Opening Saved Returns

[Christian]

Recently I find a number of completed returns which have been saved to a thumb drive will not open. I have to import the offsite saved copy to open the saved file. Anyone else having this problem ? Of course the original return is on my C drive but that's the one that will not open.

[Jack from Ohio]

Recently I find a number of completed returns which have been saved to a thumb drive will not open. I have to import the offsite saved copy to open the saved file. Anyone else having this problem ? Of course the original return is on my C drive but that's the one that will not open.

Saving returns that way is chock full of problems. When trying to import, if there have been program updates, or critical form updates, the import will not be successful.

The idea of saving by exporting was a desperation method for 2012.

If you want to save to an external drive, use the backup to external drive process. From return manager click on returns, then choose backup. There is a button to "Copy backups to a local storage." You can choose the returns you wish to backup to the external source and choose the location of the source.

Storing files by exporting does not include all information. The backup function works for 2013.

For a file that will not open, try restoring from the backup instead of the exported file.