A friends wife died a yr ago feb 2011,how does he file his takes as married signal or something else.. when he puts the yr she died in the box that ask, it will not accept it.. so he is stumped..

If your spouse died during the year, you are considered married for the whole year for filing status purposes.
If you did not remarry before the end of the tax year, you can file a joint return for yourself and your deceased spouse. For the next 2 years, you may be entitled to the filing status Qualifying Window(er) With Dependent Child.
If you remarried before the end of the tax year, you can file a joint return with your new spouse. Your deceased spouse's filing status is married filing separately for that year. Your U.S. Tax Return: Filing Status for Married (http://taxipay.blogspot.in/2008/02/filing-status-for-married.html)