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TurboTax Generated File Confusion on Windows

When doing my return it takes several days to over a week to complete. Every time I used TurboTax Premier on Windows and then save work, TT generates 2 files:

2025 RIP Form 1040 Individual Tax Return, and ~2025 RIP Form 1040 Individual Tax Return. Notice the '~'

in the other file name. In addition to these 2, every time I do a File Save, TT creates another ~2025 Rout P Form 1040 Individual Tax Return file. I now have 2 ~ files. The creation/modified from Properties on these files are the same. 

 

Why is TT doing this? How do you get it to stop this?  TT should only update the 2025 RIP Form 1040 Individual Tax Return file - and not be creating these other versions. These other files create confusion and is yet another example of TT behavior not common to normal app behavior on Windows.

 

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3 Replies

TurboTax Generated File Confusion on Windows

@Basenji 

 

The tilde "~" files are backup files that save in the background, just in case your computer crashes in the middle of preparing your main file. 

 

 When crashes, or other computer interruptions occur while working on your taxes, your main tax file can get corrupted and impossible to open.  Then the "~" file can be used to recover your prior work. Sometimes the "~" file is a few steps back from your main tax file, but it is better than losing ALL of your work.

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

TurboTax Generated File Confusion on Windows

Thank you I appreciate the reply.

 

However, this is an incredibly poor functional design for TT. In TT, you save file, let's say X you get 'X Form 1040 Individual Tax Return' and a '~ X Form 1040 Individual Tax Return' file.  Continue work save file again, you get a '~~ X Form 1040 Individual Tax Return' file, etc. Now, if you stop work, save file, and then wish to continue work at a later point in time and start TT, you find that you must click on one of the '~' files to find which one accurately recorded your stop work save file position. A properly designed program does not function like this and does not produce these excess files.

 

I have large Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, Audio, and Picture editors files. All of these can be worked in, saved, and re-opened to previous position without creating different backup versions every time you save file. You go to file name double click and you are right back where you left off when you saved file.

 

If I am concerned about backup, I simply copy the file to a backup folder. Which I do, do on certain files. And if you are a seasoned TT user, you should be backing up your work to another physical location to ensure recovery if things go bad.

 

I hope this flaw is corrected in the future.

TurboTax Generated File Confusion on Windows

@Basenji 

 

Nope...no reason to continue working on your taxes using the ~file unless the main file has been corrupted.

 

I always return to my non-tilde file to continue working on my taxes...I have no idea why you think you have to continue working with the ~file under normal circumstances.

___________________________

In fact, when I start my desktop software (Windows Premier) the tilde files aren't even presented as options  (though I can browse to them IF..IF  I need to for some reason).   I just start up the program, then select the regular file I've been working on all along on the main TTX software startup screen.

 

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

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