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1a. TEST your backup to prove it has all the information you intend, and to prove you can successfully restore. If you do not prove you can properly restore, then backing up is likely a waste of time. ESPECIALLY if you are not self managing your backup (selecting files and folders manually). Backup assistants usually default to saving certain folders, which may or may not contain all the information you want to backup. If I had a $20 (inflation) for every customer who thought they had a solid backup, or had received something useful from their computer tech...

I installed Windows 11 a couple of months after it came out and I have had no issues but, I use my computer for business not for cool things. I have never had any problems with ATX not even when people were having a lot of issues.

I do a handful of nonprofits, some are charities. Of course, this year the NYS Annual Filing CHAR500 is to be filed thru the online system. Sounds simple enough. My first go around with this is still in limbo because the signatures are sent to officers via docusign, and in this case the 70-something year old officer got totally confused with docusign and we can't seem to get her straightened out. The second one to set up had not set up their online account yet - cause like most NPs they have no clue. So we went to set it up and the program said that the status had been cancelled. I know for a fact that they have filed every year and they should be good. Did a look-up in the system. Turns out that the 6-digit NY registration number that they have used for the last several years is assigned to another organization. I have records back to 2014 and we have done this return for longer than that. Nobody in NYS has ever noticed. SNAFU

I totally agree!

In all seriousness, if one has any concerns about updating their OS, it would be better to do a fresh install on another machine (or obtain a preinstall on a new machine), then move over your apps and data. Doing this will reduce the risk of issues exponentially! I have been using computers since just before there were consumer available models. I am still learning things which I would think are not issues. My recent, which I think I posted on this BBS (age related reference) was a built into Windows reinstall of Windows, and how it offered no options NOT to wipe out the "program files" folders. So while not falling into "line" for installation of the software I license to others (I force install into a root folder), I had ignored this option for most apps I use, and suffered because of my complacency.

That's good advice no matter which version of Windows you are using.

True story: Some years ago a client's daughter bought a car. She drove it well over 100,000 miles without changing the oil or any other preventative maintenance, never had any problems.

I've used ATX 2020, 2021, and 2022 with Windows 11--no issues.

Yeah, version 3.5 flunked, so I guess chatGPT version 4.0 now has a deeper knowledgebase. I read another article that chatGPT does really well at standardized tests but not so good as questions requiring in depth analysis. For example it does fairly well at high school and college level math, but poorly at Master and PhD level math questions.

You should be able to survive for the next tax season next year with Windows 10 but you should: 1.- Back up your data 2.- Run all windows critical updates now that tax season is over

I did not notice I dropped something where it should not have been in an engine rebuild. Broke in fine, practiced fine. But during the race, on a hairpin at over 80mph, when the engine froze, the mistake came to light. Thankfully there was good run off area.

Just read an article that the Minnesota House and Senate just passed a $.50 Delivery Fee on Retail Sales greater than $100.

This article refers to problems that certain users have. https://www.techradar.com/news/windows-11-is-so-broken-that-even-microsoft-cant-fix-it

But in a recession, the accountant majors still get professional offers while the business majors...not so much.

Hate H&W partnerships. Just sayin.....

Since prepared tax returns list the address of the firm preparing it, going after out of state tax preparers is low hanging fruit. I always celebrate whenever one of my clients moves out of CA.

You are assuming my/our clients have the sense God gave a goose and not email their own sensitive data. At which point, all we can do is save it to secure drives, delete the email *and* attachments, and instruct the client to do the same.