Unable to update bundled iMove/iPhoto/GarageBand?

And yet as we can see from this Apple Knowledge Base article regarding restoring the bundled iLife apps, that Neville's comment was not a red herring at all, just perhaps some faulty terminology; Accept instead of Redeem. Logic would tell us that the same or similar steps would need to be taken with a newly purchased Mac to opt the bundled iLife apps into a users MAS account. Especially in step 5 where it discusses not having previously accepted the bundled apps.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

Restoring iLife applications after Internet Restore of OS X Lion

If you reinstall Lion on a new Mac that shipped with OS X Lion installed, on an erased or replaced hard drive, you can download iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand from the Mac App Store.

1. After installation, start from Lion.
2. Double-click the App Store icon in the dock.
3. Enter your Apple ID and password.
4. Click Purchases.
5. If you haven't previously accepted your bundled iLife applications within the Mac App Store, you should see your iLife applications appear in the Accept portion of the screen. Click Accept.
6. 
7. You may be asked for your Apple ID and password once again. Your iLife applications now move to the Purchased section. These applications are part of the software that came with your Lion based computer. Your account will not be charged for them. Click Install to compete installation of your applications.

8. 

Resolved:

I purchased a Macbook Air and did a fresh install of OS X Lion.

My iLife apps dissappeared after that and when i tried to install them i got told that i have already accepted them and they should show up in my purchase list, but they didnt.

Apparently they are hidden apps, to unhide them:

Go to Mac App Store

Sign In

Under Quick links, go to Accounts tab

You should see a 'Hidden purchases' tab there under 'iTunes in the Could' heading (screenshots attached)

Click Unhide and your apps will show in purchase history where you can download them.

Resolved:

I purchased a Macbook Air and did a fresh install of OS X Lion.

My iLife apps dissappeared after that and when i tried to install them i got told that i have already accepted them and they should show up in my purchase list, but they didnt.

Apparently they are hidden apps, to unhide them:

Go to Mac App Store

Sign In

Under Quick links, go to Accounts tab

You should see a 'Hidden purchases' tab there under 'iTunes in the Could' heading (screenshots attached)

Click Unhide and your apps will show in purchase history where you can download them.

So I finally got somewhere . I can see "You have 3 Apps to accept" THOUGH it won't let me do that and I end up with the same popups and issues.

I contacted support again.

Seeing how many people still have and had this issue I can't get why there is no better support available.

Fix Step by Step

1. Click  > System Preferences

2. Click "User & Groups"

3. Click on Your account and look for "Apple ID" under Full name

4. Click "Set..." and sign in your account apple id

5. Click  > App Store..

6. Click "Sign in" under Quick Link tap (right side)

7. Click "Update" tap on top

8. Click update your app

Hopefully this will help.

I contacted Mac App Store Customer Support about this issue. They are extremely polite but unable to resolve the problem.

The advice was to log out of the app store, go to the updates page, log in and then click the "Accept" button. For me, and others, the Accept button does not appear.

The final email from them directed me to ring up.

"Hi Peter,

XXXX here again from the iTunes Store. I see that you are still receiving the same error message. Please accept my sincere apologies for any frustration this has caused..

If you require more assistance, you may wish to call our AppleCare technical support team. A technical Advisor will be able to tell you about Apple's complimentary and fee-based support options as well as assist you in determining what option might be most helpful in this case. To find the appropriate phone number, please visit:

http://www.apple.com/support/contact/phone_contacts.html

Hopefully this will take care of everything for you. I deeply apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you so much for all your patience and understanding.

Have a great day, Peter.

Sincerely,

XXXX.

Posted this in the other thread, but this one seems to be more active:

I'm also experiencing the same problem with a Macbook Air 11" bought last Friday.

Just got off the phone with AppleCare and spoke with 2nd tier support - nice guy but no real solution as yet.

They basically gave me two options:

- Wipe the computer and reinstall Lion

- Escalate to iTunes/App Store support (which is email only)

After spending the weekend installing and transferring everything to this Macbook, I wasn't going to go with the first option. I just don't really have the time to do all that again just because 3 apps won't update.

Hopefully the iTunes guys will solve the problem and email me soon.

Hi Hal,

Just a quick question. In your post you referred several times to the "purchases" tab. This Apple KB article also refers to the same "purchases" button.

Is that a typo on your behalf and you're actually referring to the "Purchased" tab? I ask because it's something I've seen posted several times in this thread and I wonder if we are, in fact, talking about the same tab or am I missing a button on the App Store.

Usually I would just assume it's a typo, but seeing it on both the Apple KB article and this thread has made me paranoid that I'm missing something obvious...

For all those who have been tearing their hair out over this problem, a "real " fix seems to have been found, involving a simple deletion of one .plst file .

Here is the link to the forum. Look for Sauls post on August 27th..

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3201787?answerId=16174450022#16174450022

Several points here.

1. The App Store servers have been 'run off their feet' which might be the reason for the message.

2. Items originally bought from the App Store must be updated through the App Store, hence Software Update won't show updates for those apps.

3. The update is available from Apple's software updates pages at http://support.apple.com/downloads/

Downloading this file will probably update your iPhoto but I'm not sure because I haven't tried under this new Apple system. I do know that you can download it there. (It is on the second page of updates in their list.) My copy of iPhoto was from a purchased box set bought before the App Store existed in its present form.

4. Items bought other than through the App Store can't be updated through the App Store unless the update is a pay-for update I understand. This iPhoto update is or should be free.

Have you deleted the .plist file as detailed in this link, which I posted earlier in this forum?

This completely cleared up this problem on my new Macbook Air.

Look for Sauls post on August 27th..

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3201787?answerId=16174450022#16174450022

I am sorry to hear that you guys and I am sure THOUSANDS OF OTHERS are not having any luck solving your problem, by deleting the .plst file from your library. You have my sympathies. I spent well over a month this summer having the endless conversations and emails with Itunes Support, begging them to send me the redemption codes (which other had reported solved the problem) and having them continue to insist that this was not a real solution and therefore they wanted more time for their engineers to figure it out.

Finally, 2 weeks after SAUL posted his .plst solution on another forum, https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3201787?answerId=16174450022#16174450022 I found the post and tried it and it solved the problem on my MacBook Air. I thought we had found the universal solution, but apparently, given the fact that at least 2 of you have reported here that that does not clear up your problems, this problem still is in need of a universal solution.

It is pretty clear by now, from all the posts in this and other APPLE user forums dealing with this issue, that the redemption code solution has worked for everyone, and this ought to be the way APPLE handles this routinely.

During my long oddysey this summer, I not only escalated to Customer Relations, but I got in touch with the OFFICE OF THE CEO. I have to say that they were both sympathetic to how I this problem was (mis)-handled, and I had a long discussion about how APPLE SUPPORT is NOT handling this very well and what they could do about it. When I heard that a couple of you were being given the redemption codes without your having to go down on your knees, I assumed that APPLE had finally gotten the word out to all support people and this would be the quick resolution to anyone with this problem;

APPPARENTLY I WAS WRONG. Some of you are still being given the run around. I agree this is OUTRAGEOUS. For my part, I will be in contact with my contact in the CEO's office again, direct him to this forum, and ASK ONCE AGAIN, that they get on the stick and make these darn redemption codes available on the FIRST CALL by anyone who needs them!!

Let's keep posting here, I do believe that at least a couple of executives, who do have the power to make executive decisions, are or soon will be looking at this forum.

Hang in there guys,

I know they will make this right!! (At least I hope so.)

Hi,

I am experiencing the exact same problem with iPhoto/iLife on my ´brand new´ iMac

I have spent an hour with Apple support and they had to escalate to their engineers and have promised to return to me over the weekend.

In essence I seem stuck in a circle:

• System Update tells me all programs are up to date
• The Mac App store tells me there is an update available for iPhoto. But trying to update gives me the message that I need to use the Apple ID they were purchased with. Removing iPhoto and trying to accept the apps under the ´Purchesd´ tab gives me the message that these apps can not be accepted on this computer.
• Manually updating gives me the message that this version of iPhoto needs to be updated through the Mac App Store

I have tried all the good and well meaning advice in this thread, but the problem still remains.

I have no idea how to solve this at this point, except waiting for apple´s feedback. I have to say its not the best first impression of the Mac experience.

kind rgrds

I am experiencing the exact same problem with iPhoto/iMovie/GarageBand on my brand new MacBook Air and have wasted literally hours on the phone to Apple support.

• Software Update doesn’t have any new software for your computer at this time.
• You have updates available for other accounts.
• To update this application, sign in to the account you used to purchase it.

The application was preloaded on the MacBook I did not purchase it on a different account. I only have one Apple ID and have only ever had the one ID.

I have now scheduled a call through Apple Express lane for a callback on Wednesday October 19.

Yes Yes Yes!

I had the same problem. I purchased a new Macbook Pro (so I thought) and the actual hardware ID was already coupled with another Apple ID (it turned out my Macbook was activated once). I need to stress that I purchased my Macbook from a reseller for more than 25% below the market price here (in Romania that is, where Macbooks are much more expensive as we dont have Apple Stores)

The iLife apps showed up ones for me to accept, giving me an error that the iLife apps were linked to a different Apple ID.

Solutions

1. 1. Email Apple Support and explain them the error (”iLife apps are linked to another Apple ID” (in case this is your problem, as was with me)
2. 2. Apple Support needs to decouple the hardware ID linked to the iLife software suite

3 - Log out and quit iTunes and the Mac App Store (MAS)

4 - Go to System Prefs/Users & Groups/~user/Password and enter the Apple ID connected to your iTunes/Mac App Store account. Close Sys Prefs

5 - Delete /Mac HD/Library/Caches/com.apple.appstore/adoption.plist

OR: Delete /Mac HD/Library/application support/appstore/adoption.plist (this one worked for me!!)

4 - Reboot your Mac

5 - Open Mac App Store

6 - Go to the Purchased pane and Accept the three iLife apps. Enter iTunes/MAS username/password if prompted.

7. Download the 3 apps