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Pro Series crashing

Ernie
Level 9

Pro Series 2020 - individual returns - when printing it will allow us to print several returns in a row and then it crashes.  Is anyone else experiencing this?

Thanks,

Dusty Ernie

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43 Comments 43
Ernie
Level 9

@Orlandois this a known problem?  We did update this morning (1/28/2021) to get the latest updates to be able to print.

Dusty Ernie

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Orlando
Intuit Alumni

Can you reproduce the crash, and in the message box that appears put "From Ernie, for Orlando" so that we can investigate?  We believe we have a fix for a print crash that we were seeing in the field but could not reproduce.. it would be very helpful to confirm.

Ernie
Level 9

So far no more crashes but if it does they know to send it with that in the comments.

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Ernie
Level 9

@Orlando  sent this afternoon.

Dusty Ernie

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Orlando
Intuit Alumni

Thanks, got it. Unfortunately this is different than the other crash we think we addressed (the fixed one was in a particular technology we use; this looks to be in a different technology we use).

From your other posts, it sounds like this happens sometimes? It is not reproducible at will?

When it does happen, is there any consistent pattern? For example, is always during batch print of 5 or more returns? Or is it always after choosing "Select which Forms to print" in an open return, after having been away from the product for a long time?  Unfortunately the print landscape in proseries is enormous - there's a bunch of different ways to print, and they all involve different code and third parties.  If we can reproduce a crash, we can fix it - the very challenging part is reproducing it. Any detail you can provide might be the clue we need.

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Ernie
Level 9

From your other posts, it sounds like this happens sometimes? (Correct) It is not reproducible at will (It is not)?

When it does happen, is there any consistent pattern (I am not the one that prints but I will ask that question)? For example, is always during batch print of 5 or more returns (we only print one return at a time)? Or is it always after choosing "Select which Forms to print" in an open return, after having been away from the product for a long time (I will ask)? Unfortunately the print landscape in proseries is enormous - there's a bunch of different ways to print, and they all involve different code and third parties. If we can reproduce a crash, we can fix it - the very challenging part is reproducing it. Any detail you can provide might be the clue we need.

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Adripi
Level 2

2020 keeps crashing to me, like every hour, regardless of what I am doing.

I reset the hostess environment 3 times and still it keeps doing it

 

Orlando
Intuit Alumni

What do you mean by "reset hostess environment"?

The next time you crash, can you put in "For Orlando, from Adripi" in the crash reporting dialog?

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AliceTP
Level 2

This has been happening to me A LOT. It seems to happen after I do a review and then save the file. It doesn't display any messages it just closes the program. Extremely annoying.

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AliceTP
Level 2

Just had multiple program crashes when I attempted to Efile client returns. Happened while the program was looking for acknowledgements.

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ceciengcpasf
Level 3

Happened to us a few days ago, with frequency increasing yesterday.  Happened a lot yesterday while efiling and printing to Pdf.

Could not recreate the crash. Restarts, stopping other applications running, not touching keyboard too fast ALL did not help.

Please sort this out Quick !!

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mpremuto
Level 2

Mine is doing the same thing...always at create pdf or print. Sometimes it will run without crash but seems to be more frequent.

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mdaddycpa82
Level 3

Having the same problem here....program is crashing frequently whether I'm in the middle of efiling or printing. Help? Any suggestions? Possibly a windows update I need to check on that's creating a conflict?

T-Tax Beth
Level 3

Having the same issue.  Crashes (ie program closes) randomly.  The frequency has picked up within the last week.  Is happening at different times while utilizing the program or as another user said, not even touching the keyboard.  No error message appears either, just closes out.  

I have run the Tools Hub multiple times, as suggested, and no fix.  Please find a solution asap!!!!!

Orlando
Intuit Alumni

Reposting this from another thread...

We know that some users have entered this state by way of an update partially failing (some of the files get updated; some don't because they are locked).  We think we've figured out why that happens in most cases and will have a fix soon. To get back into a stable state,

  • Restart your machine
  • Go to the Start Menu and Choose ProSeries 2020 -> Tools Repair Updates

If you've done that and it's still failing, then we need help isolating why this is happening. 

If you get a dialog titled "ProSeries Crash Feedback", just enter "For Orlando" from your userId here, provide as much detail as you can in terms of what you where doing at the time it shut down and submit.

If it's just shutting down without any dialog, reopen ProSeries, choose Help -> Send Logs, and email the resulting .zip file (saved to your desktop) to proseries_engineering@intuit.com.  Then we'll provide further questions and instructions there.

fredr
Level 4

Happens to me also , started last Thursday with the update before the unemployment update.

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Orlando
Intuit Alumni

Have you tried Restarting, then running Start Menu - ProSeries 2020 - Tools Repair Updates?

For folks where this starts happening suddenly, we believe it's due to an update not successfully updating all files. The repair should address it.

We know though that's not working for some folks, and that they have been seeing crashes all season. We're trying to reproduce and/or work with them to figure out what's going on.

TAXOH
Level 11

My crashes haven't been happening all season.  It just started happening to me after the latest update.  This is the first time I've ever had problems with the program crashing.

mdaddycpa82
Level 3

I have tried that yes, unfortunately with no success. Should I follow your instructions of emailing over to engineering? I don't get a dialog box, maybe one out of 10 times it crashes I do, but mostly it just crashes and disappears lol.

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Orlando
Intuit Alumni

Yes, please follow those instructions to mail your logs to proseries_engineering@intuit.com.

We're trying to find patterns and clues that can help explain what's going.

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Ernie
Level 9

@Orlando  still crashing regularly.  One thing we are trying that seems to work so far is not have the computer doing 2 things at once.  For example scanning documents while doing something in Pro Series.

Adripi
Level 2

really???? a week emailing each other and the problem is in the same point. your company is strict charging us for everything, on top of that they setup our competition giving turbo tax for free and having bookkeeper services link to the CPA with AI. Clearly Intuit do not respect or value us. do you know how many hours we have wasted with the restart, repair, etc. Who is losing that time/money? are we going to get a credit for the stress, time and money? 

UNACCEPTABLE - UNPROFESSIONAL AND DISRESPECTFUL 

mpremuto
Level 2

FOR ORLANDO

I used the Tools - Repair Updates after a reboot as noted in your email dated 03-21-2021.

I was efiling one of my client's returns and Proseries crashed. This has happened when I save, print and efile returns. It is not consistent and cannot be replicated on command.

It is very frustrating. Especially when it crashes while you are trying to save a file. I have had to re-enter data for files multiple times. I have been using Proseries since the 90's and I really do not want to make a change now but this is killing me!

mpremuto at [email address removed]

tykhaz
Level 2

Unbelievable!

My program Proseries basic is crashed all the time.

And it was recommended after crash to open Proseries, click Help and create a log.

Do you know what happened I got popup error message zip file cannot be created.

Two days ago I sent the error report what program offered me to do, no response.

Yesterday I spent a half of a busy day, first try to reach technician and then to spend for nothing almost 2 hours, to see what tech did and noticed that I did the same steps before him without any success.

I am using this software more that for 10 years, probably it is a last year with this company.

Shame on you!

LakeLife
Level 2

Same Same Same. What a mess Pro Series has created with that update. I have crashed almost 20 times today. And have done the useless tools; repair crap three times. FIX IT PRO SERIES. FIX IT!!!

mdaddycpa82
Level 3

I haven't had the chance to send over the zip file as recommended by Orlando, for obvious reasons, all I do on my end now is basically hit save before I jump from federal to state and back to at least not lose data entry. I can't send through multiple returns when efiling so I am literally sending one by one to help alleviate crashing, which works for a little but ultimately crashes anyway. I would hate to switch software, I have been using Proseries for 15 years, and I can't remember one of those years when I EVER crashed in the middle of efiling...now it's an hourly event.

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Orlando
Intuit Alumni

I'm sorry for the continued frustration.  To date we've found several causes for this, but are still digging into other cases.

- A bad Microsoft patch from last week affected a lot of people. Details/fix are here: https://proconnect.intuit.com/community/proseries-tax-news-updates/discussion/unexpected-behavior-pr...

- Also last week some people suddenly started crashing after a big update partially failed to apply due to locked files.  Restart / Start Menu -> ProSeries 2020 -> Tools Repair Updates should address that.

- Something still might have been released last week that is impacting some customers on some machines. ProSeries is a bunch of code written and maintained by dozens of internal teams and leverages dozens of external libraries and systems. We are working with all of those teams to see what  could be causing this. Unfortunately across hundreds of people here we have not been able to reproduce yet, and all Windows is saying is that an error occurred and it shut down ProSeries. Usually when there is an error Windows lets the program gracefully exit at least with an indication of where the problem is. That's not happening for this issue.

- A handful of customers have been having issues all season, as unfortunately happens ever year. To date these have usually eventually been traced to antivirus, backup, antimalware or some sort of system configuration.

In all cases my recommendation is to call into customer support. If the first agent can't figure out the issue, ask for an escalation.

Ernie
Level 9

@Orlando  unless things have changed a customer can never get to level 2.  Level 1 will text to them for you but a customer can never talk to anyone other than level 1.

This issue you are describing is exactly why Pro Series has so many issues. When you rely on the work of others you can never be sure that things will go well.  Do your own programming and you will have fewer issues.  Been there done that.

Dusty Ernie

Adripi
Level 2

all that trouble is understanding but the ONLY ones loosing money is us.

your company should start working on some sort of compensation for all of us, that is why we pay top dollars and we dont to the small companies 

Ernie
Level 9

Worst part is they roll out most of the fixes to Turbo Tax before us.

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gbman
Level 3

I should not have to repeatedly call in to have my 8 day old problem escalated. 

Find a solution PLEASE, and get back to us. 

KathyNY
Level 2

 I called support this morning, tech was very nice and we thought this shut down problem was fixed but

now later today, it started shutting down again but now at least a dozen times per hour.  I will call support again in the morning.  I'm backing up with returns to do and it's incredibly frustrating.

 

KathyNY
Level 2

I am having the exact same problem.

mappp
Level 4

Orlando,

I saw something in this post of yours that caught my eye.  When I was researching the 3/18 update for the unemployment fix, the Intuit Help article (Generating the Unemployment Compensation Exclusion) Intuit recommended "Locking" files for returns with unemployment that were already filed.  I followed this recommendation, and for the first time ever, I locked files.  I updated my files when the update was released and my program immediately started randomly closing.  I did more research on the Intuit site and it was recommended that I install the Tool Hub, which I did and  selected "Update Issues" and "Program Problems".  Multiple restarts, I did the Windows update, and I constantly check for Intuit updates to, hopefully, fix the program closing problem. Nothing has worked so far. 

 

I do not get any crash log, the program just closing.  I can be selecting a client from home base, working on the client, the program can be sitting idle, or most common now is trying to e-file.  Selecting multiple clients to e-file almost always causes the program to close.  If I select one client at a time,. I have a better chance of successfully e-filing, but no guarantees.  Last night I wanted to e-file two clients, the program closed three times.

 

My thought when I read your post......is the fact that I followed Intuit's recommendation and locked files the cause of the program closing?  

 

Calling tech support this year has not worked well.  One tech dialed into my computer saw the problem, couldn't fix it and I never heard another word  Other tech lied to me, took my efin and client's social,  said my return had been e-filed when in fact Intuit had a particular form problem and was holding my return.  And these results were after LONG hold times.

 

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mappp
Level 4

OK, maybe I'm just extremely hopeful, but I just did today's updates and then selected TWO returns to e-file.  Both returns converted and transmitted without the program closing.  Wahoo!!!  The program was stable all day with no unexpected closing.

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tykhaz
Level 2

Lucky you, I don't see any improvement.

It is still crashed all the time.

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danconti
Level 2

Mine crashes when I save a file, or when doing an Electronic Filing.

 

Very Bad.   Is there a fix ?

 

Over $1,000 for this crappy, buggy software.

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danconti
Level 2

Maybve we should re-name this thread...

 

"Better Software Alternatives For Next Year"

 

I'm done with Proseries.   Any suggestions?

mappp
Level 4

Looks like no unexpected program closing yesterday was a fluke.  Just tried to print two 9325 forms, printed one and then program closed.  I am now going on the assumption that Intuit will not be able to fix this and that I can just pray that they do not screw up too much more ( hello Form 1099-R Distribution Calculation for Covid related & 3 year spread concerns.)  Does calling it a "concern" make it less of a problem?  Reminds me of when the IRS computers crashed last year and the IRS called it "unscheduled maintenance".

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chasetax
Level 7

you might try this-under 'update' is 'refresh updates'.  earlier in season i had an issue and got to cust svc, she said periodically refresh updates to sync proseries and operating system-worth a shot

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Keese100
Level 1

i am experiencing the same problem,everytime I attempt to file a return electronically proseries is crashing.  I have completed all of the trouble shooting steps, to include reinstalling windows, with the same result.  I am contributing this to a software failure having to do with the Windows OS .net framework.  this is because i have installed the software on multiple systems, with no different result.  Intuit, you owe me a solution-$1800.00, my software should not be crashing like this, and now I am unable to file additional returns.  Currently trying to find a new professional tax software for next year because this would be depressing if we were in January /February of any tax year.

 

Roxie

richj13
Level 2

I had so many crashes. Several per day. Got better after March 31. Honestly, I am looking for a new tax program. I called support about the problems but support would not admit that it was on their end. I finally got support to admit that an update screwed up the program and it took several weeks to fix it. I still have returns that do not show in efile tabs. The only thing support did was help correct about 10 returns that would not show acknowledgment. Took 3 hours. I lost business because the problems slowed down production 20%. I could not get as many done towards the end and clients went somewhere else to be done by deadline. Also, after a broken program season, they are raising their prices. I ntuit sucks.

richj13
Level 2

Absolutely spot on. Intuit sucks. Some genius came up with a great money saving idea and screwed the program up. And they won’t admit it.

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