iTunes store temporarily unavailable?

I'm getting "Session Timeout"

Exact same thing happening on my end. After "X Updates Available" in the apps section of iTunes, I can't get to the app store, but I can still access other parts of the store. The only thing that appears to be broken is the page that tells me my updates. I can still update by visiting the updates section on my iPod, but I can't do it through iTunes.

I've had this problem now for about a week or two, and it's getting tiring.

Using a MacBook Pro with OSX 10.6.5, so it's not just a Windows problem.

im getting the same message "we could not complete your itunes store request the itunes store is temporarily unavailable please try again later"

had just brought a itunes card to redeem so i can buy new tunes can get into the store if i search a artist

is there any other way to redeem my card?? xs

I have been getting this same message (the itunes store is temporarily unavailable please try again later) for several weeks. Have tried all the "fixes" mentioned here (I think) and still get this message. I am trying to spend my money and they won't let me!

I'm getting the same message too. I love how Apple's first response is it's always our fault and they act like they've never heard of this before. THEY changed something because this isn't an isolated case all of the sudden, there are too many people having the same issue.
They basically just want all of us to upgrade our systems and spend more money on system software and new hardware. IF this doesn't get resolved, I'm buying a pc next time cause I'm tired of this crap from apple. And I'm a life time mac user.

Im getting the same message. Found that i could search a song and was able to DL it. But i cant get in to redeem a card ... i tried to up date the itunes to the new one and ran into some kinda problem with the down load... back to square one.. frustrated

Timing out when I try to search. I could, however, grab the new free Dooran Dooran single. Kewl.

If you're trying to use an iTunes card, just go to the store link located at the top, select view my account and select edit payment info. Where it asks for a credit card, select "none" and another option will appear asking if you have a gift card/certificate to redeem.

I uninstalled version 10. It was slow & took forever to search for songs. I seemed to get real crappy results too when I searched. Went back to version 8. It's faster, and I get way more results when I search. Anyway, since I did this I also get the "temporarily unavailabe" message when I try to access the store. I can search by artist, song, etc., & download & purchase music. Just can't use the home page, which is fine with me. I think it wants you to update to the latest version of iTunes to get to the home page. Would rather have the better search results & run much faster & smoother. I think the only thing we're missing out on is the home page always displays the latest releases. Otherwise, I think you can work around it and still access everything else. Hope this helps.

I still cannot access the store. Says it's temporarily unavailable day 3. i'm using 7.0 and my PC can't handle 10.0 -- suggestions/

I too have been having this problem. I discovered that I can use the search function for the store and get to it but this is not the way this has worked in the past. I had ITunes 9.2.1.5 installed when this started so ungraded to 10.0.0.68 then to 10.1.0.54 then back to 8.2.0.23 and it still does it. This is an Apple issue that they apparently have not fixed and it is rather annoying. No firewall or virus programs on my computer are blocking it.

Further, I can not sync all my audio and video podcssts to my IPod (Ipod Classic 5th generation using Windows XP SP3). They are downloading to my computer but will not sync to the IPod. Some are syncing okay but not all. In the past I have about 30+ podcasts to which I subscribe and now about 10 are still syncing to my Ipod. I am getting the following message at the end of each sync:

Some of the songs and videos in your Itunes library, including "X" were not copied to the Ipod "Charlie Zachry's ipod" because they can not be played on this Ipod.

X = Download 2, 1116071533,1116071526, 1116071527.

The added information for this message says file types are not supported by my Ipod. I did a search on my computer to see if I could find these four file names. Could not find. The podcasts that are not being synced have the same file types (M4V - MPEG-4 video and MP3 - MP3 Format Sound audio) as the ones that are syncing. I don't get it. I think I read on this or other forums somewhere that there are file(s)that can be deleted which will resolve this issue but I do not know what those files are. HELP!

I was also having trouble with the Ipod not ejecting automatically after a sync but when I reverted back to 8.2.0.23 that was fixed. In short, you had to manually eject the Ipod.

These issues started in November I think and I have now tried everything to fix them without success. I am about to write Steve Jobs a letter on these issues outlining how very poor Apple support appears to be but I am writing this final report to see if there are any possible answers out there first that I have missed or have not tried. I tried all of them I think. I remain surprised that this has not been addressed by Apple since they do not appear to read their own forum and see the same thing over and over again. It is influencing me to not invest in any more Apple products until this is resolved.

Czachry, the store personnel do read the posts but most of the time never get involved in the forum with customer guidance or even choose to comment (at least outwardly).

If they ever fix this problem, they will reply on this thread eventually with an announcement that the problem has been fixed (notice I used the word "if" which I never thought I would be ever be using for any problem in the store, let alone this one).

Which customers in their right minds (including myself) would have logically anticipated at this point that this problem that started on New Music Tuesday, Nov. 2 would now be sneaking up on Christmas still unresolved?

Christmas???? Can you imagine how amplified the affected customer problem will multiply to with all those new gift cards on those Christmas tree limbs to redeem if these newbie customers can't even get past the home page, do not know what the shortcut workarounds are, or even how to access their own account? More fascinating drama on the way soon I predict with that situation.

I still have this issue but can get to the store by using the store search function but this IS NOT THE WAY IT SHOULD AND HAS WORKED IN THE PAST. I am wondering if Apple changed the IP address for the store home page but failed to change it somehow in the Itunes software. Since I have seen no further discussion of this issue here, has Apple resolved it in later versions of 10.X.X than I am using? I had version 10.1.0.54 installed when it was still doing it.

I cured some of the file sync problems by finally finding the files which the Ipod could not support. They were not in the M4V format. Why they were trying to be synced to the Ipod I have no clue. They were not showing up in the files for Itunes and were apparently hidden somewhere in another folder under "My Movies". The search function in Windows XP could not find them so that made me lose faith in that search function. I deleted them using the movie folder in Itunes and that cured that issue. I resubscribed to two of my old podcasts which I had deleted and were not syncing and they still will not sync. Itunes says they were not synced because the format was not compatible with what the Ipod supported. The format is Apple M4V just like the others that will sync. I am now running Itunes 8.2.0.23 and afraid to upgrade any further with all these issues. There is a function in Itunes that allows you to CONVERT the so called format that they say is not supported to a movie format that is supported. After the conversion, it puts the podcast in the movie folder of Itunes and that did sync for me okay. I tried it and it does work BUT I don't think you should have to do this for podcasts. This issue may have something to do with the producers of these unsyncable podcasts putting some of them in HD or something which still has the same Apple M4V format. I am at a total loss as to why some podcasts sync fine on my Ipod Classic 5th generation and some have not all of a sudden. I am running software version 1.3 on my Ipod which Apple says is the latest.

Any of you bright people out there have any idea I would very much like to hear it? I will try anything that appears reasonable.

I also have the same problem with Tiger and ITunes 8, so it is not just a windows problem.
Can only use the store using search.
Enter for example the name of a podcast e.g. "Friday night comedy", then click BBC on the right side then "podcast" in the breadcrumb at the top of the page, and you are finally at the home page. Don't click the home symbol or you get the same message.
Then you can click (top right) to cash in an itunes gift card on your already signed in account (use Store>sign in from the iTunes menu to sign in).
Can we have a fix soon please Apple? Probably needs an update of iTunes 8.

This is driving me nutz as well. I'm on a Mac and I started getting this message on Dec. 20. I suspect a bug has been introduced in the latest version of iTunes - 10.1.1 (4).

Any thoughts Apple or anyone out there?

Apple iTunes Support got back to me yesterday stating they believe it's an issue with MobileMe and not iTunes. I have been bounced to MobileMe support who I'm waiting on a response. In my case I can sign into iTunes with my own account (main MobileMe address in family pack) but I can't get iTunes to accept the sub-accounts used by my family members. Each time it ask to review and confirm their account information but then pops up a window stating "your request cannot be processed at this time. Please try again later". Their iPhone 4 which they'll open for Christmas tomorrow will work to make calls but they won't be able to download anything from the iTunes music app or from the App Store app. This in essence makes both iPhone 4 regular cellphones instead of smartphones. As a long time Apple customer who uses their products for both business and personal use I'm not impressed.