HT202012: Aperture 3: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Learn about Aperture 3: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
peterfromwest palm beach

Q: using aperture 3 on multiple macs

Just bought an new iMac to go along w/ existing iMac and Laptop - MacBook Pro...

 

Can I use my Aperture 3 on all of these w/ my license? New iMac keeps asking me for license each time I open Aperture

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Oct 14, 2012 10:56 AM

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Q: using aperture 3 on multiple macs

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  • by léonie,Solvedanswer

    léonie léonie Oct 14, 2012 11:11 AM in response to peterfromwest palm beach
    Level 10 (106,814 points)
    iLife
    Oct 14, 2012 11:11 AM in response to peterfromwest palm beach
    Can I use my Aperture 3 on all of these w/ my license?

     

    That depends on how you bought Aperture.

     

    • The retail version and the version bought from the Apple Store had a single user licence that entitled you to install it on one Desktop computer and one portable mac.
    • The licence you get from the AppStore is much more convenient: You can install the Aperture version from the AppStore on any Apple branded computer you control and you own.

     

    Your new iMac may have a problem with an old ProAppSystemID file, if you used Migration Assistent to transfer your files to the new mac, or Aperture cannot write to the System Library.

     

    To stop Aperture asking for the serial number, first check, if you still have an old file "ProAppSystemID" in your System Library.

     

    • Quit Aperture.
    • Go to your MacintoshHD and open the folder "Library", then "Application Support", then "ProApps".
    • Remove the File "ProAppsSystemID" to the Desktop, if it exist and restart Aperture.
    • Reenter your serial number, hopefully for the last time.

     

    Sometimes Aperture writes this file to a temporary directory, when it cannot write to the Library. If the above does not work, look at the temporary directory /tmp

     

    • Use the Finder's "Go" menu

     

         Go > Got to folder    and  enter /tmp into the textfield. If you see the file there, move it to its proper location.

     

    In this case you may want to repair the permissions on your system drive; you can do this using the "First Aid" tools in "Disk Utility" (located in Applications > Utilities)

     

    Regards

     

    Léonie

  • by europajan,

    europajan europajan Jan 11, 2014 4:24 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 11, 2014 4:24 PM in response to léonie

    Hi Leonie

     

    I have the same question but one mac is mine and the other is my wife's and she has her own Apple ID of course.

     

    Will she be able to download Aperture from the App Store using her own Apple ID after I've purchased it on my mac using my Apple ID?

     

    Thanks!

     

    Jan

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Jan 12, 2014 9:08 AM in response to europajan
    Level 10 (106,814 points)
    iLife
    Jan 12, 2014 9:08 AM in response to europajan

    Will she be able to download Aperture from the App Store using her own Apple ID after I've purchased it on my mac using my Apple ID?

     

    Your Aperture purchase will be tied to your AppleID. But you can always install Aperture on her mac, if you sign into the AppStore on her mac with your AppleID and and download and install the software. You will have to enter your AppleID for updates.  Your wife could create a separate admin user account for you on her mac, so you do not need to work from her user account for this.

  • by europajan,

    europajan europajan Jan 12, 2014 11:12 AM in response to léonie
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    Jan 12, 2014 11:12 AM in response to léonie

    Thanks! That's exactly what I'll do!!

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Jan 12, 2014 12:10 PM in response to europajan
    Level 10 (106,814 points)
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    Jan 12, 2014 12:10 PM in response to europajan

    You are welcome!

  • by europajan,

    europajan europajan Jan 13, 2014 9:05 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 13, 2014 9:05 AM in response to léonie

    I just spoke to Apple technical support (this was a prebooked call before posting my question here). They advised the same thing (sign in to App store on my wife mac using my Apple ID) from a technical point of view but weren't able to confirm whether this was also fine from a legal point of view.

     

    It would seem absurd if this wasn't legal as we are one household and one family. And surely only a control freak would insist on being the sole administrator on every family member's computer!

     

    Do you have a view on the legal side?

     

    Thanks!

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Jan 13, 2014 11:24 AM in response to europajan
    Level 10 (106,814 points)
    iLife
    Jan 13, 2014 11:24 AM in response to europajan

    Read the end user licence (it is available from the "About" panel in the main menu bar:

    Aperture > About Aperture > Licence Agreement)

     

    Permitted License Uses and Restrictions.

    A. Mac App Store License. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License and as permitted by the Mac App Store Product Usage Rules set forth in the App Store Terms and Conditions (http:// www.apple.com/legal/itunes/ww/) (“Usage Rules”), you are granted a limited, non-transferable, non- exclusive license:

    to download, install, use and run for personal, non-commercial use, one (1) copy of the Apple Software directly on each Apple-branded computer running OS X (“Mac Computer”) that you own or control;

     

    You can install Aperture for private purposes on any Apple-branded computer you own or control. So it it up to you to decide, if you own or control the the Macs in your household.

    If you have a user account on all computers, I'd say you control them.