iTunes repeatedly asks for password - again and again.

Question

ernst1000 Author

Level 1

8 points

iTunes repeatedly asks for password - again and again.

Hello,

I cannot login into the iTunes-Store or iTunes-Account on my MacBook Pro. The following problem occures:

1) I type in the correct Apple-ID and password,

2) my Apple-ID appears in the left corner in iTunes - but nevertheless:

3) iTunes repeatedly asks for my password - again and again. I am absolutely sure that I typed in the correct password, because I also use the same Apple-ID + password on my iMac and everything is fine on the iMac (but not on my MacBook Pro).

Additional information:

My girlfriend and me use the same mac + itunes to log in with each our Apple-IDs: The same problem for her on my MacBook.
I already reinstalled the newest iTunes Version from apple.com
On my iMac everything works fine (with both accounts).

Could you please help me?

Ernst

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Apr 13, 2012 10:32 AM

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Answer 1

ernst1000 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 14, 2012 12:59 AM in response to ernst1000

Somehow, when I opened iTunes this morning, everything works fine again🙂. I don't know how, because I did nothing😐.

I hope the problem will never ever return again - I feel a little bit worried every time I open up iTunes. Therefore I cannot mark the problem as solved, because I have the fear that the problem could return as unexpected as before and as unexpected as it disappeared again.

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Answer 2

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Apr 14, 2012 3:24 AM in response to ernst1000

The next time it happens: first thing to do is really quit iTunes (from the menu bar) and then restarting iTunes.

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Answer 3

ernst1000 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 14, 2012 4:07 AM in response to Lexiepex

Unfortunately this did not help.😟

I 'realy quit' iTunes and I also (re)installed iTunes completely new via download from apple.com (only the software, not the library). But the problem was the same. 😢

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Answer 4

ernst1000 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 25, 2012 11:47 AM in response to Lexiepex

Hello,

Suddenly, out of the blue, the problem occurs again.😟

This is incredibly annoying. I am shocked. What kind of bug is this .....?😟

Can anyone help me?

Ernst

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Answer 5

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Apr 25, 2012 12:05 PM in response to ernst1000

Did you already do the first aid repair of Keychain Access?

Applications/Utilities/Keychain Access/ menupoint Keychain First Aid, do the repair. Then close Keychain again.

Next time iTunes asks the pw again, check the "remember in Keychain".

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Answer 6

ernst1000 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 25, 2012 1:31 PM in response to Lexiepex

I just did the Keychain First Aid but this did not help. I quit iTunes 20 times and I restarted my MacBook - but also this did not help. iTunes is still asking repeatedly for my password. --- in the dialog that appears there is no option for "remember in keychain".

But I found out that I still can buy music in the store. It seems that I am logged in somehow but I cannot enter all areas (wishlist, account, etc). This really appears to be a bug.

Ernst

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Answer 7

ernst1000 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 26, 2012 12:32 PM in response to Lexiepex

The same today: I still cannot enter all areas (wishlist, account, etc) in my iTunes store (even that I am correctly logged in with my ID).😕

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Answer 8

Apr 27, 2012 5:56 PM in response to ernst1000

I get Sign in to view Biling Info ad infinitum, even though it appears to accept my password. Can't buy, see Wishlist, any features that require Login, even though my Apple ID appears in the upper right corner.

Are you an Apple Certified Developer by any chance? I believe this started when I installed my ACD certfiicate, or maybe Apple has decided they have enough money and don't want mine 8 - /

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Answer 9

Apr 28, 2012 6:28 PM in response to ernst1000

This worked for me:

"I'm not sure if anyone else has still been having this issue, but it appears that I solved the pesky password pop-ups (twice everytime I launched iTunes) by deleting the preferences file and restarting iTunes:

userfolder/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iTunes.plist file

As a reminder if you're on OSX Lion, you can access the invisible Library folder by holding down the option key while going to the "Go" menu while on the Finder desktop.

Hope this helps someone else. It drove me crazy for months!"

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3667282?answerId=18250457022#18250457022

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Answer 10

ernst1000 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 29, 2012 9:28 AM in response to onyerleft

I still have this issue but thanks for your reply anyway.

I already spoke with the Apple-Support. The iTunes-Store-Support refered me to the Technical-Support, because - after my description - they suspect a technical problem (my girlfriends account is affected in the same way when she tries to log in in iTunes on my MBP. Also at work on my Win7-PC I can log in without problems). I will phone them later this week.

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Answer 11

ernst1000 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 29, 2012 9:46 AM in response to onyerleft

No, I am not a Apple Certified Developer.

Deleting the

userfolder/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iTunes.plist file

did not help😟

Also the Reset Warnings and Reset Cache buttons in Advanced tab did not help.😢

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Answer 12

ernst1000 Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 30, 2012 11:50 PM in response to ernst1000

I hope the problem is solved🙂.

It seems to be a bug in connection with Safari cookies as described in this tread (solution described by 'Livebox', thanks a lot). This woked for me:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3493177?start=135&tstart=0

I disabled Safari to automaticaly 'Remove all website data' - this worked immediately on both my machines.🙂

In my eyes this is a bug.

(I am glad to run with Firefox!😉)

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Answer 13

May 1, 2012 8:03 AM in response to ernst1000

Thanks ernst1000, I'm afraid I spoke to soon - in my case the problem returns on next launch of iTunes. I tried the "Safari solution" to no avail. In my case the only thing which will allow me to buy on iTunes (temporarily) is to quit iTunes, dump the com.apple.iTunes.plist file in Library/Preferences, then restart it. Apparently there is some sharing of info going on with Cookies.binarycookies and com.apple.iTunes.plist.

I messed with it for a while but the idiocy of having tens or hundreds of users try to find workarounds (for a bug that would take a dedicated engineer with source code about an hour and a half to fix) has me searching for the nearest rusty razor blade.

Poor design, poor customer service. C'mon Apple...if nothing else the money you're losing should be an incentive to get it right.

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Answer 14

ernst1000 Author

Level 1

8 points

May 1, 2012 11:44 AM in response to ernst1000

Just for the files:

The problem did not return again and it seems the solution worked:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3493177?start=135&tstart=0

I described my way more detailed in this tread:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3906655?answerId=18274803022#18274803022

🙂

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Answer 15

aclease

Level 1

0 points

Feb 18, 2016 5:23 PM in response to ernst1000

I know these posts are really old but I had the same issue for a few years. I always worked around it with my other devices but finally got tired of it. Repairing my disk permissions finally solved the problem.

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