How to fix Turbo Tax Installation issue

Question

How to fix Turbo Tax Installation issue

Lynn Holmes 0

I have been trying to get Turbo Tax 2025 to install properly, was on the phone with IT yesterday for 3 hrs with no resolution. I have used this software for years with no issues, after installation it give me an error on startup. I have tried everything Turbo Tax suggested along with the post from this forum. i uninstalled previous versions, have uninstalled and reinstalled several times. i get no errors other than the one i shared.

Lynn Holmes 0 Reputation points

2026-02-08T19:51:14.11+00:00

My message I get did not post, reads as follows: Looks like we've run into an error. We're sorry but we need to close Turbo Tax etc.... Send error report - I've sent this several times.
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6 answers

Your answer

Lynn Holmes 0 Reputation points

2026-02-08T19:51:14.11+00:00

My message I get did not post, reads as follows: Looks like we've run into an error. We're sorry but we need to close Turbo Tax etc.... Send error report - I've sent this several times.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

Answer 1

Lynn Holmes 0

It was an Amazon digital download, never had this issue before. It downloads and installs, but will not start , states it ran into an issue and shuts down, never gets to the point where it ask for the activation code.

Answer 2

CrazyKats 14,830 Volunteer Moderator

What happens when you enter the code? Was it a digital download or a

dizc?

Answer 3

Lynn Holmes 0

Amazon, will not start up correctly, has asked me to enter activation code.

Answer 4

CrazyKats 14,830 Volunteer Moderator

Hi Lynn,

May be a stupid question but where

did you get the Turbo Tax from?

I got mine on Amazon, downloaded, installed

and already used.

Lynn Holmes 0 Reputation points

2026-02-10T02:15:33.76+00:00

Amazon, it download, but errors after opening will not let me enter active validation code.
Meme65 0 Reputation points

2026-03-13T10:42:07.5833333+00:00

Sam’s club

Answer 5

Ian-Ng 10,755 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Lynn Holmes,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

I am sorry to hear about the frustration you have experienced with the TurboTax 2025 installation. To resolve this startup error, I recommend performing the following system-level troubleshooting steps to eliminate environmental conflicts:

Kindly follow recommended troubleshooting below:

Create a new local administrator account: Occasionally, corrupted user profile settings or permission restrictions can prevent the software from initializing. Creating a new local administrator account via Settings > Accounts > Other Users and attempting the installation there will help determine if the issue is profile-specific.
Perform a clean boot: Background services or third-party applications can interfere with TurboTax’s startup process. You can perform a clean boot by typing msconfig in the Windows search bar, hiding all Microsoft services under the Services tab, and selecting Disable all. Restart your computer and attempt to launch the program again.

Important Note on Update Preferences

As I have been monitoring similar reports, several users found that the conflict originated from the 2024 version’s update settings. If you still have the previous version installed, please try the following:

Open TurboTax 2024.
Select the Online tab from the top menu and click Updater Preferences.
Change the setting from automatic updates to one of the other available options.
Restart your computer and attempt the 2025 installation again.

I also recommend checking the 2025 preferences once installed, as it defaults to auto-updates as well. Please let me know the outcome so I can further assist if the problem persists.

Lynn Holmes 0 Reputation points

2026-02-10T00:29:13.0866667+00:00

I added a new account and tried to run Turbo Tax, same issue. I did the clean reboot but my PC for the last 3 hrs keeps telling me to wait and it just sits and spins.
Ian-Ng 10,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-10T22:04:38.56+00:00
Hi @Lynn Holmes,

I appreciate you providing those updates. I am sorry to hear the system is now hanging; this suggests a deeper conflict between the OS services and the software initialization.

Kindly follow the steps below:

Force System Recovery: Please perform a hard shutdown by holding the power button. Once rebooted, ensure that any "Clean Boot" attempts strictly hide Microsoft services to prevent the system from hanging again.

Repair Visual C++ Runtime: The crash before the activation prompt often points to a failure in the Visual C++ Redistributable libraries. I recommend downloading and "Repairing" the 2015-2022 x64 Redistributable from the Microsoft website.

Fresh Download & Admin Execution: Since digital downloads can occasionally corrupt, please delete the current installer and redownload it from Amazon. When launching the installer, right-click it and select Run as Administrator.

Note: I have observed that the 2024 program’s persistent update cycle can block the 2025 version from launching. If possible, open TurboTax 2024, go to the Online tab > Updater Preferences, and disable auto-updates. I noticed that TT 2025 also defaults to auto-updates, which I recommend changing once you gain access.

Please update the outcome so I can further check if the problem persists.
Lynn Holmes 0 Reputation points

2026-02-11T05:12:19.0633333+00:00

I forced a hard reboot earlier and it immediately went back to hanging again, I went into and turned the Microsoft services back on. So you want me to turn them back off and fix the visual cc++ and reboot. Correct?
Ian-Ng 10,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-11T21:08:19.1366667+00:00
Hi @Lynn Holmes,

Thank you for your response. To clarify, yes, I recommend performing those steps in a specific order to stabilize the system and fix the startup crash:

Refined Clean Boot by open msconfig and ensure you check Hide all Microsoft services before selecting Disable all.

Repair Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable: Go to Settings > Apps, locate Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x64), and select Modify then Repair.

Reboot and Installation: After applying those changes, reboot your computer. Once back in, right-click the TurboTax 2025 installer and select Run as Administrator to ensure it has the permissions required to launch the activation prompt.

Kindly update the outcome to let me further check if the problem persists.
Lynn Holmes 0 Reputation points

2026-02-12T15:17:23.8866667+00:00

Ian,

Thanks for your help, your fix worked and Turbo Tax is working, thank you!!
Ian-Ng 10,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-12T22:08:54.92+00:00

Hi @Lynn Holmes,

I'm pleased to hear the issue has been resolved. Thank you for your cooperation throughout the process.
Edward McCutcheon 0 Reputation points

2026-03-04T18:21:26.5+00:00

Ian-Ng

I'm new to the forum. Let me say that I have used TT for many years, but the computer I had been using was Windows 10. I had bought a new HP laptop with Windows 11 a few years ago using it mostly for emails. The Windows 11 requirement prompted me to use it for TT2025. Although both machines have Cloud back-up and storage for files including most of the older TT files, I have never loaded TT files on the Windows 11 laptop. I would be surprised if TT2024 updates are the problem, but what I know...

Let me comment to your answer of Feb 9, 2026. I seem to have the same sad tale as others. TT2025 seems to download, but will not start. I get the same error message as others have - essentially "username and password incorrect." I find this odd since to begin with there is only one window to enter the username AND the password. I'm sure others have tried to enter either input in either order, etc., and had the same dismal result.

Following your suggestions, I have tried to create a new administrator by after requesting Settings and then Accounts, I cannot find anything labeled "Other Users." Next I did a reboot but shutting off the power from the Power options and then restarting the machine. I then tried the "msconfig" the Windows search bar but couldn't find the Services tab to disable services.

Apparently a few users have been able to get TT2025 to start. Any other ideas on what I might try?

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How to fix Turbo Tax Installation issue

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