Unable to update bundled iMove/iPhoto/GarageBand?

I can't follow your steps. When viewing my account I don't see any option for hidden purchases.

Please clarify the exact steps.

Where is the 'hidden purchases section'?

Here is what I have done.

1. Log out of apple store

2. Click on Updates

3. Click Update on Garageband.

<this time, the login window appears>

4. Key in your login information.

<for me, app store asked for my credentials twice>

5. Garageband updated.

If that doesn't work the first time, repeat 1-4.

Kukzee's sugestion worked perfectly, thanks a lot.

Congratuations on your perseverence! 🙂

I've been following your posts (and others) with interest because I have the same problem: My MacBookPro was purchased late last fall, set up by the Apple Store, and came with iLife pre-installed. The App Store icon shows updates available for GarageBand and iPhoto, but they can't be installed for all the usual reasons mentioned in everyone else's posts.

(I.e., The app store doesn't recognize my Apple ID as linked to the pre-installed iLife software bundle. GarageBand and iPhoto appear in the Apps folder on my Mac, but they don't show up in my "purchased software" list when I click the App Store icon because they came pre-installed. However, when I log in to the Mac App Store via Safari at the Apple website, it shows both items installed and in need of update - but, again, it doesn't recognize my Apple ID to allow download. Which is where this loop started.)

Where did you find the email support that got you the codes?

I am new to Mac, and I have burned through two of my three One to One sessions with trainers who couldn't figure out how to resolve this problem either. I would like to actually start using and enjoying this thing, but so far all I've done is fight this update mess. On the advice of my last One-to-One trainer (and a consulting in-store genius), I called 800-APL-CARE today for help, but was told I'd have to ante up another $50.00 for help with this problem.

Seriously?

Why should I pay for help with a problem that clearly has nothing to do with a failure of my device, but originates with an updating / account recognition problem at Apple? I thought Apple was legendary for its quality and customer service. What happened?

Any help you or anyone else can offer would be deeply appreciated.

Jefraize

Have you tried the method I posted above? There seems to be a problem with keychain management so I documented what I have done. I have 3 mac devices with similar problems and I solved them all using the method I described.

------------

1. Log out of apple store

2. Click on Updates

3. Click Update on Garageband.

<this time, the login window appears>

4. Key in your login information.

<for me, app store asked for my credentials twice>

5. Garageband updated.

If that doesn't work the first time, repeat 1-4.

However, when I log in to the Mac App Store via Safari at the Apple website, it shows both items installed and in need of update - but, again, it doesn't recognize my Apple ID to allow download.

You are badly confused. There is no Mac App Store accessible on line at the Apple website. The Mac App Store is an actual app on a Mac with Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.6 to 10.6.8 or with Mac OS X Lion 10.7 to 10.7.3. So there isn't anything on the internet accessible through Safari telling you that any apps need to be updated. Apple would only be charging you if your purchase of the Mac was over 90 days ago. The first 90 days of telephone support is free.

If you never accepted the bundled apps into your Apple ID registered with an iTunes Store/Mac App Store account, that needs to be done. Apps that came prebudled with a new Mac should appear in the Mac App Store Purchased pane in an are marked Purchases and on the far right should be a button that says Accept. If you have not accomplished that process, you cannot update the apps.

A process to try;

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

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

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

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.

Hi Jefraize

I had a similar problem. I had few rounds of discussion with telephone support, finally there was one person who gave me a solution that worked.

I am not sure what is your problem exactly, but the problem i had was somehow i ended up with more than one apple id. The update to an app has to be done using the same id you used while purchasing the app. If this is a standard app along with O/S you should use the id that you used to register after purchase...

I resolved the problem by deleting the app and then reinstalling them again. To delete - drag and drop the app into trash can. To reinstall, log into to App store, and click on update and it will update the app from start...

Cheers...Elango

Greetings All,

Many thanks to those of you who took time to reply. After trying several of the suggested solutions, I finally gave up and took my Mac back to the Apple Store with me this morning for my third One to One session. Today's trainer said he had encountered the problem several times recently with other people's computers, and that he had had mixed results with fixes.

Since he was the third trainer who had tried to resolve the problem, and suggestions offered by in-store geniuses had not worked, he contacted Express Lane while I was there in the store and used my dismal repair record and his employee ID to get the case bumped up to Tier 2.

They looked my computer up by serial number and determined that the iLife software that came preinstalled on my Mac was not listed in a particular folder. They deleted that folder; when it reappeared, so did ALL of the appropriate software, including iPhoto and GarageBand. We then went back to the App store, and everything updated without a hitch.

I am sorry I can't be more specific about the name of the problem folder or where to look for it. As I mentioned, I am very new to Mac and just beginning to learn my way around things you probably all do in your sleep. The trainer and Express tech resolved the problem, but they were talking and clicking away faster than I could keep up.

If anyone else out there is still wrestling with this problem, hang in there. It may take patience and dogged determination, but the fix you need is out there - and life gets a whole lot simpler once you find it.

To the in-store trainers who didn't give up: Thank you!

To the folks behind the curtain at Apple: There is a problem here. Please fix it so others don't have to spend countless hours banging their heads against the screen and wishing they'd stuck with a PC.

Thanks again to Kukzee, elango1, and Dah.veed (to whom I also owe an apology for not being able to find the bullet point to spell his name right. As I said, I am embarrassingly new at this. Please forgive me. 🙂).

Be well, all, and happy computing.

Jefraize

De nada amigo.

Dah Option + 8 veed

Dah•veed

This worked for me.

Thank you, yuliu! This fixed my problem! To clarify for others, here are the steps.

1.) Open App Store

2.) On the Quick Links click Account.

3.) You will be prompted for your Apple ID and Password.

4.) After you enter your ID & Password, you will see Account Information and Apple ID Summary. On the title bar above, you will see Featured, Top Charts... Click Purchases.

5.) You should see the three apps GarageBand, iMovie, iPhoto listed. You will need to 'accept these applications'

When complete, all three will be 'gray out' and read 'Installed'. They will no longer appear as Updates in your App Store.

This worked for me! Thanks!!

Good advice...I had the same problem and this worked.

Now to add a twist to this issue which I'm dealing with - how to update when the bundled apps were purchased with a different Apple ID (I bought the machine from someone else)? I'm awaiting Apple's fix but am curious what the support community has to say...