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Level 1
posted Feb 15, 2021 10:02:59 AM

Saving my return to a thumb drive only

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?

0 5 3982
1 Best answer
Level 15
Feb 15, 2021 12:37:43 PM

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.

5 Replies
Level 10
Feb 15, 2021 10:15:32 AM

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 1
Feb 15, 2021 10:53:39 AM

Thank you ROBTM for the response.

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

Level 15
Feb 15, 2021 12:37:43 PM

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 1
Feb 15, 2021 12:51:26 PM

Thank you STEAMTRAIN

 

That all makes good sense.

New Member
Mar 3, 2021 7:58:04 PM

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!