topic Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax in Troubleshooting

Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

GaetanDickey — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 18:38:45 GMT

Hi,

I bought 2025 turbotax Desktop today. I installed on my Windows 11 computer and activated it with the licence code. I registered the software successfully. But, at the next restart of the software, it ask me te activate and register again. Is there a problem with the activation of TurboTax 2025?

Thanks.

Gaetan Dickey

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

TurboTax_Susan — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 22:00:51 GMT

Please follow below steps for TurboTax Desktop 2025:

Goto C:\ProgramData\Intuit Canada and check for umid file
If umid file exists then open a file "C:\ProgramData\Intuit Canada\tt2025\TTConfig.ini" and enter UseCustomUMID=1 at the end of file
Close and save TTConfig.ini
Restart the TurboTax application
TurboTax will launch as previously activated

If you are still not able to resolve this issue, please contact our phone support team for more assistance.

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

Gilles9999 — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 09:22:19 GMT

I had the same issue

needing to register again at the second restart of TurboTax 2025

but it stopped there, it never happened again for subsequent launches

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

TurboTaxAniqua — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:04:44 GMT

@Gilles9999 Thanks for the feedback.

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

GaetanDickey — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:40:47 GMT

Hello,

I tried to activate again and it works for me. Thank you.

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

Anonymous — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:43:23 GMT

So glad to hear 🙂

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

NGW — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:37:43 GMT

I have the same problem when trying to restart turbotax 2025 after activating and using it 3 days earlier. I have the umid file but adding UseCustomUMID=1 on a new line at the end of the .ini file did not help. Calling the customer support was useless as all they could say was it shouldn't happen so just use up a second activation to use the program again. I don't want to use up all my activations because I do wish to install it on my laptop etc. And who's to say this wont just happen again? I just had the same problem with turbotax 2024 not recognizing a previous activation on the laptop I was using last year. This is not good Turbotax. What now?

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

TurboTax_Susan — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 23:04:32 GMT

@NGW Are you using Windows 11? When you changed the umid file, did you do make sure to do it for the 2025 program = "C:\ProgramData\Intuit Canada\tt2025\TTConfig.ini" as I might have put 2024 in my previous post by mistake.

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

NGW — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 23:33:54 GMT

Yup, that fixed it. Sorry I should have noted that year issue myself but I just copied and pasted (like a lemming). Sigh... Thanks very much for such prompt and helpful assistance.

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

2manyyear- — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 22:10:18 GMT

Update: I kept searching and eventually found the files that you suggested updating. I did the modification suggested above, and it seems to have worked.

For anyone else facing this problem, you need to search

C:\ProgramData\Intuit Canada

in the File Explorer. It takes a while. Then open that folder, and you will find the various files mentioned in the Intuit Response above, in this thread. When you find the file, right click, and "open with Notepad" in order to edit it. Hope this helps.

What if there is no UMID file? I am having this "2nd Activation" problem, which seems to be fairly common. TurboTax needs to fix it, not send us editing hidden files.

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

TurboTax_Susan — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 22:09:27 GMT

@2manyyear- The error stems from a legacy utility being removed from Windows 11, which TurboTax Desktop previously to use to generate the unique machine id (UMID). We have already updated TurboTax to remove the code that used the removed utility. However, if you installed TurboTax before it was updated (and after the legacy utility was removed), then the proper UMID was not associated with the license. Changing the TTConfig.ini file forces the software to use whatever was used in place of the UMID.

If you don't see a UMID file , then please contact our phone support team for more assistance.

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

2manyyear- — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 22:13:58 GMT

Thank you TurboTaxSusan. While you were replying, I kept working on the issue, and eventually manage to find the files that I needed to modify. I have added some clarification to my original post, to help others.

Your explanation is clear, and I am very glad to hear that TurboTax has solved it for future users.

Re: Activation problem for earlier years of Turbotax

bertible — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 19:39:39 GMT

I routinely access past year Turbotax apps and files when doing current year taxes. As with the majority of users, I have a new computer due to Windows 11 requirement. I did add all of these past year TT apps to the new computer. However, when I go to the Program Data folder mentioned higher in this post, I only have 2 years of subfolders, 2023 and 2025 (I've had TT desktop since 2020). I need to run 2024 but the activation code doesn't work, and there is no TTconfig file to update the UMID. How do I activate these past years of TT?

Re: Activation problem for earlier years of Turbotax

TurboTax_Susan — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 18:50:24 GMT

@bertible Are you getting an error code when you enter the License Code? Are you using the same login info as you did when you installed TurboTax on your old computer?

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

user17744724463 — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:04:49 GMT

Bought the program at Sams work the program for two tax returns and I cann

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

TurboTaxAniqua — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:39:32 GMT

@user17744724463 You have reached TurboTax Community Canada. To receive an answer to your question, please post it to TurboTax US Community. Or you can get expert assistance by calling us at 1-800-4-INTUIT (1-800-446-8848).

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

ClaudioChiarot — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 03:57:59 GMT

I'm not impressed that I have to check for umid file and then enter code to try to activate your product. I entered the activation correctly not once, not twice, but several times on turbotax.ca/activate with no success.

Please follow below steps for TurboTax Desktop 2025:

Goto C:\ProgramData\Intuit Canada and check for umid file
If umid file exists then open a file "C:\ProgramData\Intuit Canada\tt2025\TTConfig.ini" and enter UseCustomUMID=1 at the end of file
Close and save TTConfig.ini
Restart the TurboTax application
TurboTax will launch as previously activated

If you are still not able to resolve this issue, please contact our phone support team for more assistance.

Now I get a message that says; "All available activations for that code have been used: Error code 603." I might be wrong but this leads me to believe the activation code I used for the product I purchased is the same activation code for products other people purchased. Are these codes not unique to each and every product?

I called [phone number removed] and as usual with every company, received an automated message. I chose send me an email. The email with the link I received is absolutely useless.

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

TurboTaxAniqua — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 13:39:43 GMT

@Tax20231 Are you using a shared licence code or have you shared it with anyone else? If not please contact our Phone support so they can assist you. If this is a retail purchase you would require to provide a proof of purchase ( a receipt) If it's not a direct purchase from Intuit they will find your order with your information.

Re: Activation problem for 2025 Turbotax

bbriansg — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:26:58 GMT

This is ridiculous. Not only did I have to activate a 3rd time, using up 3 of my available activations for a perpetual desktop license I have purchased, I also had to sign in to reply to this message and in that process, change my password and establish a user name. I did not want to do either, but was forced.

Back to the issue at hand. Why do I have to keep re-activating, especially when I don’t have the code with me and it’s tax day in 4 days? VPN is off and I am in a public place, so why would I disable virus protection, unless of course Intuit is admitting its software has viruses. Intuit, please explain, and quickly please