Turbo Tax Deluxe 2021 Won't Install

[Rip in Franklin]

Install exe downloaded from Amazon extracts but won't install. I've tried everything I could find on TT support and via Google searches, to no avail. Details:

- Windows 10 Pro, version 21H2, build [removed], 16 GB RAM, 230 GB disk space available, GB fiber Internet connection

- Anti-virus and firewall disabled (Windows Security)

- Ran sfc and dism - no errors found or fixed

- Ran anti-virus full scan - no threats found

- Ran downloaded exe as admin (no other apps running), files were extracted, C:\ProgramData\Intuit\TurboTax\MSI\TY21 directory and 20211227_TTINSTALLER.log file created (shows no other instance; locking now), then nothing

- Ran extracted setup.exe from %TEMP% as admin, got the standard UAC prompt, then nothing

- Ran extracted TurboTax 2021 Installer.exe from %TEMP% as admin, got the standard UAC prompt, then nothing

- Tried selective startup with all non-Microsoft services disabled, repeated prior install attempts, additional files created in MSI\TY21 directory (no errors recorded), just UAC prompt, then nothing.

- Added download, setup, and installer exes as exclusions in anti-virus and firewall settings, tried again, no change in results.

- Tried all the above with a new download via Chrome, same results.

- Tried all the above with a new download via Edge, same results.

- No errors in Event Viewer appear to be related to the install attempts.

- Have had no problems installing any other software on my PC.

Hoped to contact support by phone, but web page says they're closed - open 5-5 Pacific, which is 7-7 my time. It was about 2:00 on a Monday when I checked, so I feel like I just set a $50 bill on fire.

[Rip in Franklin · Accepted solution]

Solved, but via something I've not seen in other posts or when Google searching, so hope this helps others. I made two changes I hadn't seen previously. I don't honestly know if both are required, but doing both resulted in a successful install.

1. The downloaded installer extracts to the folder specified in the user's TEMP or TMP environment variable. These are usually set to the AppData\Local\Temp folder in the user profile (i.e., %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp). I'm not sure why, perhaps something in later versions of Windows, but installing from this location after the initial extract doesn't work. I created a TEMP folder off the root of my primary disk drive (C:\Temp). The new folder has different security settings than the default temp folder, which may be the issue and suggests an alternative solution. In any case, attempting to install from the downloaded exe after changing the TEMP and TMP user environment variables functioned with anti-virus and firewall turned off, plus doing a selective startup.
2. Intuit's instructions for doing a selective startup don't work on later versions of Windows 10 (or, I suspect, Windows 11). Unchecking "Load startup items" via msconfig does not disable startup items (why have the option, Microsoft?). Startup items must be disabled one by one via Task Manager, on the Startup tab. Be careful not to disable items you may need, e.g., touchpad software. Also be sure to make a note of any items already marked "Disabled" so you don't re-enable them after you restore Windows to normal operation.

One thing still puzzles me. In a prior attempt, I ran the extractor, moved what was extracted from the AppData location to C:\Temp, and tried to install, but it failed. In a separate attempt, I correctly disabled startup items using Task Manager and tried to install directly from the downloaded exe without modifying TEMP and TMP, and that also failed. The only theory I can come up with is that Windows prevented something from being extracted to the AppData temp folder, even with anti-virus and firewall disabled. Also, because I eventually configured all the "fixes," I don't know which fix, or which combination of fixes, really resolved the problem.

[ebales]

I have also done all these things and still nothing.

[MichelleLO]

Please reach out to TurboTax Customer Support as your issue would be best resolved with one-on-one support. Please visit the Contact Us page and select your product to get you to the right person.

@ebales

[JD-GT]

After battling this for several hours, this solved my problem. I only had to do step one - changing TMP and TEMP environment variables and rebooted. I still had anti-virus and firewalls disabled and it successfully installed. 

Thank you!

[ebales]

@JD-GT Thanks.  But how do you change the environment variables for TMP and TEMP?  And what do you change to?

Ed

[Rip in Franklin]

The easiest way is to type "environment" in the search bar, which should bring up "Edit the System Environment Variables" as a match. Clicking on it takes you to the "Advanced" tab of a dialog box titled "System Properties." Near the bottom of the dialog box, click on the pushbutton labeled "Environment Variables...". This brings up a separate dialog box that shows the current values for user environment variables at the top and system variables at the bottom. In the list of user environment variables, you should see both TEMP and TMP, and their current values. Click on each, then click on the "Edit..." pushbutton. This brings up another dialog box in which you can change the "Variable value" to "C:\Temp" (be sure to change the variable value, not the variable name). This folder must, of course, exist for this step to work properly. OK out of all the dialog boxes and retry the install. Environment variable changes take effect immediately, so if this is the only change you make, it's not necessary to reboot. Good luck!

[JD-GT]

Ed,

From the "All settings" menu in the action center, type "Environment" in the "Find a setting" box. It should give you an option called "Edit environment variables for your account".  It will open a new window and you will see the two variables for TEMP and TMP.  Alternately, from the older Control Panel, you can open "User Accounts" and you should see a link on the left of that window for "Change my environment variables". Hope that helps.

-JD

[Rip in Franklin]

I've seen several posts that say contacting support didn't resolve their problem, sometimes after considerable time on the phone. If the support analyst simply follows the instructions in Intuit's support site, it won't work with more recent versions of Windows, anyway. Hopefully the resolution I posted will expedite the fix for people who've already tried "everything."

[ebales]

IT WORKED.... IT WORKED.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.  

ED

[ronaaronson]

The problem was that the System Environment variables TEMP and TMP, which were identically set, specified a directory name that had an embedded space within it and this caused the problem. These variables were set in my case to: C:\Users\First_Name Last_Name\AppData\Local\Temp.  So create a directory such as C:\Temp and set these environment variables to this new directory. You can also do this temporarily by opening up a command prompt end entering:

mdkir C:\Temp

set TEMP=C:\Temp

set TMP=C:\Temp

path-to-TurboTax-download.exe

[taxguy12345]

Does anyone else think it's absolutely deplorable that paying customers are having to do the troubleshooting and fixes for Intuit? What has happened to this company?

[cxdale]

I am not particularly computer savvy, but I was able to follow your directions and it worked!

Is it important to change the variables back to what they were prior to this operation?

[MikeM8]

I had the identical problem and changing the Environmental Variable to C:\TEMP completely solved the installation issue. TurboTax 2021 immediately installed after the change. Thanks to all users that provided the step-by-step instructions!

[Red Wood]

Yes.  When I spend $$$ on a piece of very common software I expect I'll be able to install it without wasting a whole day modifying my freaking computer, about which there is absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.