TurboTax on Macs - Warning!!!

[theBB]

I just bought TurboTax yesterday to file my taxes. Due to tax law changes, the app requires updating, which failed to happen properly for some "locked file" issue, rendering the app unusable. Worse yet, the app became very very difficult to delete, because of the same locked files and I ended up a few copies of this 120MB monster on my hard disk. Please read on if you'd like to avoid a headache, a long hold time for the support call and save the time you'd spent speaking to a kid somewhere in Southeast Asia who has never seen a Mac before.

Installation was easy, just copy the app from CD to your hard disk method. Then I double clicked to run it. The opening screen warned me about some tax law changes in August, hence the need to update the app. (It's been more than six months, but I guess it is too much to expect a 1.1 version of the software already packaged in a box.) It started downloading some files after confirmation, then things started getting funny. The progress bar kept reaching full and starting from none until it reached full again, again and again. Somebody over there needs to learn the function and definition of "pregress bar".

Anyways, after download is complete it started updating itself. A lot of windows opened and closed, with loads of progress bars flying around and eventually it started giving error messages about some locked files, but before I could read the whole thing, it kept on updating and gave a few more error messages, but again without stopping. Eventually it said it was done and ready to restart. I clicked "OK" and then all hell broke loose. Right after restart, it crashed. Even the icon got all messed up. According to TurboTax support page,

https://support1.turbotax.com/cgi-b...F9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1NYWMgbG9ja2VkIGZpbGU*&p_li=

which was not very easy to locate, it is because some CDs inadvertently shipped with "locked files." Well, I take "some" to mean "nearly all." These guys don't even update any of their CDs for tax law changes, would they really fix file issues? This is not the same as the regular read-write-execute priviledges. It is an obscure UNIX flag that I have never used during the 12 years I have been using various UNIX machines. You can get more info on these flags here:

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20031017061722471

Of course, at the time I was not sure what I was up against, so I just followed the TurboTax website's instructions, which tells you not to uninstall the app and points you to a third party app for unlocking the files. (Its name is locker.app, but you use it to unlock files. How intuitive, isn't it?) However, as TurboTax.app was in a half-updated/half-broken down state, their method did not work. I just decided to delete the app and begin afresh. However, I could not empty thrash due to the locked files. I could not unlock the files using that locker.app, as it refuses to work on files in Thrash. It suggested I just move them out of thrash and try again. However, when I tried to move all those files, it actually made copies of itself, leaving a lot of stuff in Thrash. Then, locker.app did not work in batches forcing me to remove lockes one by one on lots and lost of files. It was horrible, and I was still left with all that crap in Thrash. A call to TurboTax support did not help, either. The poor kid did not know much about UNIX or locking flags.

After wasting half an hour, I located that macosxhints page above. Then, a bit of trial an error got me to these steps:

1) Start Terminal

2) type

cd ~/.Thrash

then press Enter.

3) Once step 2 is complete, type

chflags -R nouchg *

and press enter again.

4) Now, you should be able to empty thrash.

--------------

1) If you are going to use TurboTax 2005 on Mac, copy the app to your hard disk, but do not run it just yet. (If you have an unusable app, delete it, change the flags and empty thrash before coping TurboTax.app on your hard disk.

2) Eject TurboTax CD

3) Just go to the TurboTax website above, download locker.dmg (Then start following the rest of the steps are on that webpage.)

Good luck...

 

[kgarner]

Just as a counter point I experienced no problems on my system (see sig.) I have even updated it 2 other times while I continue to add elements as the paperwork arrives.

But if you were unlucky enough to get one of these disks, this hint should be helpful.

 

[Doctor Q]

I didn't have this problem either. Looks like I was lucky.

A friend of mine ran into another little glitch, explained this way by Intuit:

Q: You're getting ready to file your taxes and the filing instructions that printed with your return tell you to mail your federal return by October 16, 2006. The deadline for filing is April 17th, so what does this mean?

A: October 16th is the filing date if you're filing an extension (Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension). If you answered the interview questions to file an extension, and then changed your answer to remove the extension, TurboTax still prints an October 16th date in the filing instructions. We try hard to catch errors such as this, but every once in a while one gets through. The important point is that regardless of the directions on the form, be sure to mail your return by April 17th!

I like the little warning they included, so you'll know that just because the software has a bug doesn't mean you can pay your taxes 6 months late!

 

[theBB]

But if you were unlucky enough to get one of these disks, this hint should be helpful.

On their website, they have listed two versions of the discs that had this problem, mine was of another version number, but still with the same issue. It is amazing that they ship different versions without checking their program on at least one Mac. Otherwise, this would not happen as this does not have any hardware dependency.

In the end, I hope this is not widespread for the sake of all Mac owners. It took the shine out of my Sunday evening.

 

[mrichmon]

But if you were unlucky enough to get one of these disks, this hint should be helpful.

I have also had no problems with Turbo Tax 2005 for OS X.

 

[danny_w]

I had no problems at all with TurboTax 2005. Being the cheap guy that I am, I found an older version at Best Buy for $5 cheaper which did not include the State coupon (texas doesn't have state income tax), so it may have been a different version of disk. Updated many times (whenever it would ask me) and never had any problems.

 

[theBB]

I guess I am the only one around here who came across a defective CD. Am I lucky or what?

Still, this makes me feel better. At the time, it seemed to me as if Mac support was such an afterthought for Quicken that it did not care enough to design its Mac files on its CDs properly. If this is only a rare incident, then it is not that bad. I still wish they had better technical support, I could have saved half an hour of frustrations.

 

[Bea]

Can't get that pesky Turbo Tax 2005 out of the trash! Anyone got an idea?

got me to these steps:

1) Start Terminal

2) type

cd ~/.Thrash

once you see the prompt, then press Enter.

3) Once step 2 is complete, type

chflags -R nouchg *

and press enter again.

4) Now, you should be able to empty thrash.

-----------
I tried this and it did not help. I still have the junk and a copy of the junk in my trash. When I attempt to empty I get these messages-

This operation cannot be completed because item "A" is in use.

This operation cannot be completed because item "navbar" is in use.

This operation cannot be completed because item "css" is in use.

This operation cannot be completed because item "navbar" is in use.

This operation cannot be completed because item "image" is in use.

This operation cannot be completed because item "SourceHtmlFiles" is in use.

Any insight greatly appreciated

 

[Doctor Q]

Perhaps you need to quit your web browser before trying again.