TurboTax Premier 2020 and TurboTax 2021 not finding my returns when starting TurboTax

[Questionasker]

Last week I purchased and installed TurboTax 2021 Premier, and started a tax return for 2021.  Now, today when I start TurboTax it does not find the saved file, but only allows starting a new return.  It does not show the previous return that had been started but all data is blank.  Also, when I start TurboTax 2020 that ALSO does not find the returns, but only allows starting a new return.  So right now I cannot view the return I filed for 2020 or the "What Ifs" done in TurboTax 2020 for 2021.  Neither one of those were a problem last week.  Why is everything missing (In both TT 2021 and TT 2020) and how can it be found?

[Critter-3]

Sounds like you may have an uninstalled WIN OS update hiding in the shadows ... try updating the OS at least twice and reboot the computer at least twice ... then try the programs again.

When you close the return you should always save the progress and make sure you are saving to the C Drive ... the program cannot find it on other drives or storage mediums. 

[Questionasker]

Thank you for the quick response and suggestion!  I did check for updates and installed 3 new Windows updates, and rebooted, and checked for updates again and it said it was up to date, and I rebooted 2 more times, but that did not resolve the problem.  I have not had an issue like this in the past.  Even last week I was able to bring up 2020 version "what ifs" as well as the 2020 return that had been filed, and also bring up a return in progress with TT 2021 also.

When clicking to Begin New Return in TT 2021 it does show "Good News! We Found Your Tax Info and buttons next to each to "Transfer Return"  However I had already Transferred in the past and edited with new information since then.

The same happens when starting TT2020, that is, it shows the option to transfer returns from the past.

However neither version brings up any existing returns, which TurboTax has done in the past. 

(By the way, yes they have always been saved on C drive after editing return with any changes.)

What could be other suggestions to determine why returns no longer display, and how to correct?

[Critter-3]

Make sure the files didn't wind up in the trash ... the Win Updates tend to put them there and the program cannot find them there.  You may need to uninstall the program and do a fresh install ... the early versions of the program are very buggy. 

If nothing else works contact TT support for assistance :  See this TurboTax support FAQ on how to contact Support - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/how-do-i-contact-turbotax/00/26991

[Questionasker]

Thank you.  There was nothing in Recycle Bin before or after the Windows update.  So if for some reason an update somehow pushed files into Trash and I emptied it recently they would have been cleaned away.  I have never seen that happen before, in the years I have used TurboTax. 

It doesn't seem likely that a Windows OS update would have pushed the TT files into trash since prior to today the last Windows update install was 10/22/21.  I installed TT 2021 on 11/3/21 and was successfully using that version to work on a new transferred return, and also successfully doing what if changes to saved returns on TT2020, and able to go back into each and pick up where I left off in subsequent days....until today when existing returns are not visible in either.

[Critter-3]

Sadly many have reported WIN updates doing strange things like putting thing in the trash which is why you should always save a backup to a removable storage medium for safekeeping.

Contact support for more assistance. 

[Questionasker]

I talked with support and discovered the reason TurboTax wasn't finding the existing returns automatically upon startup. I had recently moved a folder, which contained a TurboTax folder which contained my TurboTax files, from the Desktop into another folder on the Desktop and therefore apparently TurboTax wasn't finding the files automatically upon start up. The solution I performed was to move those files into a TurboTax folder in the Documents folder and then open each file and save, so it will find them automatically when starting TurboTax.

[Critter-3]

Ok ... glad you found out about  the cardinal rule in the TT program ... don't mess with the automatic functions and if you do then you must direct the program to the change.  

[Questionasker]

It appears that TurboTax creates a folder named TurboTax in the Documents folder on a Windows PC as the default location where the tax files are stored.  Does that sound correct?

At least that is what it looked like to me, when seeing that having moved a folder that contained a TurboTax folder caused my problem, and when working to rectify it I deleted a different instance of a folder named TurboTax (which was empty and contained no files) from the Documents folder.  However after starting up TurboTax and later looking in the Documents folder there was another empty TurobTax folder there.  I ended up copying the TurboTax files into  that folder and after opening and saving the different files all is working as it did before the problem, that is, when starting TurboTax it automatically shows existing returns (without having to do a search to find them to open them.)  So I don't know if the folder TurboTax is always created in the Documents folder, but that is what it looks like, at least in my instance.

[VolvoGirl]

Yes.  Turbo Tax makes a folder in your Documents.  

The data file ends in .tax2019, .tax2020 etc. and should be in Documents in a Turbo Tax subfolder.  Search your computer for all files ending in .tax.  And check the Recycle Bin.  The PDF file should be saved there too.  If you don't have the actual .tax file you might the the temporary file you can use.  It also ends in .tax but starts with a Tilde ~ sign.

Find your Tax file in Windows

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/find-your-tax-data-file-tax-file-in-windows/00/...

[iowasix]

Same problem here re TT 21. I had been working on it over the past few weeks, but a mistaken entry I made today re a K1 lowered my refund even though I went back and fixed it, so I didn't want to save these changes. Nothing I did would get the refund number back to before the error, so I selected - DO not save - figuring it worked like WORD, that just these last changes wouldn't be saved. Nope - whole return is gone. I have looked in TT/Documents. I have IDrive and can't even find a doc in there checking only minutes later. It is not in trash and I haven't done a windows update recently.  Sounds like that can create as many problems as it solves. Before I try that, can you please just tell me what a temp file might look like for my 2021 return that I can recover so I don't have to start all over! Thanks.

[VolvoGirl]

There still should be a saved file from before.  The times before did you say to save when you exited?   I would look around.  The tax files (and PDF files) should be in your Documents then in a Turbo Tax subfolder.  If you can't find them do a search for all files ending in .tax or .tax2021 or .tax2020 etc.  And check the Recycle Bin.  For Windows 10 check the One Drive.  Did you make any backups?  Like DropBox.

If you don't have the main .tax2021  file you might have one that starts with a Tilde sign ~ like

  "~your name.tax2021". 

That file is if your computer crashes or your real file gets lost or deleted or corrupt so you can restore it.

Find your Tax file in Windows

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/find-your-tax-data-file-tax-file-in-windows/00/...

[Critter-3]

When you use the "do not save" option it just means it will not overwrite a previously saved file ... hopefully  you did save the file previously ... do look around for it.  

[iowasix]

Thank you for your quick response. Yes, I've been in and out of turbotax a few times over the past few weeks and must have hit save as the file was always there when I opened tt.  I would have no reason not to hit save as it was something I gave some thought to today when I didn't want to continue from where I was. But somehow maybe I didn't? idk.

TT did an update this morning, then I opened the file, worked a little, didn't want to save and hit don't save.  I have done all of the things suggested including at that link. I have had to hunt for lost files on other things before. This is so confusing. It's not on my I'Drive (cloud storage) either. I have also enabled show hidden files in windows explorer. So bizarre. I see a bunch of odd files and folders today in Appdata/Local/Temp but don't know where to begin there.

Here are also a couple of text logs from when the app installed in January - but those won't be of help. Not in my trash. At this point, it will likely be easier to start over than keep looking.

Thanks much.

[VolvoGirl]

Did you try going up to File-Open and see if it finds your return?  What Windows are you on?  . For Windows 10 check the One Drive. 

See this user, he found his files in the Administrator account
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/re-files-are-all-gone/01/2242561#M804987