Q: Convert AOL username to Apple ID when I already use the Apple ID

No conversion will be needed for the putleyfamily since the poster changed the Apple ID from an AOL User Name to an email address long ago. Only people who are still using the old AOL User Name as their Apple ID need to do anything.....

Did I misunderstand your post?

Cheers,

GB

SNIP

 

Did I misunderstand your post?

 

Cheers,

 

GB

probably not... I probably misunderstood theirs - but I think I meant to say what you said - in my over-complicating way

buenos tardes, amiga

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I recently received notice from Apple that my old AOL username Apple ID will not be supported come the end of March.    I used my AOL username many years ago to buy a few apps and albums.  I…

From the previously link > and now a

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Convert your account

To convert your AOL Username to an Apple ID, sign in to iTunes on a Mac or PC with your AOL Username. Then follow the on-screen instructions.

Your new Apple ID will maintain your access to the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBooks Store, as well as all of the content you bought using your AOL Username. You can also use your Apple ID with iCloud and other Apple services.

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Thanks for the link ÇÇÇ! I think we are going to need it often in the next few weeks!

GB

You're certainly welcome. That document is pretty bare of actual facts and has nothing about what the experience might be like - I personally shunned AOL as a kind of Big Brother figure and never really gave it a 2nd thought til now - It would be nice if there was an illustrative step-by-step so we helpers that haven't a clue other than intuition could actually say something like "At Step 400, click such and such, then close one eye and scratch your ear."

I almost didn't get involved until I read the OP... how such a simple thing was Soooo confusing to me, I can only imagine how a casual user must feel.

best

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You might be able to use Family Sharing as a means to manage the two Apple IDs that you've now got. It'll let you access past purchases made from both accounts since Apple has no way to let you actually merge two Apple IDs.

This is the thing that's really confusing me.  As I understand it I have two apple IDs (one being e*** , which is linked to the email address e*** @ aol.com, and the other e*** @ aol.com).  Neither one is asking me to update anything when I log in to iTunes.  Does that mean e*** is already a valid apple ID, and I don't have to do anything?  I think I have the most recent iTunes (version 12.1.0.50 ).

Of course despite long conversations with Apple Support I haven't been able to play any purchased music since I got a new computer (it doesn't matter how many times I try to "authorize" and type my password, it just doesn't work) so my current plan is to use my old computer (which can still play the music) to burn everything to MP3s.  I have to admit I'm not particularly happy with Apple/iTunes these days anyway. 

OK, so something is not clear. What ID do you sign into iTunes, iCloud, Mail with? If it is not an email address, then it is your AOL user name. Are you saying you have an Apple ID that is just JOHNDOE? And then you also have an Apple ID that is JOHNDOE@AOL.com?

If so, then that may be the crux of your authorization issue also.

Again if you have both of those IDs, which one do you sign into iTunes with?

Cheers,

GB

Yes, I have both of those IDs, just as you describe.  I usually sign in with the johndoe@aol.com one, but I CAN sign in with either one.  They have different passwords.  I tried both of them yesterday (one after the other).  They both allow me to log in.  I am not getting a message to "please update your Apple ID" with either of them, which seems weird.  Clearly I have somehow confused the Apple universe.

Well, you do need to change your John Doe Apple ID to a valid email address (a different one from your aol.com address). You can do this without the prompts by going to Manage your Apple ID, sign in with the John Doe User ID, and then click on EDIT next to John Doe and change it to a valid email address. It will ask you to verify that email address: Apple - My Apple ID

Post back if you have any questions!

Cheers,

GB

Well, it let me change my apple ID from johndoe to a totally separate yahoo email address, which I subsequently authorized.  It still won't let me play my music on my computer though.  It says I bought it with the old apple ID (johndoe), and when I put in the new ID and password it says that the computer is already authorized, but if I then click on the song again (to play it), it tells me it's not authorized.  Infinite loop, same problem I had before updating.  But I did at least manage to update my apple ID I guess.

Try signing out of iTunes altogether and then back on again (or did you do that with the new ID already?). If you only have the one computer authorized, I would recommend de-authorizing it for each ID, then authorizing it again.

Post back if that doesn't work and we can determine what else you might do.

Cheers,

GB

I shut down iTunes, started it up again, signed in again.  It didn't work.  I have it authorized on my old computer (the one on which I originally downloaded it), but I'm kind of afraid if I deauthorize the computer on which the music actually plays, that I'll never be able to play it again, and that would be sad.  So I'm intending to burn all the protected music (which is actually a pretty small fraction of my total music library) to CDs/DVDs in MP3 format before deauthorizing it, because then if it doesn't work, I'll be able to re-import it and play it again.  I just haven't gotten around to it.  Maybe this weekend.

Well, before you go to all that trouble, check out the troubleshooting steps in this article that addresses the exact problem that you are having:

iTunes repeatedly prompts to authorize computer to play iTunes Store purchases - Apple Support

Cheers,

GB