Troubleshoot TurboTax Desktop for Windows issues

by TurboTax•146• Updated 6 months 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.

I need help installing my software

Run the Windows System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files.
Download and install the latest Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable package (x86) on your machine (required by the TurboTax software), and then relaunch TurboTax.
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 you can't get it to install on any computer, request a new CD.

I need help updating my software

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.

I got a Microsoft Installer error

Follow these instructions to fix this:

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