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"User Not Registered For Online Use." Windows 8?

So, I'm using a Windows 8 computer, and the message "User not registered for online use." continues to pop up every time I try to get the track names. I've tried looking it up, but I'm so confused on what to do, how to delete whatever's causing this problem, etc. If anyone could help me, that'd be great.

Other OS

Posted on Jan 22, 2015 9:49 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 23, 2015 4:58 AM

The ""not recognized for on-line use". error is associated with the Gracenote service that iTunes uses to look up and retrieve metadata for CDs. Some users have reported that this error occurs when trying to import from CD, subsequent to upgrading to version 12. A number of slightly different solutions have been reported (though all of a similar nature).


Try walking through the following steps - before starting you may have to enable hidden files and folders to be viewed - in Windows 7 / Windows Explorer select Organize > Folder and search options, then on theViewtab make sure thatShow hidden files, folders and drivesis selected. Without this you won't see theAppDatafolder inC:\Users\username\


  1. Exit iTunes
  2. In Windows Explorer, go to the folder C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes
  3. Delete the following files:
    • CD Info.cidb
    • com.apple.iTunes.Gracenote.plist
  4. Restart iTunes
  5. Insert a CD and see if details are now correctly retrieved from Gracenote


If this doesn't work:


  1. In iTunes, select Edit > Preferences and make a note (or take a screenshot) of your preferences settings in all relevant tabs
  2. Exit iTunes
  3. In Windows Explorer, go to the folder C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes
  4. Delete the following file:

    iTunesPrefs.xml

  5. Restart iTunes
  6. Insert a CD and see if details are now correctly retrieved from Gracenote


If this second procedure does work, you'll need to restore other iTunes preferences settings to those that you noted in step 1.


If this one didn't work:


  1. Exit iTunes
  2. Check the following folders:
    • C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Apple Computer\iTunes
    • C:\Users\username\AppData\LocalLow\Apple Computer\iTunes
  3. Delete any copies of the following files:
    • CD Info.cidb
    • com.apple.iTunes.Gracenote.plist
    • iTunesPrefs.xml
  4. Restart iTunes
  5. Insert a CD and see if details are now correctly retrieved from Gracenote


Again, if this procedure does work, you'll need to restore other iTunes preferences settings to those that you noted in step 1 of the second procedure.


If you're still not able to retrieve CD info:


  1. Exit iTunes
  2. In Windows, select Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features. Find the entry for iTunes, right-click and select Repair.
  3. When this process has finished, restart iTunes
  4. Insert a CD and see if details are now correctly retrieved from Gracenote


If none of these have worked (and almost everything I've seen suggests you should be OK by this point), you may have an issue with the installation and configuration of iTunes itself. If you have got this far, see turingtest2's notes on Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates for advice on how to remove and replace of all components of iTunes.

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 23, 2015 4:58 AM in response to gracieekleinn

The ""not recognized for on-line use". error is associated with the Gracenote service that iTunes uses to look up and retrieve metadata for CDs. Some users have reported that this error occurs when trying to import from CD, subsequent to upgrading to version 12. A number of slightly different solutions have been reported (though all of a similar nature).


Try walking through the following steps - before starting you may have to enable hidden files and folders to be viewed - in Windows 7 / Windows Explorer select Organize > Folder and search options, then on theViewtab make sure thatShow hidden files, folders and drivesis selected. Without this you won't see theAppDatafolder inC:\Users\username\


  1. Exit iTunes
  2. In Windows Explorer, go to the folder C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes
  3. Delete the following files:
    • CD Info.cidb
    • com.apple.iTunes.Gracenote.plist
  4. Restart iTunes
  5. Insert a CD and see if details are now correctly retrieved from Gracenote


If this doesn't work:


  1. In iTunes, select Edit > Preferences and make a note (or take a screenshot) of your preferences settings in all relevant tabs
  2. Exit iTunes
  3. In Windows Explorer, go to the folder C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes
  4. Delete the following file:

    iTunesPrefs.xml

  5. Restart iTunes
  6. Insert a CD and see if details are now correctly retrieved from Gracenote


If this second procedure does work, you'll need to restore other iTunes preferences settings to those that you noted in step 1.


If this one didn't work:


  1. Exit iTunes
  2. Check the following folders:
    • C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Apple Computer\iTunes
    • C:\Users\username\AppData\LocalLow\Apple Computer\iTunes
  3. Delete any copies of the following files:
    • CD Info.cidb
    • com.apple.iTunes.Gracenote.plist
    • iTunesPrefs.xml
  4. Restart iTunes
  5. Insert a CD and see if details are now correctly retrieved from Gracenote


Again, if this procedure does work, you'll need to restore other iTunes preferences settings to those that you noted in step 1 of the second procedure.


If you're still not able to retrieve CD info:


  1. Exit iTunes
  2. In Windows, select Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features. Find the entry for iTunes, right-click and select Repair.
  3. When this process has finished, restart iTunes
  4. Insert a CD and see if details are now correctly retrieved from Gracenote


If none of these have worked (and almost everything I've seen suggests you should be OK by this point), you may have an issue with the installation and configuration of iTunes itself. If you have got this far, see turingtest2's notes on Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates for advice on how to remove and replace of all components of iTunes.

"User Not Registered For Online Use." Windows 8?

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