There are purchased items on the iPad error message

I don't know if this is a special circumstance that only applies to me, but I'll throw it out anyway because it worked under my conditions.

I was having the same problem after I had to reset settings on my iPad - 14 apps wouldn't transfer because it said this computer wasn't authorized, but when I authorized it it said it already was. And the apps, which worked before, wouldn't open in the iPad.

Then I remembered that sometimes when I bought an app it asked be for my iTunes account info, and sometimes my mobile me info, which iCloud was now using. I tried authorizing under that account, but still got the error.

Then I signed into the iTunes store under my iTunes account, and saw that the apps showed as available for download, meaning it didn't know I'd already bought them. I signed out, then logged in under my mobile me account, and the apps showed as downloaded.

So while I was logged into the iTunes store with my mobile me account I sync'd my iPad, and I didn't get the error message. And the apps also worked on my iPad.

So all I can suggest is if anyone having this trouble might have purchased things from iTunes under two accounts, to try syncing while signed in to the iTunes store under the other account. Hope this helps someone.

If you purchased items from the iTunes Store and the only place you have them stored is on your iPad, you can transfer them to any computer that is authorized for your iTunes Store account.

Besides there is a step by step instruction on how to transfer purchases from iPad to computer.

Hope it can do you a favor.

@ teayak -

This sounds like exactly my problem.. issue is that I got fed up with it and actually just deleted all of the apps that were not working.. Like you said they were on my ipad and worked fine... then one day I must have did a sync and they didn't transfer over..from that point on they would no longer open on the ipad either. Wish I had tried what you posted as I expect that would have worked.

thanks for the post. Hope to not have this issue again but if I do I will follow your advice.

Some good suggestions on this thread. I too was having a similar problem to some of you. Thanks to all who suggested to just simply "sync" your device, or to "right click and transfer purchases / select file, transfer purchases" -- all good advice. However, like the very first post in this thread, these methods were attempted multiple times with no positive results. In my case it was TV shows. I bought season 1 of a show from the ipad itself -- before upgrading to the newest OS, I got the warning, and saw that after several sync's, only 3 of the 13 episodes had actually transferred over from the ipad to the itunes on my PC.

My fix was trying all of these suggestions mulitple times, and restarting both the ipad and the computer, then syncing and transferring again. Eventually it worked, and everything finally matched, and was able to do the upgrade to the newr OS without getting the warning this time.

It is a huge failure on Apple's part that this has been a problem for 3 years now. I am trying to upgrade from iOS 6.0 to 6.1 and I am getting this cryptic failure. Apple has completely redesigned iTunes so that none of the internet's suggestions of what to right-click and click are valid. Yet, in all of their redesigning and rewriting, they have not added a button to the error message that would take you to the solution.

Apple, instead of having 2 buttons, Cancel and Continue, you should have 3 buttons, Cancel, Transfer, and Continue. Then you would save your customers thousands of hours of wasted time.

This fixed my problem. And so easy. Thanks!

[Before you update the software choose File->Transfer Purchases from "iPad Name", this will copy any books, apps, etc. to iTunes. Then update your software.]

For Mac users, it's File >> Devices >> Transfer Purchases from <device name>

I could find no "right click on the device" functionality in the UI as suggested in earlier posts.

And RichardBronosky, I'm with you.

Come to think of it, 3 buttons is a lame solution also.

iTunes should just check on sync and if there are purchased items on my device that need syncing, then iTunes should ask me once - then just do the job every time. We shouldn't have to "sync twice"~!

Thanks! For those people wondering where the File option is on, it is good to make the "Menu Bar' Viewable. I left clicked around the area where the Menu Bar would be and was able to select that option to view it and then followed crickfrompalo alto advice.

Eric

The solution to this is to use the menu option [File][Devices][Transfer Purchases] from the iTunes menu bar.

I find it so frustrating, and so typical, that Apple will put out an error message without bothering to explain, in the message, how to overcome the problem!

If you don't have the menu enabled may I recommend it. Hold the [CTRL] key and click B on your keyboard to see the menu.