Microsoft does it again

[dennis thompson]

Yesterday I completed my income tax using Turbo Tax, saved it and shut turbo tax down.
During the night Microsoft updated my computer.
Today I went to get back on and the tax file I had spent 3 or 4 hours on was gone!
I am very far from a computer expert.
Fortunately, I have a backup up system and was able, with someone from Carbonite, to get my file back, it wasn't easy and took about 40 minutes.
Microsoft has done this to me before, is there any way (other than switch to an Apple) to avoid this in the future?
Thanks

[Jim Koepke]

Fortunately, I have a backup up system and was able, with someone from Carbonite, to get my file back, it wasn't easy and took about 40 minutes.
Microsoft has done this to me before, is there any way (other than switch to an Apple) to avoid this in the future?

Funny you should mention switching to Apple (Macintosh). Mine is set up so it doesn't automatically install updates, it asks me before doing such things.

Maybe in your case you might try saving important files to a thumb drive just incase.

jtk

[Thomas L Carpenter]

Funny you should mention switching to Apple (Macintosh). Mine is set up so it doesn't automatically install updates, it asks me before doing such things.

Maybe in your case you might try saving important files to a thumb drive just incase.

jtk

Speaking of thumb drives - what is a good way to label those little buggers? I have several but they are too small to label so I have to insert each one until I find what I want.

[Ron Selzer]

Right or wrong I now do my taxes on Turbo Tax online. They should do a lot better job of keeping them stored and safe.
Used to upgrade a computer every time I thought I had a bad virus. So now have Turbo taxes on hard drives and one old computer along with print backups. Too much trouble to dig out and pull up the old files. Never needed to yet
Ron

[Jim Becker]

I do use TurboTax and have for decades but not the online version. I may be able to transition to that next year once I see how things go this time around with all the financial changes that have occured in the past couple of years. And I have to learn more about how it does or doesn't support state tax filing...I have not had time to look into it.

Interestingly, I'm having a similar, albeit very different file issue with the Dell notebook that Professor Dr SWMBO has been using for a few years...I can't get a bunch of files off of it to move to the new Mac Mini I bought her this past week to replace it. I can open them no problem, but they don't copy even though they say they are copying; don't save-as new files even though they say they are saving, etc. It's darn frustrating but I think that this is a combination of an issue with Windows and an issue with something that Dropbox did when she stopped subscribing last year post-retirement. There have also been issues with passwords but I've fixed that already.

Off topic: For the record, this change was to help me better support her because of eyesight and short term memory challenges. I got tired of fighting with the Dell machine (which was twice as expensive as the Apple machine when I bought the Dell for her in 2018) because it was really causing her to be frustrated. So the platform change deals with that with almost no learning curve for what she uses the computer for now in retirement. She actually just remarked that she's sorry she didn't do it sooner.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I do use TurboTax and have for decades but not the online version. I may be able to transition to that next year once I see how things go this time around with all the financial changes that have occured in the past couple of years. And I have to learn more about how it does or doesn't support state tax filing...I have not had time to look into it.

Interestingly, I'm having a similar, albeit very different file issue with the Dell notebook that Professor Dr SWMBO has been using for a few years...I can't get a bunch of files off of it to move to the new Mac Mini I bought her this past week to replace it. I can open them no problem, but they don't copy even though they say they are copying; don't save-as new files even though they say they are saving, etc. It's darn frustrating but I think that this is a combination of an issue with Windows and an issue with something that Dropbox did when she stopped subscribing last year post-retirement. There have also been issues with passwords but I've fixed that already.

Off topic: For the record, this change was to help me better support her because of eyesight and short term memory challenges. I got tired of fighting with the Dell machine (which was twice as expensive as the Apple machine when I bought the Dell for her in 2018) because it was really causing her to be frustrated. So the platform change deals with that with almost no learning curve for what she uses the computer for now in retirement. She actually just remarked that she's sorry she didn't do it sooner.

Dennis,

Go to "Settings" on you computer. On the left side, scroll down if necessary, to and select "Windows Update". When that window opens, about half way down under "More Options" is a button labeled "Get the latest updates as soon as they are available". Turn that switch Off. Windows will then tell you when options are available for updates. Like you, I hate Windows doing that unexpectedly!

[Bill Howatt]

Personal data files are the important one, the OS and Apps can always be put back with only a time penalty. So I sometimes save the files in 2 locations when working on them but TBH, I never have any problems because of Microsoft updates or anything else. I would first blame Turbotax though. At least the OP has the good sense to run a backup program. In my case I save important files to a folder that OneDrive copies to the cloud automatically so I have the backup on the PC and more or less off site.
Often, if a file is gone, it isn't it is just not where you are looking.

A real handy utility is free Everything, it is fantastic for locating files.

[Bill Howatt]

Dennis,

Go to "Settings" on you computer. On the left side, scroll down if necessary, to and select "Windows Update". When that window opens, about half way down under "More Options" is a button labeled "Get the latest updates as soon as they are available". Turn that switch Off. Windows will then tell you when options are available for updates. Like you, I hate Windows doing that unexpectedly!

It applies only to what MS does not consider a Security Update.

[Jim Becker]

One other thought...pay attention to where your latest version of TT is saving the tax files. It's changed over time.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Speaking of thumb drives - what is a good way to label those little buggers? I have several but they are too small to label so I have to insert each one until I find what I want.

Go to office supply store and purchase some of those brown change envelopes. Insert thumb drive and label envelope. Store in file cabinet, or desk drawer. Works for me.

[Bill Howatt]

One other thought...pay attention to where your latest version of TT is saving the tax files. It's changed over time.

Well, that takes the fun out of it . More than once when quickly clicking the Save without paying attention, I've had to go back and do another Save As slowly and see where it was putting the files.

[Jim Becker]

Well, that takes the fun out of it . More than once when quickly clicking the Save without paying attention, I've had to go back and do another Save As slowly and see where it was putting the files.

I resemble that remark...

Fortunately, TurboTax these days seems to remember the correct location after I suck in last year's return to fill in the demographics and carry over information, but there was a time or two that things got confusing. At any rate, there's great power to the statement "never assume"...

[Brian Elfert]

I've never heard of Windows updates causing data loss. I got updates this morning on my work laptop and no issues. I work in IT and my employer has 300 or so Windows servers. We have had two Windows updates in the past decade that caused an issue with our servers.

[dennis thompson]

I've never heard of Windows updates causing data loss. I got updates this morning on my work laptop and no issues. I work in IT and my employer has 300 or so Windows servers. We have had two Windows updates in the past decade that caused an issue with our servers.

Well, I'm not making this up, it has happened twice to me.

[John Stankus]

Speaking of thumb drives - what is a good way to label those little buggers? I have several but they are too small to label so I have to insert each one until I find what I want.

I use the key tags if they have a key loop. (I try to not get the ones with a keychain loop). The plastic key tags are available for ~$5 for 40-50 of them on Amazon. I have a couple that I bought that have both the usb-c and regular USB (I think that is USB-A The rectangle one) so I can move things between a laptop and a tablet I use to control a CNC. Those don't have a key loop, but a very small loop in the mechanism to move the connector in and out. One of them I was able to use some thread to link a tag to it, the other I haven't bothered yet.

John