Every computer has a unique combination of components, settings, programs, services, and users. This means TurboTax can install and run flawlessly on one computer, but another computer's configuration can cause conflicts when installing, launching, or running TurboTax.
This article troubleshoots the more common causes of installation failures or errors when running TurboTax.
First steps
To ensure TurboTax installs and runs successfully, perform all of the following steps:
- 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
- Check your TurboTax CD and computer's CD drive, if you're installing from a CD
- 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
- Close all browser windows and programs before installing
A few other tips:
- Don't install TurboTax on a removable flash or thumb drive
- Turn off your firewall and virus-detection software before installing. (Remember to turn it back on after installation)
- Removing unused firewall and virus-detection programs from your computer can help you avoid potential problems. Even if they're outdated and no longer used, these programs can still cause problems during installation
