What do I do when I get a blank activation screen with turbotax 2020?

[RoseKo]

Same issue for me. And I had the issue last year but this year changing the resolution I could see the box but not the input. Holy COW...I didn't realize I had to cut/paste blindly the code and changed the scale once and resolution at least 8 times playing with it to get it work. This hurts my head. And...my bigger issue was last year I couldn't get the states to download because of a similar issue, OR access the search functionality. Crap, are these still all issues? I probably spent 4 hours on the phone with TT last year and I finally had to download the state on my old laptop. Surely this is something it would be less expensive for them to fix vs troublshoot??

[ScoutlyJ]

Thanks Critter-3 - This was most helpful! I ended up changing scaling to 100 as suggested and changing the resolution to 1920x1080. I could see the activation screen (at 800x600 I could only see part of it). But I still had the white box until I dragged the window to another monitor (also 1920x1080 and 100 scaling). There I could see the fields but I could not type into the box to enter my license code. I dragged the window back to my main screen and typed in the license code in xxx-xxx ... format even though I could not see what I was entering - the characters were not showing on the screen.  When I dragged the window back to the other monitor I could see the characters, confirmed them, and clicked on the Activate button. Never would have gotten here without you. THANKS!!

[Unknown_quantity]

Thanks, mesquitebean. Your suggestion didn't work, exactly, but it got me on the path to activation. By trying several times, from one scaling percentage to another, I got it so the cursor changed to a text entry cursor right in the license code field. Trouble was, when I typed, nothing appeared in the field. I typed the code anyway, blind, then clicked the Activate button. Nothing happened, but the activation window remained. I waited some seconds and clicked the Activate button again. Then it worked.

[leeleses]

This TT2021 bug is a JOKE!  NO excuse TT!

I did the Amazon download for a Windows 10 PC.

What I had to do:

1) Leave resolution at 1920 x 1080

2) Flip the scaling from 150 to 100 to be able to see the activation screen.

3) Carefully type in the activation code listed on my Amazon download screen WITHOUT being able to see anything!

4) Flip the scale from 100 to 150 and back to 100 to be able to SEE the activation code I had just typed in!

5) Read screen and verify it was the CORRECT code.

6) Click on ACTIVATE

Hope this helps someone else!

[Fneild]

I think I may have the answer. I had same problem and was able to solve it. I did have to change the resolution to 800x600 while the blank activation screen was open. The activation screen then partiality populated, could not see the activation button, but did see the license code box. Enter the license code in that box. You can not see the data you enter in the license code box so you may think it is not working but do it anyway. Then change resolution back to what you had originally, mine was. 1800 x 1060. 
The activation screen should now show the license code and the activation button. Press the activation button, maybe more than once, and you should be all set.

[M-M99]

It is a strange problem. Here are the steps that I took to install TurboTax 2019 & 2020 on a new laptop windows 10:
1- Change screen / display resolution to 800 x 600
2- Turn off any windows defender and virus protection programs, then Start TTax
3- When it gets to the screen that asks for license code, it pops a small window that becomes visible only when I changed the display resolution to 800 x 600 (while I was inside the TurboTax program) to enter the code, but no matter what I tried, this window remained grayed out......I ignored that and entered the license code anyway (you just cannot see what you are entering), then pressed "Enter key", then after a few minutes I had to start TurboTAX again. This time I was able to get into TTAX program. I had several other problems after that which dealt with downloading my State Return program. For that, I had to create a dummy tax return, go through the state return process, then come back and delete the dummy file so that I can finally get back to my original 2019 & 2020 tax returns. Turbotax has had this issue in the past, but I do not understand why this has not been resolved yet.
Good luck

[RS441]

Thanks to all that posted possible "resolutions" to this issue. I have a new Samsung Galaxy Book Pro with Windows 11 and have been experiencing the same issue with a blank activation screen on TT H&B 2021. Technical assistance was useless. Here is what I did: I opened TT and got the blank activation screen. I then kept opening it until I got the actual activation screen to pop up. Although the cursor does not show up in the activation key box, I entered it anyhow...WITH NO DASHES, just the 16 alpha/numeric code. I then clicked activate and when nothing happened, I waited a minute or so and then clicked activate again, and got the registration screen. Evidently, even though the cursor does not show up in the activation key box, it is taking the keys as entered, we just don't see them. I hope this helps....

[labute]

Fneild, This WORKED!!!!! Though I don't think I changed the resolution back until it activated. After blindly entering the code, it seemed nothing happened, but then, VOILA, it stated activation was successful. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

[melee1]

Leave the blank activation screen open.  Go to settings, system, display.  Change screen resolution to 1024 x 768 and the scale to 100%.  This should give you the screen to enter the activation code.  If you can't type in the box, just start typing the activation code in (you won't see anything) and then check activate.  This is what worked for me, based on talking to a Turbotax agent.

[pspechy]

After trying all the  "solutions" listed in this forum (resolution change, scaling, etc., etc.), I booted my Acer Aspire running Win10 V(21h1) into safe mode with networking, ran TT and the activation screen actually appeared so that I could input my code!!!

This process of trial and error only took about 4 to 5 hours of my time!!!!

I wonder if Intuit even cares that a large number of TT users will probably be using some other software next tax season!!!

[leeleses]

Is it only the Amazon download for PC that has this ridiculous bug, or is it the retail discs too?  Is it only the "deluxe" or other TT products too?

[Critter-3]

It has to do with the configuration of the newer OS on your computer ... this would happen no matter where you buy the download or use the CD.  

[friedmi]

I just got TurboTax 2021 from Costco download. The key came in email after purchase. The install ran ok, but activation screen is blank until I changed scaling from recommended 125% to 100% as post suggested. Still after that, even I see the screen, I cannot see the cursor, nor type the key code into the the key field. I think they should FIRE the coders/team, including management for incompetence and having issues for 2 years. The popup activation screen should function on ANY display settings and ability to paste the code from the email or type it.

I will check if the update in a week fixes that screen, if not - BYE BYE Intuit - you have failed , will request refund and use other tax software. 

[mesquitebean]

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friedmi wrote:

I just got TurboTax 2021 from Costco download. The key came in email after purchase. The install ran ok, but activation screen is blank until I changed scaling from recommended 125% to 100% as post suggested. Still after that, even I see the screen, I cannot see the cursor, nor type the key code into the the key field. I think they should FIRE the coders/team, including management for incompetence and having issues for 2 years. The popup activation screen should function on ANY display settings and ability to paste the code from the email or type it.

I will check if the update in a week fixes that screen, if not - BYE BYE Intuit - you have failed , will request refund and use other tax software. 

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Did you also try lowering the screen resolution, such as to 800x600 or 1024x768?

Here are some additional methods people have used:

Some people have typed the code blindly and were able to proceed even though they couldn't see the character entries in the field.  Another user who could see the cursor but couldn't enter the characters slowly moved the cursor down until it changed shape and then typed the code in blindly.

A few other users have said they solved the problem by running TurboTax as an administrator.    If you want to try that, open TurboTax this way:  Right-click on the TurboTax icon on your Windows desktop screen and in the popup context menu choose "Run as administrator."

[BPnTO]

Brilliant!  Thank you! Thank You! Thank You for posting this fix!  No other method worked for me.  I was able to install T/Tx on older laptops running Win 8.1 and Win 10 with no problem.  For some reason the activation issue only cropped up for me when I tried to install on a Windows 11 laptop that I upgraded to for this years tax return. I was thinking I just wasted $500 until I found your fix!  Hooray for you and BOO to Intuit for not correcting this bug!  I don't even wanna know how long it took you to find this exact sequence by trial and error!  Whew!  But I gotta say, you saved the day for me, man!  You're a true Turbo Tax Hall of Famer!  : ) Thanks!