Run the TurboTax installer until the error dialog pops up. Click the close button since you can't go any further. Now press WinKey-R and type %TEMP% to go to the temporary folder. Copy the ckz_XXXX folder to the desktop. Select the Setup.exe file and press CTRL-C then CTRL-V to make a copy/backup.
Now use radare as follows:
Command | Description |
---|---|
r2 -A -w SetUp.exe | analyze and allow writing (thanks to @SureshotM6) |
axt str.CurrentVersion | look for references to this string |
s fcn.0041cc60 | seek to the function's location that was found in the previous command |
VV | Use visual mode |
p | optionally show addresses |
x | jump to xref |
l | seek to ref/xref |
( | reverse the opcode |
exit from visual mode | |
q | quit radare |
Now you can click on "Setup.exe" and install without error. (Note that the Verified publisher says "unknown" even though we only changed one byte.)
Paste these commands into a regular terminal window:
cd %TEMP%
cd ckz_XXXX
powershell
Now paste these command into a powershell window:
$bytes = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes("Setup.exe")
$offset = 120746
$bytes[$offset] = 0x75
[System.IO.File]::WriteAllBytes("Setup.exe", $bytes)
exit
Open the Setup.exe file and at offset 0x0001d7aa change the 74 to 75. Save it and you are done. Remember this offset only works with the version of TurboTax Deluxe mentioned above. If you have another version, follow the radare instructions above to find the right offset.
DISCLAIMER: This is for educational purposes only. Use TurboTax in Windows 7 at you own risk. It most likely will work just fine, but Intuit doesn't want to support older versions of Windows.
Thanks to scorpius, I finally managed to install TurboTax Home & Business 2021, the CD version, on a Windows 7 laptop. Here are a few "tips and tricks" based on my experience:
I had to switch to this top-tier TurboTax version for 2021 since Deluxe no longer allows you to enter expenses on Schedule-C! This is essentially a hidden price increase by Intuit! So, ensure you are installing the right version for your needs!
I used the more complicated radare2 solution since offsets could have been different for "Home & Business" version. It turned out that the function and offsets are identical in both versions! As a result, I think other simpler solutions listed above probably work for any CD version of the TurboTax, although I have not tried them!
I ran the original SetUp.exe, after backing it up, as instructed. But, No ckz_XXXX, ckz_, or ckz_* folder was found. No worries, though, since this folder was never needed!
Install radare2 in the same folder as the SetUp.exe or set up its environmental variables such that you could run it from any folder in the CMD Terminal.
Run CMD as an administrator. If radare2 and SetUp.exe are not in the same folder, type: cd C:<path to folder containing SetUp.exe file> Then, press return to run radare2 from the folder where Setup.exe resides. (Else, the first line of commands fails since SetUp.exe cannot be found by radare2!)
Type: radare2 and press return to run it. You can now start with the first line of code above: r2 -A -w SetUp.exe
All other commands should work as a charm. SetUp.exe will be edited and saved as planned.
Before running the revised SetUp.exe, connect to internet because Intuit updates the Fed and state software before installing them.
You should be able to use this revised SetUp.exe to install TurboTax on another "Windows 7" PC!
If you install the software on other computers, however, you can only access the same state that was downloaded on the first machine. Any other state will cost extra. (Indeed, Intuit may be relying on your location to download the state software automatically.)
Restart your computer before running the software, then disable its auto-update, after entering the required License code when prompted, and complete your tax returns!
Once again, let's thank scorpius for a job well done! And...
Good luck with your tax returns!