Cannot Update Purchased App Store Apps ... Error message (You have updates

Whew...the solution in this thread solved my problem. Simple regeneration of the Spotlight index, and now I can update my apps. Thank you so much.

I get the same as original poster "You have updates available for other accounts..." I suspect that much of the problem occurred after i had to wipe computer and reload SL after a failed Lion upgrade. Long story short, I think my spotlight indexed itself before I restored all my software and user files. If that's the case then the solution of reindexing spotlight should do the trick.

On a side note, anyone else find it worrisome when told to enter a command "arch -i386 mdimport /Applications" for which no one seems to know what it does? Gives me pause...

mmb wrote:

On a side note, anyone else find it worrisome when told to enter a command "arch -i386 mdimport /Applications" for which no one seems to know what it does? Gives me pause...

I don't dabble in the command line much, in fact I fail as a programmer of any kind, but it doesn't bother me because it's not difficult to decode. The last part is obviously a path, the Applications folder. "mdimport" I recognize as a Spotlight command. "arch -i386" sounds like Intel CPU related. And that's before I look it all up. In the terminal you can type "man arch" to identify the "arch" command. Anything else I don't recognize I Google, because it's Unix and exists far beyond just Macs.

me too but apple acts like i am kidding them lol I keep trying to tell them it is on thier end and they tell me I am the only one with this issue lol. so they lie lol

Perfect solution!! Worked for me as well when Evernote update said the app was purchased with another ID. To those who chastized others saying the problem was the result of illegal apps,having a FREE app have the same problem proves that you don't have to be dishonest to have problems.

Ta

Sorry if I have missed this but I get the same error message as the oringnial poster but it actually states an e-mail account (username) instead of "Null". It is a user account I've never seen before and the e-mail enda @mail.ru

I'm in the UK and am guessing .ru is Russia? Should I be worried if my Mac thinks a Russian user account I've never seen before is a user on my mac? Have I been hacked?!? Sorry for novis question - just freaked me out a bit.

the proble is with spotlight you either have it turned off or it has becomed corrupted it you have it turned off you must turn it on

here is a ling on turning it back on http://www.technipages.com/os-x-leopard-enabledisable-spotlight.html

Once it is active allow it to index and it will allow you to update your purchases on ap store.

If it has become corrupted you will need to

1. open system preferences

2. open spotlight

3. select the tab privacy ( then add your hard drive to the privace items do this by clicking the pluss and then go down to the icon of your hard drive it should be at the bottom of the left side of the menu most are called macintosh.

4. restart your computer

5. Open spotlight and the the privacy tab again and remove the hard drive bye selecting it and pressing the minus sighn.

6. on you desktop the magnifying glass on the upper right should have the word indexing once it is finished indexing you should be able to purchase using app store again.

Thanks strangebirds for your suggestion. Let me say what was need on my computer to enable the App Store updates. I removed my HD from the privacy list (see System Preferences>Spotlight>Privacy) and then made some changes so that the Application folder was NOT in the privacy list or that of any of its parent folders. Some other users--I suspect many other user--having this problem may simply need to make sure there is a checkmark next to Applications (number 1 by default) in the Search Results tab of the System Preferences for Spotlight.

Summary: Spotlight indexing means that Appilcations can be downloaded again or updated from the App Store

--jk

PS the reason I wasn't indexing my root drive is because its SSD. My Users have their files on another drive.

The MAS was also prompting me to update iPhoto and then showing the "You have updates available for other accounts..." message and telling me to log into my wife's account. My iPhoto app was up to date so this had me scratching my head!

I finally realized that since Spotlight was being used by the MAS to verify the applications it was also looking at a clone of my wife's MacBook which was on a partition on the external drive connected to my iMac. it was the iPhoto app on the clone which needed updating.

The solution was to open System Preferences and go to the privacy tab in Spotlight. Adding the MaBook clone prevents Spotlight from including this in its search and now it only examines the apps on the iMac.

strangebirds:

Your solution (removing the startup drive from Spotlight indexing, restarting the computer, and putting the drive back into Spotlight indexing) worked very well for me.

I have two Macs on the same Apple ID. The update problme occurred only on the Mac that I used to change my Apple ID. No trouble on the other Mac before or after tha change of Apple ID.

So it may not be necessary to remove the startup drive (which is also where the app is installed) for normal purchases and updates. Instead, wait for trouble and then re-index the drive.

Many thanks for your solution.

thank u soooo much dude I solved my problem!!!!!

Here's a possible solution (or at least a further clue) for late-comers who have tried everything suggested here and are still having this problem...

I tried deleting apps, re-authorizing, re-indexing, etc. Nothing solved my problem. Until I noted a certain comment on this forum about Spotlight indexing a remote hard drive. Well, I happen to have a separate MacMini and a MacAir residing on my ethernet, and they both belong to a different user/Apple ID.

Spotlight appeared to be indexing these remote drives, and in the process, may have been getting the AppStore confused about who owns what. In any case, I added these computers to my Privacy list in Spotlight preferences, and my problem was solved. No more "You have updates available for other accounts..." It's downloading just fine.

To try this fix:

1. Open System Preferences.

2. Select Spotlight.

3. Select the Privacy tab.

4. Click '+' to add a folder or drive to block.

5. Browse to a network device. Be sure you navigate to the shared hard drive itself and not just a folder on that drive. Add it to the privacy list.

6. Close System Preferences.

Now see if your downloads will work in the Mac AppStore. Mine did.

Good luck.

Here are two solutions from Apple Tech:

Short version:

In App Store login window make sure FULL email address is in the "User Name" field. If not add it and then try to login....

Long Version:

If the above works, you'll realize you do indeed have two Apple IDs but with only one password. Let's call them, "Apple ID (A)" and "Apple ID (B)." Apple ID (B) is the one without the full email address. So I went to: https://appleid.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MyAppleId.woa/ I went to, "Manage Account." I entered my FULL email address, then password. Then I got the primary email address "Verified" for Apple ID (A)(the one with the FULL email address). I then logged out and logged back in using Apple ID (B)(just user name) & entered the same password. I made sure Apple ID (B) was NOT verfied.

So there's supposedly NO way to delete either account. But this is a way to live with it & still be able to function. Think of one account as the other's alter-ego. This may help in dealing with the two simultaneaously. In addition: I was told that in the future I may need to add a SEPARATE email address for Apple ID (B) and verify it.... Hope this helps someone.

@Strangebirds ---> Bingo! Excellent find. (Running Lion 10.7.2 - App store still depends on Spotlight!)

I turn off the Spotlight search from the root volume too. MDS and MDworker often "work" when they shouldn't, and I'm in Terminal too much to utilize Spotlight anyway.

Who would have thought... looking at the logs! 🙂

I kick myself when I (rarely) spin my wheels before realizing I haven't checked the logs!

Thanks,

S

(And now my CPU is at 100 percent...)

This method did not work at all. I have a brand new iMac and nothing is working at all! I do not have multiple accounts and I do not have an update for any app, yet the app store insists that I have an update to Angry Birds in which I dont even own this app! What gives?!