How do I manually download and install an update?

The easiest way to download and install a CFS program update is from within the program. (See How do I download and install an update from within the program?) However, in some situations that is not possible, and it is necessary to manually download and install the update.

Before downloading the update, determine the program version currently running by selecting About... from the program's Help menu. Make a note of the program version number.

Next, go to www.taxtools.com to determine the latest update posted for the program.

In most CFS programs, you can open your default web browser to www.taxtools.com by selecting CFS on the Web from the program's Internet Options menu.

On the CFS website:

  1. Select Software Updates from the Downloads menu, or click on the Software Updates button in the section titled Quick Links.
  2. On the CFS Software Updates page, click the link for the program you wish to update.
  3. The program's Updates page lists the latest updates available for each year, starting with the current year.

The left column shows the date Released, Version number, Type, and Size of the update file. Check the version of the update against the version of the program you have installed. If you wish to know what changes are included in the update, click the Update History link above the Download button in the right column.

If you determine that the update should be installed, click the Download button to download it. The dialog box that pops up will depend upon the browser you are using. By default, most browsers will save the file to your Downloads folder.

Do not change the filename of the downloaded file. The filename provides important information: the first two characters indicate the program (e.g., 'PR' for Payroll); the next two characters indicate the year (e.g., '20' for 2020); the next three characters indicate the update number. If the filename ends in 'u', it is an update installer, and should not be used unless the program has been previously installed. If the filename does not end in 'u', it installs the full program.

When the file has finished downloading, some browsers will allow you to run it from within the browser. If not, look for the file in your Downloads folder, and double-click on it to run the update.

If the update needs to be run on another computer without Internet access, copy the file to a flash drive or other medium that can be read by the other computer, and run it at the other computer.

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