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- Re: Trying to do taxes with Turbotax

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04-08-2017 02:29 PM
I am trying to do my taxes and the 2016 version of Turbotax is not supported by my Vista operating system. Can I upgrade to Vista SP2 or above or can I get a better operating system since Vista seems to be being discontinued. What operating system would be best for my computer and how do I obtain it?
thanks,
TT
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04-08-2017 03:55 PM - edited 04-08-2017 03:57 PM
Assuming that you do not want to go to Windows 10, then Windows 7 should be a good fit. Most Vista computers can run Windows 7 without a problem. You might need to look for a reputable vendor because most are trying to sell Windows 10. Microcenter still shows Windows 7 for sale. Just be careful to buy from someone well known for being reputable
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04-08-2017 03:55 PM - edited 04-08-2017 03:57 PM
Assuming that you do not want to go to Windows 10, then Windows 7 should be a good fit. Most Vista computers can run Windows 7 without a problem. You might need to look for a reputable vendor because most are trying to sell Windows 10. Microcenter still shows Windows 7 for sale. Just be careful to buy from someone well known for being reputable
I'm not an HP employee.
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04-08-2017 04:35 PM
> I am trying to do my taxes and the 2016 version of Turbotax is not supported by my Vista operating system.
Microsoft will not be supporting Windows Vista after April 11, 2017 -- next week!
> Can I upgrade to Vista SP2 or above
There is no "above" Service Pack for Vista.
Windows Update on your computer probably has already downloaded/installed Vista SP2.
> or can I get a better operating system since Vista seems to be being discontinued.
Yes, after April 11, you will need to do "something".
> What operating system would be best for my computer and how do I obtain it?
Given that Vista was released in April 2007, I'm guessing that the disk-drive in your computer probably is close to TEN years old -- at least SEVEN years old (Windows 7 was released 7 years ago, in 2010).
The manufacturer's warranty on the disk-drive was no more than 2 years.
Would you drive your automobile on ten-year-old tires, or would you replace the tires?
Instead, find a computer-store that leases computers to businesses, usually for 3 or 4 years.
At the end of the lease, those computers are returned to the computer-store, "refurbished", and sold at a discount to "budget-conscious" buyers.
So, you might be able to find a 4-year-old computer, running Windows 7, that probably has DOUBLE the RAM of your current computer, DOUBLE the capacity of disk-drive, and DOUBLE the CPU speed. A nice upgrade!
Approximate price?
Probably around $160 -- anything the computer-store can get for selling "pre-owned" computers is a bonus for them.
A legitimate copy of Windows 7, if you can find it, probably is over $100.
Since Windows 7 will not be supported after January 2020, divide $160 by the 32 months between now and that date, and you will be paying $5 per month.
You probably can pull the disk-drive from your current computer, and mount it as a "slave" disk-drive in the replacement computer, to get access to all your personal files.
Also, your current monitor, keyboard, and mouse should work with the replacement computer.
Some printers & scanners & web-cameras are not supported by Windows 7.
Another source for low-priced computers is "refurbished" computers.
These are computers that were sold in a retail store, broke, were sent back to the manufacturer, and were repaired.
See: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?st=refurbished+desktop+computers
for: $99 US --- HP - Refurbished Desktop - Model: DC7800 SFF-0098 SKU: 5506833
•Refurbished
•Windows 10 Home 64-bit
•Technical details: Intel® Core 2 Duo processor; 4GB memory; 160GB hard drive
•Special features: keyboard and mouse included
[If you tried to separately purchase Windows 10, keyboard, mouse, RAM, you would pay more than $99 !!!]
Bottom-line: it's time to "responsibly recycle" your Vista-based system (keep the RAM, disk-drive, and DVD-writer).
04-09-2017 04:22 AM
If all you wish to do is load Vista SP2, here is a download source.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=16468
I'm not an HP employee.
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04-09-2017 09:31 AM
> Vista with SP2 will be enough. Where do I get this Service Pack 2?
To repeat, Windows Update under Windows Vista probably has already installed it on your computer.
See: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13858/windows-vista-service-pack-2-install
for information on how to determine if it has already been installed, and for details on how to download it, if necessary.
If necessary, do the download _before_ the "sunset" date for Vista, just in case Microsoft purges all Vista-related information from their web-site after that date (this coming Tuesday!)