User Account Control Settings for ATX 2012 UPDATES???

[PaulaP15]

I am having a terrible time with the technical support of ATX. On Monday, I called the ATX support, was on hold for 35 minutes. The reason for my call was that when I tried to update the 2012 ATX in order to do a fiscal year 1120 tax return, I kept getting a message that ATX could not connect to the web server. I called my internet provider and they checked my connections & modem. I could access all other programs on the net but no ATX updates. Long story short, after 3 techs, 2 of which were supervisors, I was told the only way to have the ATX 2012 program to update was to change my UAC settings to "NEVER NOTIFY ME Of CHANGES TO MY COMPUTER". I was very upset about this and kept asking, "Why would ATX put us at risk of changes in our computers for updates?" No one could give me an answer. They kept saying the 2012 & the 2013 were two different programs and they could not tell me if the 2013 program needed the UAC settings changed, but they thought so. The Tech Support supervisor said he would get back to me but that was 2 days ago, no response on my questions. BTW, I was on the phone for over 3 1/2 hours. Not a good start after the fiasco we went thru last year. Especially being it was ONLY 13 DAYS INTO 2014.

I was quite hesitant about renewing to ATX 2013. I was assured the customer service was better. The person who is my account representative has not returned my calls, even though I have left messages for the past 3 days. I am quite concerned now about this tax year. I cannot go through that stress again. Has anyone else had this issue?

I am looking at ProSeries and Drake right now because it appears nothing has changed and no one has responded to a very important issue. Any thoughts on using Drake vs ProSeries?

Thank you all for allowing me to vent.

[Pacun]

If you have your computer very tight (security wise), you need to loose them up at least at the moment you do that update. Updating ATX will take about 10 minutes. Do you think you will be hacked in that lapse of time? Do you have any faith on your firewall and/or your antivirus programs to defend you for 10 minutes?

[Tax Prep by Deb]

Try this first. Close the program. Right click on program shortcut. Choose run as administrator. Once opened try to update. I don't know why, but it works for me.

[Jack from Ohio]

Paula, you can't use ATX and keep your security setting on "total paranoid." Make sure your router has a robust firewall in it, loosen the security and things will work. In fact, in our network, none of the systems, including the server, have any software firewalls turned on. This may solve your problem as well. The other possibility is "internet security" software. You only need ONE anti-virus and anti-spyware program. Remove all but one, and turn off all the other "junk" those programs put on.

Now your comment about 2013 has no relevance. I have posted many times that you must forget everything you knew about how the program installs, runs and updates that you knew for all prior years.

2013 is unlike any years before.

[PaulaP15]

Thank you all for your replies.

I have only one spyware & virus protection program and it has worked very well with me thru over the years. Second, my

concern was the changing of the UAC settings from the recommended default settings of "Notifying Me" of changes to my

computer to "Never Notify Me". This change was not just for ATX but for the entire computer and programs. I am not "using

a totally paranoid setting" while using ATX. I just wanted to know why this was a procedure to update the program when it

clearly is unexplainable by ATX's own techs and not a procedure that is recommended.

BTW,@ Jack - this was not a situation where it was recommended by ATX tech supervisor to turn off software firewalls, to adjust security settings on the ATX software or any such advice. The only way I could update the program was to change the UAC settings and the response from the tech was: " This is the only way to get the results and I have to get back to you on why this is the procedure." I think the term "totally paranoid setting" is offensive based on the fact that requesting a

clear & concise explanation is for changing global defaults on MY computer is not out of norm.

Now, I understand that 2013 program is SUPPOSED to be different from prior years, however, after what happened when using the 2012 and the customer support's terrible response and ability too resolve 2012 issues??had a similar experience this

year, I am not allowed to question why a procedure is in place to change global settings?? I am not supposed to wonder whyit took support 35 minutes to answer the phone and 3 technicians to tell me they would get back to me after 3 1/2 hours on the phone??? AND, it was ONLY 13 DAYS INTO THE NEW YEAR! It has been 3 days since that call and I have yet to have an

answer for the 2012 tax return that would not close so I could roll it over nor an answer to why I have to change the default settings. And I am not question this???

[PaulaP15]

@ Deb - Thank you for your suggestion!! It worked!! This simple fix will save a lot of time. Rather that having to change

my UAC settings, rebooting twice and then, working on a tax return, the logging on as an administrator takes only a minute or two to update the program.

Thank you! Thank you!!

PS - I was really under the pressure here as I have a fiscal year Corp return due Feb.15th.

[Jack from Ohio]

Thank you all for your replies.

I have only one spyware & virus protection program and it has worked very well with me thru over the years. Second, my

concern was the changing of the UAC settings from the recommended default settings of "Notifying Me" of changes to my

computer to "Never Notify Me". This change was not just for ATX but for the entire computer and programs. I am not "using

a totally paranoid setting" while using ATX. I just wanted to know why this was a procedure to update the program when it

clearly is unexplainable by ATX's own techs and not a procedure that is recommended.

BTW,@ Jack - this was not a situation where it was recommended by ATX tech supervisor to turn off software firewalls, to adjust security settings on the ATX software or any such advice. The only way I could update the program was to change the UAC settings and the response from the tech was: " This is the only way to get the results and I have to get back to you on why this is the procedure." I think the term "totally paranoid setting" is offensive based on the fact that requesting a

clear & concise explanation is for changing global defaults on MY computer is not out of norm.

Now, I understand that 2013 program is SUPPOSED to be different from prior years, however, after what happened when using the 2012 and the customer support's terrible response and ability too resolve 2012 issues??had a similar experience this

year, I am not allowed to question why a procedure is in place to change global settings?? I am not supposed to wonder whyit took support 35 minutes to answer the phone and 3 technicians to tell me they would get back to me after 3 1/2 hours on the phone??? AND, it was ONLY 13 DAYS INTO THE NEW YEAR! It has been 3 days since that call and I have yet to have an

answer for the 2012 tax return that would not close so I could roll it over nor an answer to why I have to change the default settings. And I am not question this???

You are always free to choose the path you think is best. If you have to choose to run the item as administrator, you need to recheck your user account settings. This is all part of the security protocols that I mentioned.

There will be NO fixes to the 2012 program. I know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that 2013 is TOTALLY DIFFERENT than any previous year. Not everyone at tech support is as knowledgeable as they should be. Trust me on this.

I stand by my statements as I have been using ATX since 2002 and take care of the network at my firm using the processes and procedures I outlined. I have also "fixed" several other systems for people using ATX for 2013.

The advice I gave is based on my knowledge and personal first hand experience. You may choose to use it or ignore it. I will not be offended either way.

[Gileam]

The fix is to simply right click on the ATX 2012 and select Properties.

Click on the Compatibility Tab.

Click the check mark box that says run as Administrator.

From here on out, The UAC will ignore ATX.

Disabling it is just one fix, but its not the only fix.

This also works on the 2013 program also.

[jklcpa]

PaulaP15, welcome to the UNofficial ATX forum. I'm glad some of the advice here helped you get up and running again with ATX.

You might find that perusing the topics and comments in the Other Vendors section to be useful, although there isn't much discussion about Proseries there. Although most here use the ATX program, this group does include some members that have moved on to other tax software providers. If you'd like more information on either of those programs, perhaps you should post your specific questions regarding those in a separate topic here, and Drake-specific questions in that subforum for those members here that are using it. We will try to help you as best we can.