Installing H&R Block And Getting MSI? Error

General Help
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Trying to run an install on Zorin for the first time. Fresh Zorin install. I added Windows App Support and Bottles. I tried to run this EXE with both (I think).

I don't think this error is showing anything but the usage, suggesting the command used to launch is was not right, but where's the command it tried to use?

I'm inexperienced at this OS and don't know what to look at when seeing this kind of error.

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Welcome to the forum.

When I was moving over to Zorin, one of the applications I was told it wouldn't be able to handle was HRBlock which I use once a year to do my taxes. That is the main reason I kept windows in a dual boot even though I usually go two or three months without accessing windows.

If you do find a way of getting HRBlock software (I use premium version) to run under linux I'd be very interested as to how you did it.

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Hi and welcome.

" H&R Block Deluxe has had mixed results when run under Wine , but it is generally not reliable or officially supported.

  • Some users have reported limited success with older versions (e.g., 2017) using Wine , particularly with the WineHQ AppDB listing it as having a "Gold" rating for compatibility. However, issues often arise during activation, with the software failing to recognize entered activation codes or crashing after installation.
  • A more stable approach is using CodeWeavers Crossover , a commercial version of Wine optimized for running Windows applications. One user successfully installed and ran HRBlock 2017 using Crossover, despite encountering minor errors during setup.
  • For newer versions (e.g., 2021 and later), users have reported problems such as activation failures and unresponsive UIs, suggesting that recent updates may have introduced compatibility issues not resolved by standard Wine configurations.
  • Due to these inconsistencies, Wine is not a recommended long-term solution for running H&R Block Deluxe. Instead, users are advised to:
    • Use the browser-based H&R Block At Home service (which works well on Linux).
    • Run the software in a Windows virtual machine .
    • Maintain a dual-boot setup with Windows for tax season.

Bottom line : While technically possible in some cases, Wine is unreliable for H&R Block Deluxe . The browser-based version or a Windows environment is far more dependable.

AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts."strong text

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Interesting but the browser version won't work for me. I looked it up on line and it is basically working remotely with one of their paid preparers. My situation isn't eligible apparently for several reasons so my solution of keeping windows around as a dual boot is the only one.

1 Like
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I've been running H&R Block on Windows 7 for a decade but H&R Block 2025 won't run on Windows 7, so they changed something. It looks exactly the same, so probably just compiled it with something newer.

The AI's like to say "do it over the web", but I'm not going there with my taxes.

@NickS, I haven't given up yet. I might have to resort to WinBoat, and that would be better than dual boot, but not as nice as Wine. This should all happen before April 15, so I'll try to remember to come back here and let you know where I landed.