How do I fix Microsoft Installer Error 1603?

[balerm]

I can't open turbotax premier 2020 on a Windows 10 laptop with the business edition of Windows 10. On the update page, I get "Microsoft installer error 1603." Even though I manually updated turbotax successfully, turbotax won't open because the update page appears and shows the "microsoft installer error 1603" again. I've tried disabling my antivirus, and that didn't work. I've used turbotax for many years and never had this problem. How do I fix this?

[DoninGA]

If you have the 2020 Premier edition and the 2020 Business edition installed on the same computer, restart your computer.  After restart the error should be eliminated.

[hnshipman-01]

Restarting the computer was not any help.

[hnshipman-01]

I have tried everything that I can find on the website. I have signed in as Administrator, I have the Firewall/virus protection turned off, I looked for .NET Microsoft errors, I did a manual download of the update and installation seemed to go through, but when I try to open the Turbotax program, it asks for updates, and I get the same Microsoft installer error: 1603; so, I cannot open the program. I need to speak with a real customer AGENT!!

[AshleyLO]

Please contact us using the online form here or calling in so that we can assist you with this matter. 

[Shapnup]

I have been struggling with a remedy to this issue as well.  I've searched on your site, and YouTube.  My issue is identical to this user's.  I applied the same remedies as this user, and I've experienced a similar result.....cannot install the manually downloaded update. 

I will now be calling in.  

[iN-Tu-IT-09]

I have an identical situation to hnshipman-01

I even did system restore to before installing TurboTax, did a clean install, and now the clean version is stuck like the last. The updater does not work, returns Microsoft error 1603, and the program does not open. I had used the program and entered all my data, except the details of my wife's drivers license before I e-filed. I was literally 3 minutes away from e-filing, and now I can't open the program. I spent hours the other day entering all that data in the program. This really sucks. Just this year I gave a glowing review on Amazon for this product because I have used it for years. Wow, bruh. Never had to turn off antivirus before. But I did that and it didn't help. Even this year (2020) the updater worked already other days. 

[hnshipman-01]

I finally had the problem resolved. I am no PC expert, but have always had a PC since 1985. The fix for me was to run a Malware search program, and eight malware infections were found, mostly regarding the registry. Then, we uninstalled the Turbotax program after saving the Tax File, then reinstalling the Turbotax. After that, everything worked perfectly. Good Luck.

[Shapnup]

I had success and solved this. I ended up uninstalling and reinstalling. Here's what I experienced.

I had a very complicated return which I dreaded having to redo due to a failure of TT to apply an update. I finally solved this error after reading on this forum, how others uninstalled and reinstalled the orogram. I called in, and after a lot of back and forth regarding remedies I tried unsuccessfully, I was instructed to delete and reinstall the orogram.

As a precaution, I first located my  my tax file in Windows 10, and saved it in 2 places. I did another manual hard backup of my entire computer. I then uninstalled and reinstalled Turbotax.

Next, I opened the program, registered it (again)  and allowed it to do it's standard update. Next, I initiated a New Return, and the program immediately located and opened my old file! It went seamlessly after that and I efiled quite easily.

[Frustrated more]

OBVIOUSLY 1603 error is a problem.   For intuit to TOTALLY ignore the problem and force us all to uninstall and reinstall repeatedly is offensive.

I have used Turbo Tax forever.   Next year it will be some other tax software.  I am sure I will not be alone.

[iN-Tu-IT-09]

I posted this in spring of 2021 for filing for the 2020 tax year. Yes, TurboTax had a software problem that year. As I remember, I was able to get to tech support and the woman had the solution that once implemented (it took about five minutes) enabled me to send off my return. 

I used TurboTax for 2021 taxes this spring. Everything worked fine. I favor TurboTax because their plug-ins to stock brokerages and other financial institutions work really well, saving me hours of time and lots of money on tax advisors. And they did fix that problem last year. Stuff happens, even for the big companies. Software is intensely complicated stuff, especially when everything has to be secure against brilliant hackers at home and esp. those in other countries who work full time trying to steal dough through hacking.

DMcK

[F_lrf_4209]

How do I

[CarissaM]

You are commenting on an older thread. What are you wanting to do exactly? @F_lrf_4209 

[ty77]

TT has an artiucle which has 2 possible solutions: https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/when-trying-to-update-i-get-the-error-mes[product...

However, neither of them fixed my issue. Although TT has successfully updated at least 3 times since it was installed, it started the 1603 error today. Then I remembered I had the same issue last year, and remembered how I fixed it.  Here is what I found.

I typically don't install programs to my C drive. Instead I install them on a spearate drive(partition). That separate drive has full admin rights, so installing TT there should have full rights. I solved it last year and this year both by unistalling TT, and re-installing. But on the rinstall, I did not chagne the install location. Maybe it was simply the inistall and reinstall process that resolved it and not the changing of hte location. But it took only a few minutes to do vs. the time to research and try other things. I guess Ill have to wait until 2023 install to see if it is hte location causing hte issue.

[wataxpayer]

This same problem happens to me year after year. It installs and updates just fine the first time. Then when I save my tax return and come back at a later date, it will try to update again, and lo and behold, it produces a 1603 error without fail.

It appears that once installed, it cannot update successfully more than once. I've tried all the measures listed on Intuit's website. Run as admin? Check. Update .NET framework? Check. Disable firewall? Check. Disable anti-virus? Check. Which is a rather ridiculous solution to propose. I mean, if you were writing a piece of malware that couldn't get past anti-virus software, just put up a dialog with an error #1603 and tell the user to disable the anti-virus software. But I digress...

The ONLY thing that works for me is:

1. Uninstall Turbo Tax
2. Reboot
3. Reinstall Turbo Tax and let it update
4. Complete and file my tax return

I don't need to make ANY other changes. However, after this has been done, I have to ensure I don't do anything that causes the updater runs again because the updater appears to never work more than once. If I save my tax return and re-open it the next day, the updater will try to run again, and I have to repeat the above steps. 

My guess is that TurboTax probably considers it a Microsoft installer issue. However, this is the only program where I experience this problem, and it can't be the only program that uses Microsoft's installer. All others where I do experience an installer issue are fixed with a reboot. TurboTax, for some reason, requires an uninstall and reinstall.

For me, this is the only serious flaw in an otherwise dependable piece of software, so I continue to use it. I really wish Intuit would fix it. Heck, I'd be willing to test it this scenario for them on my computer if it would help fix it.