Question

After each update Tubotax Application keeps asking for License code to be activated

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
March 23, 2021
16 replies
0 views

Having gone thru three support persons, one of whom was drunk. I still have no answer. Everytime that the software is updated it asks me to activate it again, why is that?

Why is my 2019 TurboTax now asks me for activation? I bought that last year from WalMart online and I do not have the code any longer. It started asking for an activation code after I installed the 2020 version.

TurboTax Business Windows

Show previous replies

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DaveT-SD

Message to Intuit: This is a vexing problem which your support people were not able to resolve over the phone. This is entirely an Intuit/Turbotax issue and it is simply unforgiveable, especially given that I'm not the only one experiencing it. It shows you simply don't care about your customers since this has not been resolved with a software update. Do you realize this is a fatal defect that renders your product completely unusable?

VolvoGirl

Employee

@DaveT-SD What is your situation? This has probably been posted before. Is it asking you to activate again? Make sure your computer is the same way when you originally installed it. Like with no flash drives plugged in or plugged in if one was. It asked me again so I just closed the program and took out a flash drive that was plugged in and tried again. It worked. Or you may need to connect a flash drive or printer or something that was connected when you originally installed the program.

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DaveT-SD

@VolvoGirl Thank you! Amazingly, removing a thumb drive resolved the problem. I am deeply indebted to you for the suggestion!

This still does not reflect well on Intuit. I'm an R&D developer and have never run software of any kind that required a "return to original PC configuration" to work.

But that's not to distract from my main message to you: Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!

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mover

I opened TurboTax 2021 desktop to print some forms on 03/10/2023 from my 2021 return. The program

updated and apparently wiped out the license so it asks for the activation code when I open it. I cannot find the

original 2021 disk. The advice to double-click on the tax return file does not work, that is, it still asks for the activation code. It seems to me that it is a bug in the 2021 version of the program that if you run it after the year

in which you would normally file it updates and destroys the license key/activation code.

So what can I do at this point?

DoninGA

Employee

@mover Try this suggestion from @VolvoGirl earlier in this thread -

Make sure your computer is the same way when you originally installed it. Like with no flash drives plugged in or plugged in if one was. It asked me again so I just closed the program and took out a flash drive that was plugged in and tried again. It worked. Or you may need to connect a flash drive or printer or something that was connected when you originally installed the program.

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mover

Thank you VolvoGirl for the suggestion. Unfortunately my hardware is unchanged but of course there have

been lots of software updates, mostly from Microsoft, that would be very messy to undo. So, assuming your

suggestion is limited to hardware differences there is nothing to do/undo to make this work but I do

appreciate the reply. My beef is with Intuit allowing this bug to persist at least since 2019. I paid for the

software and prepared a return with it. I should be able to use the program without re-activation on the

same computer.

Next year I am going with Block.

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teddeman

This is beyond annoying. I just installed Premier 2022 from download. I tried to open 2021 to verify information and I am being prompted for a license code. This was previously installed via CD. Why is 2022 breaking older versions of Turbo Tax? I don't know if I kept the boxes for the last 10 years. All versions now seem to have a forced update as well. 2019, 2020, and 2021 were all working previously and are all now requesting activation keys.

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HeatherPLO

Did you possibly hit your limit of installations? You can install the software up to 5 times. So we can take a closer look at your specific situation, please reach out to us directly using the Help Article here. This ensures you will get to the correct department as quickly as possible.

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HeatherPLO

@teddeman ^

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DuHa

Hi there,

I purchased the 2022 -2023 Turbo Premium Tax CD version earlier this year. And downloaded the 2022 version online and activate my account in April. Due to missing information I could not file the tax by 4/17 so ended up with an extension. But when I opened the 2022 Turbo tax again from my iMac, the software asked to get updated and once I did that, it asked me to enter license code to activate the account. How can you help to solve the problem. I don't believe I need to buy it again.

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gom

The license code you got when purchased your 2022 Turbo Tax should work. I've had to reactivate several times and the original code worked without issues - yes it is a pain in the neck but your license code should work. If it doesn't work or you lost the your code, you'll need to contact turbo tax for help.

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Barxar

I installed TurboTax and it asked for phone number, email, etc. It was unable to find any information. I gave my SS # on another try. I have used TurboTax for years but don't think I ever registered. I have now have an Intuit\n account but when I put in the license code to activate, it says it isn't the correct code. I have spent hours trying to activate and start my taxes.

CatinaT1

Please call TurboTax Customer service.  Here is a link:  Turbo Tax Customer Service

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death69inc

11 pages of crap that doesnt work.

only 2019 has key issue for me stupid company forcing updates for old products.

cant click file still asked for update or close. vpn etc. none that crap helps.

customer service is a joke...... why did I pay $120 for a product I cant use to open my file a few years later???????

DaveF1006

Yes, this can be very frustrating but here are some things to try that may solve this problem if you haven't tried these already.

OneDrive or External Drives: If your TurboTax files are stored in OneDrive's Personal Vault or on an external drive, it might trigger the activation prompt. Try moving the files to your local drive or ensuring the Personal Vault is unlocked when launching TurboTax.
System Changes: Updates to your operating system, changes in hardware, or even plugging in new USB devices can make TurboTax think it's running on a different machine. This might prompt it to ask for reactivation.
Antivirus or Firewall Settings: Sometimes, security software can interfere with TurboTax's activation process. Temporarily disabling your antivirus or firewall might help resolve the issue.
Run as Administrator: Launching TurboTax as an administrator can sometimes bypass activation issues. Right-click on the TurboTax icon and select "Run as Administrator."
If you have a USB drive/device plugged into a USB port at the same time you are launching TurboTax, then unplug (or turn off) the USB drive/device, and then try launching the TurboTax program again. See if that solves the problem. Or try it the other way around. i.e., if you had a USB drive/device plugged in initially when you installed TurboTax originally, but don't now, then plug that USB drive/device back in and try.

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jschaffe

None of the suggestions work for me, for one thing I'm using a Mac and installed and run as an administrator, I don't use OneDrive, I cannot understand why USB devices (which in my case is highly variable) or OS updates should affect activations. Reauthenticating is one thing in these cases, consuming a whole additional machine activation is unacceptable!

I managed to finish my 2024 taxes, but I now want to work on estimating 2025 taxes. How can I escape the activation trap?

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MonikaK1

The USB device issue has come up in prior years, where TurboTax was requesting license/activation code every time the program is opened and it appeared to be caused by the software looking for a device that was plugged into the USB drive when TT program was initially downloaded.

If you could identify what USB devices may have been plugged in when you initially activated the program and duplicate those conditions, the issue may resolve itself.

I am reporting this issue for further investigation.

In the meantime, you could opt to use another tool for calculating your estimated withholding and/or estimated taxes for 2025:

TurboTax W-4 Calculator - this is a standalone tool outside of the tax preparation program.

IRS Withholding Calculator

@jschaffe

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