Q: Lost App-Store purchases for Mac

You need to log into the app store with the same apple ID that was used to purchase the apps originally. The apps are linked to the ID, not the machine/disk.

MtD

logged into iTunes, looked up past purchases and it shows that I purchased FCP X.

WHere do you see that in iTunes?

WHen you contacted Apple did you use App Store support?

IM assuming your not seeing the app on the purchased page of the App Store.

Hope you get it straightened out quickly. I don't mean to point a finger at you but others reading this thread would benefit from knowing the value of and how to maintain complete backups of their system drives, especially if they are in a business or situation where losing their Mac means deep trouble.

I do not see no place on iTunes nor in the iTunes store that indicates my Apple App Store purchases. Pretty sure these are separate financial tracking systems, separate stores.

Are you absolutely sure your Apple ID was used to purchase FCPX? I ask because, here in my shop, my partner bought all of our software under his Apple ID and used his credit card. That was not a good choice, we realized very qucikly, but that was how we needed to handle the internal corporate accounting several years ago. We were able to fix that a few years ago but every now and then I get notice of an update that I ca't run because I need may partner's Apple ID.

There is something not right here. The iTunes Purchase History only shows iOS apps and iBooks purchases. You need to look in the Purchased page of the Mac App Store.

Do not use Apple support. Use App Store support in the front page of the App Store.

Thanks for telling me about that feature in iTunes, never knew that was there, kinda obscure until you know what to do.

Learn something new all the time around here.

Glad you got it straightened out.

CoreSnap wrote:

 

my GOD this couldn't have been any more ridiculous to figure out! haha Went to the App Store, clicked on "Store" in the toolbar, went to "View My Account", saw "Manage Apps", and there it was... HIDDEN! Apparently you have to "Unhide" your freakin apps to be able to download them! Wow... I'm not a retard when it comes to computers, but that was pretty overly complicated, as I went to "My Account Overview" straight on this site (Apple.com) and it shows every app i've purchased or downloaded regardless of OS X or iOS...they were all there! It's he same exact process on iTunes, just that (as Tom eluded to) only shows iOS apps, not an overall view on every device you own. So why this was such a 'process' is beyond me!

 

This is NOT the process in general. Either you did it, or a store glitch caused the app (or apps) to be hidden.

The capability of hiding purchases is very useful, but (unless there was indeed a glitch) has to be exercised deliberately.

I have purchased dozens of applications and more, and some of them I have no use for - I don't need to see "Mountain Lion" every time I go to the store, do I? I also bought apps or downloaded free apps I did not come to use, and don't want to be bothered with updates for them. Hiding purchases is there for these cases. I have never seen an app being hidden unless I did so explicitly. YMMV.

Both iTunes and the App Store are complete and utter garbage when it comes to finding purchased software. What idiot thought sorting ONLY by date purchased was a good idea. It is the stupidest, most badly designed software Apple has produced. And finding something in iTunes history is truly ridiculous. You can only see 10 or 11 items at a time, one month at a time, going back to 2003 without a search function. That is so far on the far side of FUBARed that it's in a different universe.

Thank, thank you for posting your problem!  I had the exact same thing happen to me.  I never would have gone to the "App Store".