Why does iTunes say my computer is not authorized when it is?

I am having the same problem. I can't sync a movie purchased 2 days ago from my iMac to my iPod2. Itunes argues that computer is not authorized??? But the computer plays the movie just fine!!! This sync process is soo buggy almost wish there was a windows alternative. I have authorized the computer over and over and the purchase was made using the right iTune ID needless to say. Apple need to seriously wake up to these problems!!!! Their sofware is not up what it says it can do.

Any ideas?

I think this is a tool issue. I had the same problem with a bought audiobook on iPhone. After two days, it was synchronising automaticly (iTunes WLAN Sync)...

I was having this same problem and the iTunes people were of no help. I did a google search and found nothing useful, but basically iTunes comes up with an error box stating <movie_name> cannot be synced because it is not authorized to do so and this error repeats on newly purchased TV shows, too. For movies this error is fatal since they are not stored on the cloud, though TV shows you can manually download them onto your devices (though it is a pain).

I brought my laptop and ipad into the Apple Store (in Short Hills, NJ) and a Genius found a folder that should not exist: /users/Shared/SC Info. We deauthorized the computer in itunes (as a safety precaution he said), deleted said folder, then reauthorized the computer in itunes and the videos now sync normally.

Somehow this same error also got my desktop. I repeated this fix on the desktop, and now that Mac also syncs the videos.

Given that iTunes just released an update, there is probably a hard to trigger bug in it causing this issue in small numbers of people under very specific conditions.

I hope this helps!

Interesting. I'm trying that now. What is that "Shared/SC Info" folder anyway?! Creepy.

And now purchased items are syncing to the iPad—they wouldn't before!

I also found a Shared/SC Info folder in my shared files. Deleted it and was able to copy my downloaded movie immediately. REally happy about this. Thanks naiman for sharing this valuable info. Shame on Apple for continuing to expand and grow their business without fixing the ever increasing number of bugs in their software. Absolutely hate their mobile OS. iTune is a real mess too. They look more and more like Microsoft these days. OSX Lion and iPad are amazing though.

I was facing this issue too and folowed your instructions. It worked! Thanks for sharing!

naiman wrote:

I was having this same problem and the iTunes people were of no help. I did a google search and found nothing useful, but basically iTunes comes up with an error box stating <movie_name> cannot be synced because it is not authorized to do so and this error repeats on newly purchased TV shows, too. For movies this error is fatal since they are not stored on the cloud, though TV shows you can manually download them onto your devices (though it is a pain).

I brought my laptop and ipad into the Apple Store (in Short Hills, NJ) and a Genius found a folder that should not exist: /users/Shared/SC Info. We deauthorized the computer in itunes (as a safety precaution he said), deleted said folder, then reauthorized the computer in itunes and the videos now sync normally.

Somehow this same error also got my desktop. I repeated this fix on the desktop, and now that Mac also syncs the videos.

Given that iTunes just released an update, there is probably a hard to trigger bug in it causing this issue in small numbers of people under very specific conditions.

I hope this helps!

In addition, previously Home Sharing wasn't working too. But this fixed it too!

This was the solution to hours of frustrated searching to me.

Saved my weekend - Thank You!

Are there any other solutions that work? I am the sole user of my laptop and have no shared folder so no SC info. My problem extends all the way to not even being able to play my own music. btw running WIndows 7 on HP Pavilion.

did the trick for me as well. went through apple itunes support three times without an anwer. thanks naiman!!!

OMG I have been trying to fix this for weeks and you did it! Thank you!

Same with me. No SC file. The laptop is authorized, but if I try to play certain songs or try to move them via homesharing, I get the message saying the computer is not authorized. This kind of stuff is sending me away from ITunes and over to Spotify more and more.

VERY f'n Cool! it worked for me. Now lets see if this fixes the issue on my iPad....Thanks N!

IF YOU HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING, INCLUDING DELETING SC FOLDERS AND SO FORTH AND YOU ONLY HAVE ONE OR MORE SONGS THAT ARE RECENT PURCHASES THAT THIS IS HAPPENING WITH:

- DELETE THE SONG FROM YOUR LIBRARY (MAKE SURE IT IS MOVED TO YOUR RECYCLE BIN)

- GO INTO ITUNES

- FIND THE SONG AND REPURCHASE IT

- IT WILL PROMPT YOU TO LET YOU KNOW ITS CHARGING YOUR CARD

- ONCE YOU PRESS YES/OK IT WILL TELL YOU THE SONG HAS ALREADY BEEN PURCHASED AND ASK YOU IF YOUD LIKE TO REDOWNLOAD IT

- REDOWNLOAD AND TRY TO PLAY

(IF SKEPTICAL THAT YOU MAY DELETE YOUR SONG FOR GOOD AND HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AGAIN, I SUGGEST DOWNLOADING THE FREE SONG OF THE WEEK FROM ITUNES FOLLOWED BY THE STEPS LISTED ABOVE)

I TRIED EVERYTHING, CONTROL PANEL CONFIGS, RESTARTS, DELETING FOLDERS, DEAUTHORIZATION AND REAUTHORIZATION - THE STEPS ABOVE TURNED OUT TO BE MY QUICK SOLUTION AFTER TONS OF WASTED, DEF WORTH TRYING FIRST

*NOTE - THE SONG NOT WORKING FOR ME WAS PART OF AN ALBULM THAT I PURCHASED ALL AT ONE TIME, WHEN RIGHT CLICKING THE SONG>GET INFO, NEXT TO 'KIND:' IT SAID 'AAC AUDIO FILE' WHEREAS THE REST OF MY PURCHASES FROM THAT ALBULM SAID 'PURCHASED AAC AUDIO FILE'

I am trying to transfer a digital copy movie to my iPhone but every time I try to transfer it, it says please authorize user. I have tried everything! I tried deleting the Shared/SC file, I have deleted my movie and redownloaded it and still nothing. Does anyone know what to do? 😠

So I had this problem and did not have the users/Shared/SC file others have deleted with success, but a much simpler solution was found.

In full disclosure, I'm not sure which of these two worked, but I have a feeling it was purely what I'll call #2.

1) I waited till an album completed downloading. Again, I don't think this really made a difference, but full disclosure.

2) iTunes was defaulting the Apple ID without the full email address attached to the account. I completed the full email address and suddenly I'm getting the message this phone is already authorized to this computer. No sh**