iTunes: multiple "sign in" required on launch

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Level 1

6 points

iTunes: multiple "sign in" required on launch

iTunes 12 requires me to sign in on 4 screens each time I launch the app on my macbook pro... to access cloud (which I don't use), access account, check for downloads, and something else also. Why am I prompted to sign in so many times? Is there a way to minimize this? I'm generally only attempting to update my podcast library for my iPod, not making purchases. Using strong passwords so this is a real pain in the neck. I don't want to save passwords because this is on a computer shared in the home. I searched preferences and found no solution. I did a broader search on web (and in apple community) but found nothing similar.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012), OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), iTunes 12.0.1.26

Posted on Dec 29, 2014 2:23 PM

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Answer 1

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wayne0k Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 1, 2015 5:58 AM in response to wayne0k

I see another person had this problem and logged a request for help at: iTunes Asks For My Password Every Time It Opens

There have been no replies yet, but 3 other people have the same problem.

This morning my sign-in experience was this:

Launched iTunes and prompted these three times:

• sign in to use this computer for automatic downloads…

then:

• sign-in required to check for downloads…

then:

• sign in to use this computer for automatic downloads…

So, the problem still exists.

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Answer 2

Jan 11, 2015 9:22 AM in response to wayne0k

I have the same problem. When I had Mavericks, I had to sign in 3x. Now that I upgraded to Yosemite, I have to sign in 4x in iTunes and I answer the exact question with the exact same correct password each time, but have to do it 4x.

I called Mac support. They said to go into my Keychain and find every reference to apple or iTunes and open each up (which there were very many) and correct every password to be the one I use. I did that and that made no difference.

Apple then said it was a problem with iTunes and to reinstall it. I did that. And again, no difference; I still have to log in 4 times to use iTunes.

I also tried emptying the cache, de-authorizing and then reauthorizing iTunes, but again that made no difference.

What's up apple?

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Answer 3

wayne0k Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 12, 2015 4:51 AM in response to Dave Ohio

Hi Dave, I've tried similar tactics without a fix. Sometimes I have to sign in 3 times, sometimes 4 times, sometimes I have to sign in to the multiple occurrences of the identical dialogue box.

For now, I'll continue to document the problem and post after another week... perhaps then there will be some pattern that might offer a clue.

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Answer 4

Cunnla

Level 6

8,257 points

Jan 12, 2015 5:25 AM in response to wayne0k

Try this. It might just work. Open Keychain Access and from the menu bar Keychain Access select Keychain First Aid and run Verify, and Repair if necessary.

If that does no good, maybe try a reinstall of iTunes. OS X Yosemite: Reinstall apps that came with your Mac

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Answer 5

Jan 14, 2015 8:47 PM in response to Cunnla

Good idea, but that did not fix the iTunes multiple sign in problem. Still have to sign in 4 x to make iTunes work.

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Answer 6

Cunnla

Level 6

8,257 points

Jan 14, 2015 9:15 PM in response to Dave Ohio

Maybe time to give Apple a call. Contact Apple for help with Apple ID account security - Apple Support

I would also try deleting all the iTunes passwords in Keychain access, and next time you sign in decline to have the password saved, to test if it is really a Keychain issue.

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Answer 7

wayne0k Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 22, 2015 7:47 AM in response to wayne0k

This problem, which lasted several months, is no longer a problem for me. About 5 days ago I was preparing to test a few additional scenarios from this thread and another (listed above) and I opened iTunes and was only prompted to sign in once when I attempted to make an iTunes purchase. No other sign in prompts were required.

Perhaps this was a problem with Apple's server settings? Who knows...

So, I'm considering this problem closed, for me.

I'd be curious to learn if others continue to have this problem or if they also have found it to be resolved.

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Answer 8

SL1988

Level 1

13 points

Feb 3, 2015 5:43 AM in response to wayne0k

Well, you seem to be lucky - my triple login has commenced with Mavericks and continues to bother me on my MacPro with Yosemite - though my MacBookPro seems to work ok. The strange thing is that the first login window is followed by a second one and the third actually has a misspelled word and says "Cick to continue" - well, I could sure kick it ... And yes, I tried all the usual remedies and I do not have any old macs authorised either. And yes, I did contact apple by way of the Bug Reporter already a long time ago.... and yes, I have to login three times even if I simply want to listen to my own stored music.

Suzanne

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Answer 9

wayne0k Author

Level 1

6 points

Feb 3, 2015 8:53 AM in response to SL1988

"Cick" to continue...

Forgive my paranoia, SL1988, but the hairs always stand up on the back of my neck when the "BIG" companies make small mistakes. For quite some weeks I was thinking that some agency or another was "spoofing" me with the sign-in prompts to gain access to my nonexistent cloud account (but there are easier ways to access that).

I did not update to Yosemite and my problem existed only on my MacBook Pro.

I did recently update my iTunes to 12.1.0.50, but did so a few weeks after my problem ended.

For what it is worth, I'll post my iTunes preference settings, but I still think that I was experiencing some sort of apple-based server bounce where each server that was accessed required my authentication rather than authenticating my account on the first server accessed.

One final note on this for now... at about the time my problems ceased, I had made a purchase of a song from iTunes using some previously redeemed credit from a gift card. Have you purchased anything lately?

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Answer 10

SL1988

Level 1

13 points

Feb 4, 2015 1:03 AM in response to wayne0k

Hi Wayne0k

To answer your question - I do buy music from time to time but there seems to be no connection. And I've had 2 credits listed for about a year that I never used. But there seems to be no connection as to the time this happened. However - 3 logins could conceivably be caused by the 3rd MacPro I bought as I used to have two necessary logins when I was still using my second one. And yes, I always deauthorized the old ones as I gave them to other people. Though I can't imagine what the difference to the older macs, especially as I've had an Apple ID/iTunes account ever since it existed.

I think it's on a par with the "invisible icons in dock" issue that sort of gets mysteriously solved after the next update, and where none of the usual measures including killing the dock preferences via terminal ever worked...

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Answer 11

SL1988

Level 1

13 points

Apr 4, 2015 2:31 PM in response to wayne0k

Hi Wayne

The problem is solved. I do not know, when Apple eliminated the "bug", as there were some updates since my last post, or what caused the glitch, but I once again deleted, as I'd tried before, the iTunes plist file - but this time it worked ! It does not even ask me a single time now, unless I want to buy something, which is as it should be.

Provided you do not have any Macs in your past that were never de-authorised when you gave them away ... (this only your local Apple support will be able to do after the fact):

Quit iTunes, go to Finder and press alt on your keyboard and Go and then Library(this will open the otherwise invisible Library).

Go to Preferences and then to com.apple.iTunes.plist and delete it (leave everything else untouched!). If you feel unsure, leave it on the desktop until you have restarted iTunes and have checked that it works. Don't worry, the file will be recreated by the system, once you start the program again. Only now it should be bug-free ...

Suzanne

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Answer 12

Jun 11, 2015 4:07 AM in response to SL1988

Thanks Suzanne. I had the same problem with multiple sign-ins being required (currently using Yosemite 10.10.3 and iTunes 12.1.2). Deleting the iTunes.plist file fixed the problem, as you described very clearly. Thanks again!

John

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