Error 1603: "A fatal error occurred during installation or updating"
Updated: 2/25/2013
Article ID: SLN12237
Error 1603: A fatal error occurred during installation or updating occurs in TurboTax for Windows 2008 and later versions.
Possible Causes
This error can occur when the Microsoft .NET Framework Installer cannot install and/or update your system. Possible causes include:
- Damaged Windows file and folder permissions
- Damaged Windows Registry key permissions
- Damaged Microsoft .NET Framework installation
Solution
If error 1603 occurs while updating TurboTax, your best bet is to download and install a manual update.
If error 1603 occurs while installing TurboTax (or in other situations), it may be related to the .NET Framework. See our comprehensive article on Troubleshooting Problems with the Microsoft .NET Framework for more help.
Note: We also suggest using Windows Update to ensure that your operating system is up to date, as this can resolve a 1603 error.