# All eras come to an end...



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Ok, tax procrastinator that I am, I downloaded the copy of TaxAct2015 not long before the big day such things have to be done. Installed it in my XP partition like always. It installed. And crashed, and crashed, and crashed.... Ut..OH! Well looking at fine print, seems TaxAct2015 now requires minimum of Vista. XP no longer supported. Yea like there is actually that much difference, but they must went out of their way to make it not work with XP. Frankly I only use windows to run couple offline pieces software, this being one of them. There is no linux tax software. Not wanting to buy newer windows computer just to do taxes. 

So search to see if anybody got this to run under WINE, the windows environment (think emulator though it isnt) for linux. You can sometimes get some windows programs to run ok with WINE. Yes it is possible to get TaxAct2015 running on WINE, though people posting test results were using massive bloated new versions of linux.

I use Puppy Linux. It was bit of a circus and two or three days debugging, getting all apples in a row, but I did finally find that WINE 1.9.7 along with ie8 installed by winetricks, and running in Puppy 'Tahrpup6.05' will let one run TaxAct2015 without windows. Runs very stable, just like older versions TaxAct did on XP. Just heads up for anybody else being aged out of newer software running in XP and not wanting to buy a new windows computer just to run couple offline programs once a year like this. But be aware getting a windows program running under WINE can be very time consuming and frustrating and sometimes not possible at all. If your time is valuable monetarily, might be just as well to buy a used $50 windows laptop with win7 or newer off ebay. I didnt have time to snag such a bargain, plus figured if I found a way not to need windows at all, so much the better.

Also somebody on Puppy Linux forum mentioned that Microsoft now offers free 90day evaluation images of all current windows systems. These are meant for developers and they can run in a virtual box environment on linux or mac or a different windows system and expire in 90days of download. But hey if you need to run a windows program once a year, this is yet another perfectly legit option. Be aware these are BIG downloads, better have fast connection.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

I recently purchased a used Win 7 computer from E-Bay for $60.00 with free shipping. Cheaper than buying the operating system, especially for occasional use. This was for someone else but with 5 years left on the Win 7 service life, this made sense to me. 

Mine was similar to this one from this same seller, but mine has a larger HD:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-LATITU...666290?hash=item3f61422c32:g:ljAAAOSwvgdW3I13


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

HermitJohn said:


> Also somebody on Puppy Linux forum mentioned that Microsoft now offers free 90day evaluation images of all current windows systems.


Better than that, Windows 10 is completely free until July 29th. Everyone is welcome to upgrade from 7 or 8.1 to Windows 10, even users who have a pirated version of 7 or 8.1. Microsoft says they're doing it because when people see how great it is to be a fully licensed Windows user they'll always want to be fully licensed. OK, fine... :bored:


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

You could always do your taxes online with TurboTax. No download needed.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Nevada said:


> Better than that, Windows 10 is completely free until July 29th. Everyone is welcome to upgrade from 7 or 8.1 to Windows 10, even users who have a pirated version of 7 or 8.1. Microsoft says they're doing it because when people see how great it is to be a fully licensed Windows user they'll always want to be fully licensed. OK, fine... :bored:


I dont have windows 7 or 8.1. I dont pirate and dont have the bandwidth to pirate some bloated whale of an operating system if I did want to. Dont think my XP computer could run win10. If you read my post, I have XP that came with my current HP desktop when I bought it used for like $30 when my previous pc died. It runs XP and Puppy just fine.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

mnn2501 said:


> You could always do your taxes online with TurboTax. No download needed.


Each to their own, but I dont share my private info online with third parties, not TurboTax or any other, no matter how much they holler they dont share it. Has nobody learned anything in recent years about theft of private info???? I still do my taxes offline, and print and mail my paper tax returns via USPS. Bad enough I have to share info with IRS, but dont have lot choice on that, they sort of threaten one with prison if you dont. Turbo Tax doesnt need to know my buisiness.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Nevada said:


> Better than that, Windows 10 is completely free until July 29th.


Free Microsoft spyware included!


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Belfrybat said:


> I recently purchased a used Win 7 computer from E-Bay for $60.00 with free shipping. Cheaper than buying the operating system, especially for occasional use. This was for someone else but with 5 years left on the Win 7 service life, this made sense to me.
> 
> Mine was similar to this one from this same seller, but mine has a larger HD:
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-LATITU...666290?hash=item3f61422c32:g:ljAAAOSwvgdW3I13


That would be way to go if one just wants to upgrade a windows system to run more current software and doesnt want to mess with linux plus WINE, nor running virtual operating system. Though I would look for one that could handle at least 4GB RAM. 8GB be even better. Modern windows systems are very bloated and very memory hungry.

But I have used linux for lot of years, more comfortable with it than windows. At least Puppy Linux, I was there when it was just a newborn Pup and it wasnt yet ready for use as as main operating system. Those first few versions were very crashy and couldnt do a whole lot. Now it can expand to do what any other Linux distribution can do without all the top end bloat. Even then it just made lot more sense to my poor brain, than most available linux distributions. Mandrake, that was first linux distribution that I used as main operating system. Available software bit lacking, basically only had option of a decrepit version of Netscape, but it was ever so much more stable than win98. Also ran BeOS for a while, that was better than windows or linux back then. Had almost forgotten, it came out around time of win95 and was a decade ahead of anything else available for home desktop. 

Just that some things like tax software are not available as native linux programs.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

Well Hermit it seems your best bet is to gather up all your receipts and download some paper forms, fill them out and mail them in. Of course there will be a late tax penalty but you already knew that. Good luck on this one. sis


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

sisterpine said:


> Well Hermit it seems your best bet is to gather up all your receipts and download some paper forms, fill them out and mail them in. Of course there will be a late tax penalty but you already knew that. Good luck on this one. sis


I guess some misunderstood my first post. I am not seeking a solution, I found one and am sharing it. My taxes are DONE, FINISHED, COMPLETED via TaxAct2015 and already mailed off. I managed to figure how to run it on Puppy Linux using WINE since TaxAct no longer functions on XP. There, is that clearer?

My post was to note for any running into similar situation that it sometimes is possible to replace a growingly unsupported and useless XP without having to upgrade computers or go to a newer version of windows.

For those of us that only keep windows around for occasional small things like this, its really annoying when software is updated to no longer function on system we have. Do you really want to spend money on new system just to run one piece software one time, once a year? And unfortunately something like tax software is by necessity updated every year. So one cant just stick with an old version.

And bless those that want to use a sharp pencil and read through those really tedious and annoying IRS instructions. I well remember those days. No other choice back before personal computers unless you hired somebody to do your taxes. It ruined an otherwise pleasant day and tended to take at least half a day, if not the whole day. Wont even mention that year in late 90s that I decided to play day trader and had literally hundreds of stock trades to enter, back then they wanted not just totals, but each and every trade in detail. The tax software not only reduces the tedium greatly, it also eliminates math errors, and prints out the forms automagically. No searching for forms or instructions or trying to download forms from IRS site.

So sure if you normally just do a 1040A or 1040EZ short form for a wage withholding refund and thats it, then using tax software is silly. You need to do the long form and bunch added schedules then depends how much you value your time and sanity. Time not so important, my sanity is. I think chinese water torture has nothing on filling out mindless tedious forms and reading through mindless tedious instructions. Then trying to find your worksheets from the previous year..... I understand some really get off on this sort thing, but I dont. I'll take software that can import info off last years return and be done in half hour any time. Once I had TaxAct running, probably took longer to set up my old printer and print completed forms for mailing than it did to do the taxes. I learned to only unbox my printer when needed. Leaving it set out in open when one has bunch cats can clog up the workings with cat hair. Plus it only gets used maybe once or twice a year...... taxes being the main reason to have it.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

HermitJohn said:


> Each to their own, but I dont share my private info online with third parties, not TurboTax or any other, no matter how much they holler they dont share it. Has nobody learned anything in recent years about theft of private info???? I still do my taxes offline, and print and mail my paper tax returns via USPS. Bad enough I have to share info with IRS, but dont have lot choice on that, they sort of threaten one with prison if you dont. Turbo Tax doesnt need to know my buisiness.


Most people post here for suggestions.
My mistake for trying to help by giving you a work around.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Ya Turbo Tax OR ANY of the ones you buy and d load own your computer and update each year are a great tool to use and have saved many people dollars over the years, after all even professional tax services just use a pre programmed tax form that they get from either their own suppliers or have their own made up. Ands then filing on line is so great a tool now days saves time and money.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

mnn2501 said:


> Most people post here for suggestions.
> My mistake for trying to help by giving you a work around.


Perhaps you might read the entire post before offering suggestions:



> I use Puppy Linux. It was bit of a circus and two or three days debugging, getting all apples in a row, but I did finally find that WINE 1.9.7 along with ie8 installed by winetricks, and running in Puppy 'Tahrpup6.05' *will let one run TaxAct2015 without windows*. Runs very stable....


But I did sort of bury my success. So again sorry for sharing.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

arabian knight said:


> Ya Turbo Tax OR ANY of the ones you buy and d load own your computer and update each year are a great tool to use and have saved many people dollars over the years, after all even professional tax services just use a pre programmed tax form that they get from either their own suppliers or have their own made up. Ands then filing on line is so great a tool now days saves time and money.


They are getting bit pricey, heard TaxAct is upping their prices and pricepoint marketing to mimic Turbo Tax and HRBlock. TaxAct had been the real bargain.

I am not convinced e-filing is great thing. You have to go through private third party that can copy your info for their own purposes. The less people with access to my private information, the better. Thats why I think the online tax software is bad idea. Small company called TaxSlayer that only offers online tax preperation software service, had their clients info stolen just this year. I would hate to be one of those unfortunate customers. Companies that have data stolen just say sorry, me bad, and expect customer to deal with the potentially very expensive consequences. You have to take them to court to force them to be responsible and make restitution, then its a long drawn out process where only winners are the lawyers.


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