TurboTax 2019 Crashing on Windows 7

[fanfare]

you should be thankful to Microsoft that they even have such a button: run in a mode compatible with Windows 7.

[tepeh789]

Same here. Also happens on windows where you can import forms such as investments. This began with the latest update on May 19, 2020.

[bluepost22]

tepeh789 and others:  see the solution posted earlier by "yrn".

I my case I don't have to "run as administrator", just right click on the program icon, check the compatibility box and select Windows 7 from the dropdown list.  

I actually had a call today from a very nice tech support supervisor who wanted to check that the above solution worked for me.  She also stated that TT is supported on Win 7 despite what an earlier tech support person told me.

yay!

[nacnudv8]

Wonderful!  worked for me after 7 crashes at the same point....

[GrumpyUnk]

Surprise!  Guess who owns Intuit.  Guess who Intuit owns.

 If you answered Microsoft for the first and TurboTax for the second, you win the prize.  A ten minute wait for Tech Support to then tell you Intuit/TurboTax needs you to acquire a new OS.

As they say: "Thanks for nothing. Goodbye."

[GrumpyUnk]

 Will you be using TT next year?

I have definite reservations after the brush-off from Tech Support that I should use the on-line version, i.e., start over or get a new computer/OS, because TPTB decided to change things in the middle of the tax season...

 Good idea!  Put your customers out of business or force them to do more work ... using software they paid to use.  Way to win customer approval.  Hmm.  not.

[gamer_jedi]

Microsoft does not own Intuit, but Intuit does make TurboTax.  The deal in 1994 fell through because the justice department blocked it...  

That being said, not officially supporting Windows 7 is ridiculous considering the cost of this software.

[stan6]

Thanks! I wasn't looking forward to having to run it as an administrator, but checking Windows 7 compatibility mode and nothing else also worked for me. I've had so many more headaches running their software this year than ever before, so it might be time to investigate the alternatives next year after using TurboTax every year for the last 20 years or so.

[mihirshah]

To clarify, in my case, selecting Run As Administrator caused TurboTax to crash. I only needed to select Compatibility Mode for Windows 7.

[mesquitebean]

@ mihirshah  @ bluepost22  @ stan6 

The workaround is mostly anecdotal as reported by users in this and a couple other threads.  After selecting Compatibility and choosing Windows 7, some users have reported having to place the checkmark for "Run as administrator", while others of you have reported that you didn't have to.

Perhaps it has to do with the way it was installed (administrative account or not).

The TurboTax FAQ below concerning administrative rights does say that administrator privileges are required for  updating.  But I've never had it ask me for admin permission before updating back when I was using Windows 7).

FAQ:  Administrative rights in TurboTax for Windows

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/troubleshooting/help/administrator-rights-in-windows-7-8-and-10/01...

I personally don't have to have a checkmark, and mine updates fine.  I'm using Windows 10, however--not 7. But I installed it using a Windows user account with administrative privilege.

[heartwhisperer]

Mine crashed repeatedly despite the administrator being on or off. Even crashed when I pressed the button to file the taxes. Didn't know if it went through or not. Logged back in and sure enough, they were not filed. Finally filed but has crashed again trying to save/print the forms. Hopefully the file is not so corrupt that the 2020 software will not be able to import it next year.

[mesquitebean]

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@ heartwhisperer wrote:

Mine crashed repeatedly despite the administrator being on or off. Even crashed when I pressed the button to file the taxes. Didn't know if it went through or not. Logged back in and sure enough, they were not filed. Finally filed but has crashed again trying to save/print the forms. Hopefully the file is not so corrupt that the 2020 software will not be able to import it next year.

---

You didn't say if you did the first part of the workaround or not.  i.e., did you right-click the TurboTax icon to open the Properties dialog box, then the Compatibility tab and selected to run in a compatibility mode for "Windows 7?"    You may have already done that, but I can't tell from what you posted.

[heartwhisperer]

Compatibility was set to Win 7. Taxes have been filed and accepted but program will not let me save a .pdf or even print a copy. Have used TT flawlessly since 1998. There's a bug somewhere in a recent update. Should be an interesting conversation with IRS when I can't  produce a copy of my return if I was audited. Plus, I have some carry-forwards for 2020 that I won't be able to access unless I completely redo my 2019 taxes.

[mesquitebean]

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@ heartwhisperer wrote:

Compatibility was set to Win 7. Taxes have been filed and accepted but program will not let me save a .pdf or even print a copy. Have used TT flawlessly since 1998. There's a bug somewhere in a recent update. Should be an interesting conversation with IRS when I can't  produce a copy of my return if I was audited. Plus, I have some carry-forwards for 2020 that I won't be able to access unless I completely redo my 2019 taxes.

---

The compatibility/administrator workaround has worked for several users in this and other threads.   It's not clear why you are still having a problem.  A quick thing to try is to see if running a "repair" makes any difference.

FAQ:  How to repair TurboTax in Windows:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/bugs-and-error-messages/help/how-to-repair-turbotax-in-microsoft-w...

Otherwise, here's how to speak to TurboTax Support for assistance.

Support hours are 5AM-5PM Pacific (8AM-8PM Eastern), Mon-Fri

You can use this contact form to get a phone number:
https://support.turbotax.intuit.com/contact

[mesquitebean]

@heartwhisperer 

Also, is the *.tax2019 data file you're working on your internal drive (hopefully) and not on an external drive?   The data file should be on your internal drive.   The default location in Windows 7 is the \My Documents\TurboTax folder.

We've seen folks end up with corrupted files when they use TurboTax to actively work on a data file that is housed on a thumb drive or other external drive.