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iTunes purchases cannot be accessed

PROBLEM

I have two CDs in my iTunes library. They were purchased using another Apple account (my wife's account-we have a joint computer). The songs appear in the iTunes library but cannot be played. They cannot be played on the computer. They cannot be played on the Apple TV. When tried on Apple TV, Apple TV displays "Authorisation required" message. When I tired it on Mac, there is no message but iTunes simply skips the songs one after another until the end of the track the list.

Here is what I have already done (no success)

* Log out and log in using different accounts (my wife's and mine)

* De-authorise and authorise doing the same

* Move the SC Info folder to the trash (as suggested on the Apple Support web page as the last resort)

* "Download" a free song from iTunes (this was a suggestion in one of the discussion threads)

* Reboot the computer a couple of times

Nothing worked. Then I contacted Apple Support. Someone called "Abegail" made the following suggestion:

1) Delete the songs that aren't playing from your iTunes library.

2) Download the songs again from the iTunes Store.


I did (1). The second step did not wor because I could not access the CDs for downloading. They did not appear in the "Purchased" list. On the other hand, then you searched for the in the iTunes at large they appeared in the iTunes list as "Purchased" by me. But I could not re-download them.

I do not what else I can do. As a result, I am glad I have only purchased two albums from iTunes. This limits my loss to two albums. I will have to place an official complaint with the Better Business Bureau about the Apple iTunes performance, which can be summarised as stealing $30 from me. I do not know if this is going to do any good but it is the last resort.

Apple TV, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Apr 19, 2014 7:18 PM

Reply
11 replies

Apr 19, 2014 7:24 PM in response to halimfromqld

You need to Authorize your wife's Apple ID to the iTunes library:


1. Sign on to iTunes with your wife's Apple ID


2. Click on the Store option on the top menu and click on Authorize this computer


Once you have authorized the iTunes library to your wife's Apple ID, you will be able to play, purchase, and download songs for items under that Apple ID. You do not have to have her Apple ID signed on to play the music. Once it is authorized for purchased done with that ID, then the music will be able to be played regardless of who is signed onto iTunes at the time.


Also, as far as re-downloading the CDs, your wife's Apple ID has to be signed onto iTunes in order for you to see them in the Purchased list and to re-download them.


Cheers,


GB

Apr 19, 2014 10:44 PM in response to gail from maine

I cannot do (4) because (a) there is no music tab; (b) I only see a free song I downloaded last week (in a futile attempt to solve this question) plus a couple of movies I had purchased some time ago. The CDs I want to retrieve are not shown.


I repeat that I am logged in as the right person and the CDs appear in the purchase history.


I am starting to give up on this problem. I have already given up upon Apple. I will however place a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau because this is nothing short of commercial fraud

Apr 19, 2014 10:57 PM in response to halimfromqld

The latest on this is that iTunes support contacted me and asked for the titles and the order numbers of the items I could not reach. They are probably going to restore them by brute force. Maybe.


Thank god that there were only two items. I only bought two. If I had bought a whole lot of titles from Apple, it would have been a lot of fun to copy them from the purchase history one at a time (and by eye because the copy-and-paste does not work on that page).


Never purchase a song from iTunes again. I am still not sure whether I will be able to retrieve the ones for which I have paid for (over $30 for two albums).

Apr 19, 2014 10:57 PM in response to halimfromqld

halimfromqld wrote:


I cannot do (4) because (a) there is no music tab;


What do you mean there is no Music Tab:


User uploaded file



Are you saying that while you are in the iTunes Store you are not seeing this?



The CDs I want to retrieve are not shown.


I repeat that I am logged in as the right person and the CDs appear in the purchase history.



Which is it - they are not shown or they appear?


I would love to try to help you with this but something is missing here.


Can you tell me what you do see when you click on the iTunes Store if it is not what is depicted in the screen print above?


Cheers,


GB

Apr 19, 2014 11:09 PM in response to gail from maine

I see the Music Tab in the Store of course. I see exactly what you copy when I click on Store.


When I click on "Purchased", however, I see this:


User uploaded file

or different versions of it when I play with the "View" options. The listed items are the movies that had been purchased. The ones I am after are not shown. I do not know where the "Not in Library" option is.

Apr 19, 2014 11:14 PM in response to halimfromqld

That is not the correct "Purchased" you are supposed to be looking at. If you look at my original instructions you would see that you need to:


Click on the iTunes Store


Click on Purchased under the Quick Links section (on the right)


User uploaded file


Then follow the rest of the instructions.


The Purchased tab you are looking at is not going to show you items purchased in the iTunes Store that are in the iTunes in the Cloud and are available for redownloading....


GB

Apr 19, 2014 11:28 PM in response to gail from maine

You are right. I was using the "Purchased" tab on the left. Not the one on the right, under "Quick Links".


I overlooked the "Quick Links" qualifier in your original e-mail. Obviously the two "Purchased" tabs, both under the "Store" heading, produce completely different results. I was careless that I did not follow your instructions to the letter but Apple could design that screen with a bit more thought.

Anyway, it worked. I downloaded both from the cloud. Thank you.


iTunes purchases cannot be accessed

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