEY SAID IT WOULD BE FIXED. LAST UPDATE DID NOTHING. PROGRAM STILL FAILS ALL SECTIONS..

[asifhassan76]

jcberardo,   
Once your problem is solved please what worked for you.   I think we are seeing more problems than solutions in working with TurboTax2025 Desktop Premier for Windows.  I have not been able to go past activation.
Thank you.

[user17713800305]

I bought premier. It actually downloaded and I got past the activation key. I then kept going and just did the basic minimum in transferring last years return. I answered a few questions, saved, then closed. Now it won't reopen at all. I don't know how you got to a live person. I can't seem to figure that out I'm 70. I'm not a techie, and I have no clue how to fix this. This is ridiculous. I've used Turbotax for many years and never had a problem.

[asifhassan76]

Yes.  It is so difficult to get past the automated telephone system.  Insist that you need expert help because your program is not working.  Once you get through and your problem is not resolved get a support ID from them.
I have been always downloading my TurboTax from the link provided by order cofirmation email.   I never had any problem installing and working with it.  This year it has become ridiculously difficult.
You may be doing every thing right.

[asifhassan76]

Just a very short question, are you using Windows 11 on your computer?

[user17715692952]

Once you have downloaded and can't reopen due to updates, just unhook the internet from your computer either by removing ethernet cable to your router or disable wifi. You can then open Turbotax. It will say it is updating, then installs and opens.

[asifhassan76]

Thank you very much.
I have narrowed down my problem to a file prd.ini.signatures in the folder, C:/ProgramFiles/64bit. (This is the default folder the TurboTax2025 is installed.
When I launch TuboTax2025 it does not even go up to asking me to enter the license code to validate. If the program goes upto that point then there is no way the program can validate my license code, if I am disconnected from the internet.
It is great that some community members are good Samaritans and post the information that can help other members.

[rwkc44jhj49]

In the same predicament purchased Premier Turbo Tax from Sam's and have been fighting to get it installed. Download fine, installs, but when I try to launch it gives me an error message: "Looks like we have run into a problem. We need to close Turbo Tax."  No error id number just a place to add additional comments and a submit button.  The computer has the last five years versions of Premier successfully installed and utilized.  Now this fiasco is happening.  Have tried some of the suggestions still no success.