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.
I ran into the same "infinite loop" issue. Several other "taxpayers" have experienced this problem, as posted on the last-year version of this page at gist.github.com/scorpius/b19023b74754bd8f55da067070d67ed5
I spent several hours trying to resolve "this loop" because hundreds of others have experienced this very problem on currently supported Windows OS versions, as well. None of the fixes worked, however. Since time was running out, I had to install TurboTax on a Windows 10 to successfully download and install the state return, complete, and efile my returns just before the deadline!
As a result, I think that another OS "check point" is probably baked into the TT installer or its .msi counterpart! We need to research this issue further, preferably with brandonwu and Scorpius leading the way! I have to tackle my backlog now since I spent too much time on my tax returns this year!
If you have not finished your returns yet, please get them done and mail hard copies to IRS and the appropriate state agency ASAP. They usually face such a deluge of returns that they normally ignore a few days of delay. If you cannot finish them soon, just file for extension and pay them a bit more than your estimated taxes due! You will then have until October 15, 2022 to complete and file your tax returns.
Good Luck!
Wiz