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Level 2

Solved

Saving my return to a thumb drive only

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
February 15, 2021
5 replies
130 views

Turbo Tax is installed on the hard drive but I prefer the return to be only saved on a thumb drive.

Is this possible? How would I set it up?

Best answer by SteamTrain

Yes, you can do a SAVE-AS and direct it to the USB thumb drive

BUT

In prior years, people who do that end up with corrupted/unusable files on the thumb drive. AND even if it works a couple times, your file might be destroyed somehow another time. So I don't recommend it.

I had read one post a few years ago, where a knowledgeable person indicated that USB-connected drives sometimes get remapped during shutdown/restarts, and the software will lose track of where that file is.........trouble trouble.

I just prepare my own on my computer and back-up by copy-paste to a PWD-protected thumb drive every couple weeks. Then delete from my computer in June after taking another copy to put in bank's safe-deposit box.

Level 10

On your computer, right click on your return, click on Cut (this will delete it from your computer). Go to your thumb drive, choose where you want to save it, right click and choose Paste. This will save it on your thumb drive. If you want to be extra cautious you can choose Copy instead of Cut, when it is on your thumb drive you can go back and Delete it from your computer.

Level 2

Thank you ROBTM for the response.

So no way to never save it to the hard drive?

SteamTrainAnswer

Level 15

Yes, you can do a SAVE-AS and direct it to the USB thumb drive

BUT

In prior years, people who do that end up with corrupted/unusable files on the thumb drive. AND even if it works a couple times, your file might be destroyed somehow another time. So I don't recommend it.

I had read one post a few years ago, where a knowledgeable person indicated that USB-connected drives sometimes get remapped during shutdown/restarts, and the software will lose track of where that file is.........trouble trouble.

I just prepare my own on my computer and back-up by copy-paste to a PWD-protected thumb drive every couple weeks. Then delete from my computer in June after taking another copy to put in bank's safe-deposit box.

____________*Answers are correct to the best of my knowledge when posted, but should not be considered to be legal or official tax advice.*

Level 2

Yes, what a crock. Start TT, hunts for and finds file on thumb drive; great.

Later in same session, hit Save and it can't find the drive.

Hit Save As and it shows the drive and the files. Click on the file to be updated. Error message, no can do.

This is not what I call friendly software. Cheap programmers 😞

If it can find the drive, it can remember it for the duration of the session!