Apple Authorized Computer for iTunes

[HCHTech]

I've got an elderly residential client experiencing problems with iTunes on his PC - recently, only some of the songs in his library are playable. Upon examination in iTunes, it's clear that the computer is no longer "Authorized". Choosing the menu item to authorize the computer gets the error that he has already authorized 5 devices, the maximum allowable.

Logging on to the Apple site with his AppleID and scrolling down to the devices section, I see an iPad and 4 identical listings for his computer - his only computer, I might add.

My first try was deleting one of the entries for his computer, so the website now only shows 4 devices, the iPad and 3 copies of his computer.

Going back to iTunes, I still get the error that you already have 5 devices authorized. Rebooting didn't change the symptom, so I figured it must take some time for changes on the website to sync down to the computer. So, I wait 24 hours, remote in and try again - iTunes still thinks he has 5 devices authorized. This time, I log onto the Apple site and delete the rest of the entries for his computer, so the only device left is his iPad. He gets his 2FA notifications on the iPad, so I don't want to delete that if I can avoid it.

iTunes still gives the 5-device error, so I wait another 24 hours and try again, no change. The computer isn't authorized, but when you try to authorize it, it says you've exceeded the maximum allowable devices. The Apple web site clearly shows only 1 device is now authorized.

What to do next? There is no "refresh" procedure I can find, and googling this error just gets me instructions on how to do the authorization. Has anyone been in this corner before? Is there a registry value I need to override or something?

 

[overburnz]

Call apple support see if they can help, in most cases they can

 

[timeshifter]

I recall the procedure is that you de-authorize all computers and devices then re-authorize things as needed.

 

[Porthos]

3 copies of his computer.

I would deauthorize all 3 copies and leave the Ipad alone. After that, I would sign out of I tunes on the desktop and sign in again. Also, make sure Itunes is also up to date as well.

 

[NviGate Systems]

You have to do a mass deauthorization, you are allowed to do this once every year or so. You need to "View Account" in iTunes and see where the option is. Or you can Google it. I've had to do this personally when I forgot to deauthorize a PC when reinstalling Windows.

I don't believe it's based on a hardware ID but something as part of the running OS, so some changes can trigger what you see.

 

[HCHTech]

I believe iTunes is up to date, and I signed out and then in again a few times, so I guess I'll check out the "mass deauthorization". I saw that option on one of the support documents, you're allowed to do this once per year. That limitation stopped me trying it as a hail Mary. Plus, if I deauthorize the iPad, I'm concerned that will muck up the 2FA, hopefully it defaults back to his mobile.

 

[NviGate Systems]

Deauthorizing should not effect 2FA. You are not signing out of these devices, you are simply removing the authorization to play DRM protected content.

There is a seperate option to sign devices out of iCloud etc, so be careful you don't select that one.

If for whatever reason 2FA stops working, and you don't get the code on the iPad, select that you didn't get the code and it will give you an option to send a regular SMS to his mobile #.

 

[HCHTech]

Deauthorizing should not effect 2FA. You are not signing out of these devices, you are simply removing the authorization to play DRM protected content.

Good to hear - I wasn't worried that it would screw things up by design, just that this action might cause some backend dominos to fall.

 

[Blues]

I have run into this personally log ago before knowing and then when forgetting that it had an authorization limit. I had to do the mass deauthorize 1 or 2 times before.