"Unable to update, log in with account that purchased app"

Question

"Unable to update, log in with account that purchased app"

Hi

I get this error: "Unable to update, log in with account that purchased app" more or less, when trying to update apps on my other macbook pro. I *am* logged in with the account that purchased the apps; I ONLY purchase apps from apple's app store (iOS and MacOS) with one account and one set of banking details. I *do not* have more than one account with apple AT ALL.

Please can someone at apple remedy this bug?

It seem related to the fact that I upgraded the hard disk on the machine that is complaining; it seems to no longer recognise the machine in question. It allows me to purchase and install new apps, but NOT upgrade/update.

many, Mac OS X (10.5.8), server, laptop, desktop, etc.

Posted on Nov 14, 2012 10:36 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Dah•veed

Level 9

64,645 points

Nov 14, 2012 7:38 PM in response to johnostrowick

Which apps in particular?

Update your profile please, OS X 10.5.8 doesn't have the MAS.

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Answer 2

HACKINT0SH

Level 5

5,804 points

Nov 14, 2012 9:40 PM in response to johnostrowick

Changing HD's can indeed cause GUID rotations and modify other identification factors. Anyhow, looking forward to further info you can give.

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Answer 3

Nov 14, 2012 10:16 PM in response to johnostrowick

@Dah•veed. Many. iPhoto, for one. But lots of third-party non-apple apps. I don't see much point in an exhaustive list. Updated my profile as per your request.

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Answer 4

HACKINT0SH

Level 5

5,804 points

Nov 15, 2012 12:08 AM in response to johnostrowick

Can you log out of the MAS, and then log in again?

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Answer 5

Nov 15, 2012 1:49 AM in response to johnostrowick

I tried the following.

1. log out of MAS, quit, log in again.

2. try update the app: same error.

1. delete app from apps folder

2. app store offers "INSTALL" rather than "update"

3. Press "install"

4. Downloads and installs.

5. "Update" button highlights

6. Press "update" - same error: "Update this app from the account you bought it with" - or whatever the wording is.

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Answer 6

Nov 21, 2012 11:05 PM in response to johnostrowick

Ok, here's the latest update on this problem.

I tried to open an app that had been downloaded and I tried to do an in-app purchase (specifically, the FreeMemory app upgrade). Since it was a new hard disk, the computer asked me to authenticate the app against the app store; in other words, the anti-piracy thing kicked in. Then, when I gave my MAS password, the MAS asked me to verify my billing details. Thereafter, it allowed me not only to run the app and do the in-app purchase, BUT it stopped complaining about updates not being permitted with this account.

So maybe this is a bug Apple needs to pay attention to: viz., if the hard disk is new and you think the app store details are faked, ask the user to verify billing details straight away rather than leaving them in the dark as to why they think they're logged in, but they're not authenticated fully, and wondering why they can't update.

I will monitor the situation, and if any further problems come up, I will report them here, but for now, this seems to have fixed it.

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