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Troubleshoot TurboTax Desktop for Windows issues

by TurboTax•371• Updated 3 days ago

To make sure TurboTax runs smoothly:

  • Make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements.
  • Verify that you have administrator rights on your computer and TurboTax is running as administrator:
    • Right-click the TurboTax icon or setup icon and select Properties. In the Compatibility tab, select the Run this program as administrator box and select OK.
  • In the Control Panel under Internet Options, add https:*.intuit.com to Trusted Sites. Set security level to Medium.
  • Turn off antivirus software and Windows Defender.
  • Add TurboTax Desktop to your allowed apps in Windows Defender.
  • Clean up and defragment your hard drive.
  • Run Windows Update to keep your computer up-to-date.
  • Update your computer's hardware drivers.
  • Update your security software for firewall, virus, and spyware protection.
  • Make sure you're the only user on your computer running TurboTax. If you're not, switch users and sign out of TurboTax from the other account. If you can't do that, shut down your computer and try again.
  • Run the Windows System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files.
  • Delete the downloaded file and download TurboTax again from InstallTurboTax.com. Sometimes files get corrupted during the download process.
  • Restart your computer in Selective Startup Mode, and then install TurboTax.
  • Install TurboTax on a different computer.

If updates appear to freeze or stop at 0% or 100%, don't end the download process, even if the Task Manager says TurboTax is not responding. Wait up to 15 minutes before doing anything.

If the Updater closes prematurely while you're checking for updates (usually with an error message or number), run the disk cleanup tool to delete unnecessary files and empty the Recycle Bin. Then select Check for Updates in TurboTax to resume the update process where it left off.

You can also download and install a manual update.

Follow these instructions to fix this:

  1. Exit TurboTax.
  2. On your computer, open File Explorer and find the folder where TurboTax Desktop is installed.
    • For example, C:\Program Files\TurboTax\Individual 2023
  3. Right-click on any of the subfolders and select Properties.
  4. Select Security.
  5. Select Edit.
  6. Under Group or user names, select your user name.
  7. Under Permissions for Users, find Write and make sure Deny is unchecked and Allow is checked.
  8. Repeat steps 2–6 for all subfolders.
  9. Relaunch TurboTax.

If you receive an error message that says We recommend restarting your system to prevent possible application errors. Would you like to restart now?, select Restart.

If after restarting, you're asked to restart again or repeatedly, follow these steps:

  1. Uninstall TurboTax
  2. Uninstall any Microsoft Visual C++ programs on your computer
  3. Reinstall TurboTax

If the issue continues after following these steps, you may need to fix your computer's operating system.