You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

To update this application, sign in to the account you used to purchase it.

Some of my apps have available updates but this is the response I get when I try to update: "To update this application, sign in to the account you used to purchase it." I am bewildered since I only have one account that I am already signed into. How do I get the apps to update? What account is the app store talking about?

Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Mar 24, 2011 11:45 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 24, 2011 12:11 PM

Trash the apps, resart the App Store, and the update button should read install.

App Store still has bugs...

Thanks ... Ken
92 replies

Aug 23, 2012 2:26 PM in response to iJRB

Thanks for the reply, but actually I got the macbook pro with iphoto and imovie already installed... so there is no "original user"... this is just a bug.

I don't have any "original media" - the macbook comes with no media.

I have raised a ticket, and asked for support to call me. I find this extremely frustrating because this is a brand new machine, exhibiting problems in updating the very bundled software that ships with it.

Additionally, I have no "other" apple ID - just one.

Aug 23, 2012 3:59 PM in response to dmauas

Dmauas -

Sounds like its very close to exactly the same experience I had trying to upgrade to ML on a brand new retina mbp (had ordered it before ML was released but got it after... I had hoped that apple would have had it already pre-installed)


The apple support team fixed me up.


Took me about 45 min on hold most of the time while they had to escalate it to a higher level support as well as get either or both iTunes store & app group involved. Don't recall exactly who but someone else.


Once they credited my acct it all got done and worked - and is working.

Sep 20, 2012 5:49 PM in response to xmit

This is going to sound weird, but it worked for me. I was having issues dling on a new mbp 13" and kept getting the same error. So I tried signing out, was still available to update, so I clicked it while signed out. Input my login information and the download started right up? Glitch? Maybe? Worked for me, maybe it will work for others

Sep 22, 2012 6:11 AM in response to xmit

I've fixed it for iPhoto another way. This may not work for all as you need to manually download the file from Apples website and only iPhoto seems to be available.


First of all I tried the other suggestions here but nothing worked. However doing it my way I kept the main HD unindexed in Spotlight as an extra 'help'. So to start with as others have suggested stop Spotlight indexing your main HD. Then go to iPhoto > 'Show package contents' and remove the _MASReceipt folder. Restart the app store and you should see that the app now says its available to purchase. This shows the first step has worked.


Now download iPhoto 9.4 from Apples software page http://support.apple.com/downloads/#macosandsoftware. Because you have taken out the MAS_receipt folder the app store now thinks it wasnt bought through the store and so the manual 9.4 download is allowed to install.


The only downside is that you may have to manually update again the next time as it wont be registered as bought through the store unless you get the option to 'accept' which I have personally never seen for ANY app.

Oct 6, 2012 6:17 AM in response to xmit

I have bought a Macbook Pro with Lion pre installed about a year ago.


At the time I installed XCode via the app store using the only apple store account I have and using the only user account I have on my mac ever since.


Now I'm getting "To update this application, sign in to the account you used to purchase it." when I try to update XCode via the app store.


None of the suggested workarounds worked out for me so far.


I'm now attempting to download the DMG from the Developer Portal directly and see if it works.


Does anyone have had success updating via the app store?

Oct 11, 2012 6:05 PM in response to xmit

I had this problem with a app and found a solution on the net. Control click on the app shpw package contents/ Go into contents folder find MAS reciept folder and trash the reciept, Open app store and install the app. Not sure if this works for every app. My app in question was Day One journal app

To update this application, sign in to the account you used to purchase it.

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.