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Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

 
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14 Replies

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

We are mostly other users out here

.....If you open a desktop tax file, there is a "Tell Us What You Think " link that supposedly goes to actual Turbotax Reps.....at least it's in the Desktop Windows version...not sure about MAC.    See if that is active on yours.

Might be a good idea cut and paste some of your comments into that, 

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

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

The downloadable versions do not autosave. There are certain times throughout the product that will prompt you to save. We recommend you hit save periodically throughout your process. 

Hope60
New Member

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

Why Desktop version  of TurboTax is not auto-saving the work?? My laptop unexpectedly died.. After Re-starting my Comp - i got msg - it was Auto-saved... I was on 7th heaven - its Saved! BUT, after clicking to open it - i got msg - Error 604 (i think) and opened - work - like 3 days old..  Q. if i got msg- it was Autosaved -  then, where on the earth it was Saved? Nothing in my Recent files...  I looked, all over my comp - nothing could be found aka you find Word or Exel - marked: Auto-saved docs..  
Dear, TurboTax - why you torturing people by not Autosaving our work - every 2-10 minutes - as all Microsoft Office product doea?? WHAT wrong with you,  people? You know, how stressful & time-consuming  it is to do taxes and if someone, for whatever reason, didn't save it - it should be saved by your software Automatically, regardless of the version!

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

Desktop software does not "auto save" the way online software does.  When you use desktop software you have to go to File and Save your return every time.  When you start to exit the program you should be getting a popup that asks if you want to save.  Sorry you think it should autosave, but it does not.
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

Did you search the whole computer for the .tax2017 file?  It sometimes  saves a temporary file starting with a Tilde sign ~ in case your computer crashes.  

For the original poster.  I believe the Mac Desktop program does auto save.  I’m not sure when (like when you exit) but you don’t specifically have to manually save like for  Windows.  
Hope60
New Member

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

XmasBaby  -  I did NOT nor i remember, its Not Automatically saving (WHERE its says its not? We not doing Taxes everyday - to remember that,  even if knew it from the previous years - its easy to forget, since all other software companies - Autosave our work. We so used - to the Autosave. TurboTax - only force you to Save - when you start or finished, not in the middle of process.
ANY normal Office Software - does Auto-Save. Even Microsoft.
TurboTax not telling us - they do not save our work, we learning  it - the hard way - after disaster happens. TurboTax - seems, do not respect their Customers nor Customers TIME.
I have idea - WHY TurboTax not doing it when,  Technically - its very, very easy to add Autosave to their ALL product. I believe,  TurboTax  intentionally  - Sabotaging it  - to convert us, the Desktop users - into Online users, that they could make extra money from us - for storage etc.  
When someone doing Taxes - we dig deeply with our mind -  into the taxes itself:  deductions, irs, worry not miss anything, doing all those calculations  etc etc - why we have to worry every few minutes - of saving it?? It should be done - Automatically, same, as Exel does, for example.
Off course, we do save final work, when we done & closing the software. But, often, we doing it - for several days (and nights!)  - without closing it..  I, for example - fell asleep on it! And my battery - died..  As result - all my work lost!  Is it Right thing to do, to your own Customers,  not to include Autosave into software you charging money for??  Its clearly to me, it is intentional  sabotage. All product - should Autosave Customers work.

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

As VolvoGirl noted   The desktop does keep an ongoing Temp filefor unexpected shutdowns (at least the Windows software does).

look on your computer for a squiggle file......something like "~BobbyJonesTaxes.tax2017"......i.e. same name as your main file but with a " ~ " in front of it.
____________*Answers are correct to the best of my knowledge when posted, but should not be considered to be legal or official tax advice.*
Hope60
New Member

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

VolvoGirl, yes, i search the whole Comp with that extension .tax  - nothing was found, on what i was working last night - all my hard work - is gone. Even, i did have msg - its Autosaved.. I did not. I looked manually, i did automatic searches - nothing.. Very, very disappointed with TurboTax.  
Hope60
New Member

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

SteamTrain, thank you for trying to help... I did look for files with that extension and " ~ " -  but only 3 days old files found...  All info that entered into my Taxes - all wiped out..  its just disaster... I worked non-stop for several days - fell asleep, on final check up... and now - must start - all over?? Its not right, what TurboTax doing to us.. It should periodically - by every few minutes or when we go to the next page/step = AutoSave...  WHY Turbotax not doing it?  I want the Answer - from the Developers of the Software or their CEOs. People, its intentional. There is NO reason not to have Auto-save. (except - to aggravate us with the Desktop version and milk us for more money  from online versions. Desktop - sells at stores - so, TurboTax - will not have to share Revenue with Retailers - when its Sold,  for a start ( huge extra Revenue!).
Online Sales at own site - is 100% profit for TurboTax BUT even this is not enough for them  - they want us - to do it All - at their Website & charge us extra for whatever they want - since we will be their captive audience - when all our Tax info - is stored  at their website.
So they intentionally do everything - Not Autosaving for a Start - that we convert to the Online users. Maybe, someone - do not want to? Maybe, someone - do not feel Safe - to give all extremely important personal info - to the 3rd party? Where it could be hacked, or released to the Public/Court - by Court Order ( God save us!)  TurboTax - do not care about us or our Rights. All they care - how to increase their  bottom line profit. Thats why, i believe,  TurboTax,  makes  it intentionally - use of Desktop version, inconvenient for us.  Not nice, TurboTax!

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

.......but then the's a lot of us who do NOT want a full AutoSave at every step.  A "lot" of desktop Users open an already-filed Desktop tax return to test some alternate situations...but then purposely do not save it, because they didn't really want to save it.  

The hundreds or thousands of Online users who do this are screwed, because it does auto-save regularly there...and then they complain the next year that TTX screwed up their online tax file that transfers over to the next year.....AND the PDF that saves permanently to their Online tax account is entirely wrong.

Yes, the desktop users would have to learn to do Save-As to create a secondary test file, and then only mess in the new file copy, but far too many do things in an un-advisable way...

Your situation is Far-Far rarer....sorry it happened, but we have no control over those types of decisions (and if I had a vote, I would vote against....but that is just me).
____________*Answers are correct to the best of my knowledge when posted, but should not be considered to be legal or official tax advice.*

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

I think SteamTrain uses Desktop.  Most of us SuperUsers do use Desktop for its many advantages.  Where did he say he uses Online?  

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

@60Hope is reading too much into what I was saying.

....I was just using the Online situation as an example of unexpected consequences for an AutoSave situation...and that Desktop users would encounter the same issues if they had no choice.  

Certainly you understand that you need to work only on a copy...but you don't encounter the thousands of  people posting here every year with completely non-existent computer savvy....

Yes, I only use desktop software with Windows 10.  I wouldn't touch Online with a loooong pole.  I only have test accounts Online to see what it does, and answer questions.

(deleted)
____________*Answers are correct to the best of my knowledge when posted, but should not be considered to be legal or official tax advice.*
Hope60
New Member

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

Thank you, SteamTrain! At last, we agreed - Online is a mess.  Desktop - even if it Auto-save every second  - is not a problem - very easy - to click - Back button - and remove number you just entered OR open Form - and correct there - whatever you wish (provided, it was AUTO-SAVED!)
Problem - you worked for hours, then boom, you stepped out to a restrooms, or someone called you - and your comp restarted for whatever reason (updates etc) - and NOTHING saved! what the hell??  WHY, WHY, WHY??? (sorry for my out-crying - thats how i feel! Must start all over! Not fair! If TurboTax - wants to make extra Money - say so - i will gladly pay - $5, 10 bucks extra  - for version with Auto-save!)
Hope60
New Member

Does the downloadable version of Home and Business autosave?

People, TutboTax - removing my postings here - for my critic of the absents of Auto-Save option - in their Desktop version - which,  in my opinion, is intentionally removed - to force us switch into their Online version - to increase their profits  and control our info.
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