I am unable to open up my DrakeTax software?

Question

I have an application I use every year for tax preparation and all of a sudden, the latest version that I just used on 1/10/26 would not open a couple of days ago. When I double click to open the program, it doesn't do anything and doesn't show up in the Task menu. Any advice?

Answer 1

Hello Shelita Cole, welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Thank you for sharing the Event Viewer details. Based on the error, the issue isn't with DrakeTax itself, but with your .NET 8 Desktop Runtime installation. To fix it:

1. Repair the .NET Runtime

• Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps
• Search for "Microsoft Windows Desktop Runtime - 8.0" (x64 or x86)
• Click the three dots next to it and select Repair (if available)
• Restart your PC and try launching DrakeTax again

2. If repair isn't available or doesn't work

• Uninstall the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime from the same Apps list
• Download and reinstall it from Microsoft's official page: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/8.0
• Under ".NET Desktop Runtime 8.0.24" section, choose x64 (for 64-bit Windows, which is most common) or x86 (if you have 32-bit)
• Install it, restart the PC, and test DrakeTax

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Answer 2

I have an error message from the Event Viewer. See below and let me know how to resolve this:

Description: A .NET application failed.

Application: DrakeTax2025.exe

Path: C:\DRAKE25\FT\DrakeTax2025.exe

Message: A JSON parsing exception occurred in [C:\Program Files (x86)\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App\8.0.23\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.runtimeconfig.json], offset 0 (line 1, column 1): The document is empty.

Invalid framework config.json [C:\Program Files (x86)\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App\8.0.23\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.runtimeconfig.json]

Answer 3

I have tried everything except Event Viewer, I will try now. None of the items in the list worked.

Answer 4

If you are unable to open your DrakeTax software and it does not appear in the Task Manager when you try to launch it, here are a few troubleshooting steps you can consider:

1. Check for Updates: Ensure that your Windows 11 is up to date, as sometimes compatibility issues can arise with outdated software.
2. Reboot Your Computer: Restarting your computer can resolve many temporary issues that might be preventing the application from launching.
3. Run as Administrator: Right-click on the DrakeTax application and select "Run as administrator" to see if it opens with elevated permissions.
4. Check for Conflicting Software: Sometimes other applications or processes may conflict with DrakeTax. Try closing unnecessary applications or performing a clean boot to see if that resolves the issue.
5. Repair or Reinstall: If the above steps do not work, consider repairing the installation of DrakeTax or reinstalling it completely.
6. Check Event Viewer: You can check the Windows Event Viewer for any error messages related to the application that might give you more insight into the problem.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to contact DrakeTax support for further assistance.

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References:

• I can't open turbo tax in windows 11 - Microsoft Q&A
• clear install in progress errors - cannot install Turbo Tax in Windows 11 - Microsoft Q&A