Installation Toolkit - UltraTax CS

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New (tax) year, new help!

Fixed Assets and UltraTax CS 2023 help is now on Help and Support. We're still moving articles, but you can find most content for the 2023 tax year there. Continue using the Help & How-To Center for tax years 2022 and older.

Follow this guide to ensure the successful installation and operation of UltraTax CS.

Before installation

Prepare to install

Failure to complete these items could result in error messages and program failures throughout tax season as you attempt to update, install state products, open the program, and transmit e-files. Consult your IT professional for assistance with these recommended tasks. 

  1. Turn the Windows User Account control to "Never Notify". If changes are made to the User Account Control settings, a reboot is required for them to take effect.
  2. Confirm you are an Admin-level user.
  3. Unblock the installation file to prevent the File downloaded from the internet" warning:
    1. Right-click on the installation file and select Properties.
    2. In the General tab, if it exists, click the Unblock button next to Security: This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer.
    3. Click OK on the Properties dialog.
  4. Create antivirus exceptions. Do not temporarily disable your antivirus as a workaround; this is ineffective.
  5. Create firewall exceptions. Do not temporarily disable your firewall as a workaround; this is ineffective.
  6. Set Windows permissions.
  7. For terminal server installations, review the Terminal server best practices for CS Professional Suite applications.

Determine program location

By default, UltraTax CS will install to the same installation path used in previous UltraTax CS installations, or to C:\WinCSI if this is the first installation. To install to a different location, click the Browse button to change the path. If you choose a path other than the default, it is up to you to decide which path to choose. You are also responsible for creating the installation path, including mapping any necessary network locations and creating folders.

For a standalone installation, sit at the workstation where you want to install UltraTax CS. For a Local Area Network based server, sit at a workstation or the server itself. For a Terminal Server, see Terminal server best practices for CS Professional Suite applications for installation examples and procedures.

Download the installer

Go to the workstation or server where you want to run the installation from. See the previous section for instructions on where to sit.

  1. Open the CS Professional Suite download page and sign in to your account.
  2. Click the link to download the needed year of UltraTax.
  3. Click the Proceed to Download link, and then click the Download Now button.
  4. If you are given the option to Run or Save the download, choose Save. If you attempt to run the installation file rather than saving it, the program will not install properly and you may have issues moving forward.

During installation

Run the installer

Complete the following steps to run the installation file:

  1. Navigate to the folder where the file was downloaded.

    With Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox open, press CTRL+J on your keyboard to open the download history.

  2. Find the downloaded file UTDownload_2018.exe.
  3. Right-click the file and select Run as Administrator.

Installation options

When the installation begins, wait for the files to extract. Then, click Next to begin the installation. You must read and accept the license agreement to proceed with the installation. After agreeing to the license agreement, you will be taken to the UltraTax CS Product Selection dialog with the following options: 

  • Installing to: This is the location where the program will install. If the path is not correct, navigate to the path you chose in the "Determine installation location" section above.

  • Licensing information: Enter your Firm ID and PIN. See Managing your license PIN for instructions on how to change or verify your license PIN. 

  • Install products: Mark this box and choose Install available licensed UltraTax CS products. If you prefer to choose individual UltraTax CS products (such as 1040, 1120, or 1065), choose Install selected UltraTax CS Products instead.
  • Install UltraTax CS Product Group licenses: We recommend unmarking this box to defer installing licenses until after UltraTax CS products are installed. 
  • Add desktop shortcut icons: This option will give you a desktop icon. We recommend marking this box.

After making your selections, click the Install button. The rest of the installation process is automatic. Click the Finish button to complete the installation.

Run the desktop or workstation setup

After completion of the program installation, you may need to run the desktop setup to get a program icon on the desktop for other workstations. You can find instructions in UltraTax CS: Workstation setup (desktop setup). 

Standalone workstation installations

The desktop setup for your workstation was completed during the installation. You do not need to run it again unless you lose your desktop icon or as a troubleshooting step for other installation issues. 

Local Area Network based installations

You need to run the desktop setup on each machine that needs access to the program.

Terminal Server based installations

If users will remote in to the server where you installed UltraTax CS, you do not need to run the desktop setup. The server should already have a desktop icon once the full program installation is finished. If there is no icon, run the desktop setup on the server.

Troubleshooting installation issues

The Firm ID and PIN entered do not match our records

If you receive this message, your firm's Licensee or Firm Delegate needs to log in to the My Account page and click on Manage Firm to verify or change the license PIN. For more information on changing your PIN and recent license PIN policy updates, see Managing your license PIN.

Installation failed or other errors

If you receive a message that the installation failed:

  • Rename the UTYY folder, where YY represents the last two digits of the year version of UltraTax CS, prior to attempting the installation again. The UTYY folder is located at X:\WinCSI\, where X represents the drive where the application is installed.
  • If the error references error logs or log files, see Reading UltraTax Installation Logs.
  • If there are no error logs, review all the recommendations in the "Preparing to install" section of this article above and verify that all preparation was completed successfully.
  • If the steps listed above do not resolve the errors, your IT Professional can follow How to perform a clean boot in Windows to determine whether a background program is interfering with the installation.

Trending issues and important information are posted on the UltraTax CS alerts and notices page. If you experience any problems with the installation, check the alerts and notices to see if your issue is a common one and read about possible solutions.

After installation

Once the installation is complete, you can open the program.

Install licenses

If you chose not to install licenses during the installation (recommended), open UltraTax CS and choose Help > About UltraTax CS, then click the Download Licenses button. 

Install states and updates

State products are typically released in January. You can see the release dates on the Product Releases section of the Home Page. From that page, hover your mouse over the state to see the date. Once the states are released, states will automatically download and install the first time you add the state to any client. You can also download and install them manually through CS Connect; see Retrieving initial state releases for PRP use.

UltraTax CS detects new updates automatically and downloads them by default. If you leave this turned on, the program will download updates in the background and apply them each time you close/reopen. To manually update, see Downloading and applying updates.

Annual or first-time setup

First-time customers: You will need to complete the initial setup. See Configuring UltraTax CS as a new user

Returning customers: You may want to start by bringing your data forward from UltraTax CS 2017. See Items that proforma to find out what proformas automatically and what you need to manually proforma.

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