OT-->>TAX RETURN PROGRAMS<<
I suggest that you use TurboTax for tax filing. I used it last year and was a little frustrated, but it worked. This year I switched to Kiplinger TaxCut, and it has been a nightmare -- I will never again use Kiplinger! I updated their software from the internet, and their update crashed Windows every time -- after waiting 1 hour to download over a high-speed internet connection. I wrote to them about their problem, and it took 5 days to receive a response. This is what Kiplinger had to say about the problem -- a totally unsatisfactory answer!!!
--BillyG
====================
Subj: In Response to Your 2/20/99 Message
Date: 2/25/99 8:27:05 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: teamtaxcut@taxcut.com (TaxCut Technical Support)
To: *****
In your message dated 2/20/99 you wrote:
>As soon as I enter the electronic filing area I receive an error message
>that an error has occurred in TCWIN causing the TaxCut program to crash.
>I have encountered numerous bugs in your program. This year I switched
>from TurboTax to TaxCut -- next year I am switching back. Your program is
>full of bugs and your server is painfully slow. Kiplinger/Block should be
>ashamed to sell this trashy software.
>I look forward to your reply about electronic filing. Don't tell me that I
>have to re-install the software because I don't have the time to wait for
>your slow server.
>Thanks
>BillyG
--------------------------------
TaxCut Technical Support's Response:
Thank you for contacting Block Financial Technical Support.
If you have downloaded and installed UPDATE B from our website prior to
2/23/99, please follow the directions below.
Several customers have reported problems with update B after installing it.
To correct this problem, we suggest the following steps:
1. Delete your tax return data file (it has been corrupted) by manually
deleting them through the Windows Explorer (in Windows 95/98/NT 4.0) or the
File Manager (Windows 3.1).
2. Go to the c:\taxcut98\backup folder and find the second copy of your
tax return there. Copy it into the c:\taxcut98 folder, then rename the
file from WHATEVER.BAK to WHATEVER.T98.
2. Uninstall the TaxCut program. There is an icon/shortcut for it in the
TaxCut shortcut group.
3. Reinstall TaxCut from the diskettes or from your installation CD.
4. Reinstall update A (not update B). Update A will take care of the
forms updates so that they're available for filing and will fix several
other problems as well.
The problem has been corrected, you may now re-update TaxCut. This should
resolve your problem.
Thanks for your inquiry.
If this process does not work for you, or if you have not installed our
UPDATE B from our website, proceed with the directions below:
Because of the difficulties that you are experiencing, we suggest you
follow the instructions below. On some systems, TaxCut 1998 will have to
be installed in the C:\taxcut98 directory for the states and updates to
function properly.
Solution:
1. Backup your tax return(s)
2. uninstall TaxCut with the uninstaller included in its folder in
Programs off of the Start button.
3. reinstall TaxCut in C:\TaxCut98(see below for further instructions).
Do NOT open the program.
4. If you have the update diskettes or the Multi-State CD, install the
update off of those and skip steps 5 through 7. Otherwise, continue.
5. Connect to the Internet using your standard browser.
6. Type the following address into your browser:
taxcut.com
7. Follow the instructions found there.
Your software will generally install much more smoothly if you close all
running programs and disable any anti-virus software. This frees up the
maximum amount of system resources. In addition, your anti-virus software
is designed to look for any program writing code to your hard drive and
intercept it, thereby protecting your system. It sometimes corrupts
installations of new software, and as a result, we recommend that you
disable your anti-virus software first. Please note that the MS Office
Toolbar and Norton's/Symantec's disk maintenance, anti-virus or other
products running have been know to be especially troublesome during our
installation process.
On Windows 95 / 98 systems, use the Close Program List by holding down CTRL
+ ALT + DEL simultaneously. Close each program individually by
highlighting the program, then END TASK. Do NOT, however, close EXPLORER
or SYSTRAY.
On Windows 3.1 systems, use the Task List (hold down CTRL + ESC
simultaneously). Close all programs listed there (except PROGRAM MANAGER)
by highlighting the program, then clicking on END TASK.
Once all running programs are closed out, attempt to install the software
again. If that does not get the job done for you, consider a manual
installation of the software in Safe Mode (Standard Mode on Windows 3.1
systems) as follows:
WINDOWS95 MANUAL INSTALLATION
WIN 95
a. click on START
b. click on PROGRAMS
c. click on WINDOWS EXPLORER
d. on the left-hand side of the Explorer, click on the C: drive
e. click on the FILE menu
f. click on New
g. click on FOLDER
h. type in the name of the new folder: TEST
i. hit the Enter key on your keyboard
j. put the first TaxCut disk into the floppy drive
k. on the left-hand side of the Explorer, click on the 3½ FLOPPY A: (or B:
as appropriate) drive
OR if you are using a CD ROM version of TaxCut, click on your CD drive.
l. click on <CTRL> and A on your keyboard (or EDIT - SELECT ALL) if using
diskettes; if you
are using a CD, then highlight all the files but NONE of the yellow file
folders.
m. drag the highlighted files to the C:\TEST directory
n. when TaxCut disk #1 has finished copying (the LED goes out), replace it
with disk #2 (not
necessary if you are copying from a CD - in that case, skip to step r.
below).
o. hit the F5 key on your keyboard (or VIEW - REFRESH)
p. repeat steps l. through p. for TaxCut disks #3 and #4.
q. NOW THAT ALL THE DISKS ARE COPIED, START THE COMPUTER IN SAFE MODE
r. on the left-hand side of Windows Explorer click on the C: drive
s. find the TEST directory and click on it
t. on the right-hand side of the Windows Explorer screen find SETUP.EXE
and double-click on
it.
TaxCut should install into a TAXCUT9x (whatever year) directory.
u. once it has been ascertained that TaxCut is operating properly, you may
delete the
TEST directory.
WINDOWS 3.1 MANUAL INSTALLATION
2. WIN 3.1 or 3.11/WFWG.
a. go to PROGRAM MANAGER
b. double-click on the MAIN program group
c. double-click on FILE MANAGER
d. go to the top of the directory tree on the left-hand side of the File
Manager
e. click on C:\
f. click on the FILE menu
g. click on CREATE DIRECTORY
h. type TEST into the NAME box
i. click the OK button
j. put the first TaxCut floppy disk (OR THE CD ROM) into the disk drive
k. on the drive bar, located directly beneath the menu bar, click on A:
(or whatever the drive
letter is for the drive from which you are copying)
l. click on the FILE menu
m. click on SELECT FILES
n. click on SELECT. If you are using the CD-ROM version, perform this
additional step after
clicking on SELECT:
hold down the CTRL key and click on the yellow file folders on the right
side of the screen. This
will UN-HIGHLIGHT them. You do NOT want to copy these directories.
Release the CTRL key.
The various file names should still be highlighted; the yellow folders -
indicating directory folders
- should not.
o. click on CLOSE
p. click on F8, which should give you the COPY dialog box
q. in the TO: box type C:\TEST
r. when this diskette has finished copying (the LED goes out), remove it
from the disk drive and
replace it with TaxCut disk 2. If you are copying from a CD-ROM, you will
not have to do this. In
that case, skip to
step w. below.
s. click on the WINDOW menu
t. click on REFRESH
u. repeat steps m. through r. above for TaxCut disks 3 and 4.
v. NOW THAT ALL THE TAXCUT DISKS ARE COPIED, INSTALL AS FOLLOWS:
w. re-start Windows in Standard Mode by closing all programs, then close
the Program
Manager. At the DOS prompt, type WIN /S (for Windows 3.1) or WIN /D:T (for
Windows 3.11).
Once Windows starts, open the File Manager again.
x. go to the drive bar located directly beneath the menu bar; click on the
C: drive
y. on the left-hand side of File Manager find the TEST directory and
double-click on it
z. on the right-hand side of File Manager find the SETUP.EXE file and
double-click on it.
aa. TaxCut will now install into the TAXCUT9x (whatever year) directory.
After is has been
ascertained that TaxCut runs properly you may delete the TEST directory if
you so choose.
Restart the computer normally and run TaxCut.
MACINTOSH MANUAL INSTALLATION
1) Look for a TAXCUT '97 Flag Icon on the desktop. It represents the CD
ROM disk. Double
click on that Icon. It will open up to a window with 4 icons.
2) Drag the Kiplinger Taxcut '97 Installer Icon from that window to the
desktop. You will get the
message: "Objects on locked disks cannot be moved to the desktop, would
you like to make a
copy." Click Yes.
3) After the copy is completed, go to the Special menu and choose Restart.
Hold the left shift
key during start up. This starts with extensions off. (Equivalent to Safe
mode in Windows.)
4) Double-click the installer Icon on the desktop. In the dialog box
click Install.
5) Choose Restart from the Special menu again, and reboot normally. Be
sure to check that
the installation is functional by double-clicking the Kiplinger Taxcut '97
Icon in the Kiplinger
Taxcut '97 folder on the Macintosh Hard Disk.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
IF NONE OF THIS WORKS FOR YOU, please get back to us again with the
following information:
Make and model of computer (e. g., Compaq DeskPro, IBM PS/1 etc.)
How much physical memory (RAM) on your system (available via MY
COMPUTER/PROPERTIES),
as well as the type and speed of processor in your system (e. g.,
Pentium 166, AMD 333, etc.)
How much free hard drive space (available via MY COMPUTER - right click on
your hard drive - PROPERTIES)
The type, model and speed (e. g., 16X, 32X, etc.) of your CD-ROM (available
via the CONTROL PANEL - SYSTEM - DEVICE MANAGER - double-click on your CD
ROM, then double-click on the new line that appears underneath it).
This information will help us to troubleshoot this problem in greater
detail for you.
Thanks for taking the time to write to us. If you have further questions,
please either e-mail us again through the Submit A Question section of our
web page, or call Block Financial Technical Support at (913)599-2885.
If after trying these suggestions you continue receiving the GPF in TCWIN
while you're trying to electronically file, you will need to contact the
TaxCut Electronic Filing Center for further assistance. The ways to reach
them are listed below.
E-mail --> taxcut@nelcoinc.com
TaxCut Electronic Filing Center (Technical Support) --> (920) 337-4624
Voice Response Unit (Acknowledgments and Status) --> (920) 337-4620
TaxCut Electronic Filing Center (Modem Line for Electronic Returns) -->
(920) 337-1600
Or you may visit our website's Electronic Filing FAQ at this address:
taxcut.com
PLEASE NOTE THAT our e-mail traffic is extremely high during the tax season
(December through April), so we are not always able to provide you with a
personalized response. It is not our desire to be impersonal, but rather
to provide the fastest service to the greatest number of customers. We
will make every attempt to answer your question directly first, then
provide additional information which may be helpful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Messages received at this address cannot be answered and are automatically
deleted when they arrive. For that reason, you will not be able to simply
use the reply feature of your e-mail program to pose a second question. We
regret the inconvenience to you. If you wish to follow up or if you have
another question, please return to our website:
TAXCUT: (http://www.taxcut.com), go to TECH SUPPORT, then CONTACT US, then
SUBMIT A QUESTION.
HOME LEGAL ADVISOR, SMALL BUSINESS ATTORNEY, NAMES & DATES, NET WEALTH:
blocksoft.com, then CONTACT US, then scroll down to CONTACT
TECHNICAL SUPPORT and click on Submit a Question.
If the web address in the previous sentences are highlighted, you may
simply click on them for access. We will gladly answer all communications
received from Submit A Question. Also please feel free to contact us at
these numbers:
TAXCUT: (913) 599-2885, 9am - 6pm CST {Mon.-Fri}. During the period
February 1 through April 15, our hours are 9AM - 10PM Monday-Friday and 9AM
- 3PM Saturday-Sunday.
We appreciate your business very much, and thank you for buying our products.
Regards,
The TaxCut Technical Support Staff
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