Error connecting to the Apple ID server

I have the same problem with iMac 27" late 2013 model. I can sign into icloud via preferences, I can login to the Apple ID server to manage my icloud account, but I cannot connect to App store or Itunes store - the error is always the same: : "There was an error connecting to the Apple ID server".

I have deleted a shed load of third party software - none of which uses icloud. I have deleted plugins, extensions and just about everything that is not Apple, to no avail. An online chat session with Apple support at least got me logged into my icloud account to manage the password etc, but nothing more.

It seems to me Apple do not give a ****. This is preventing me from working efficiently and ruining my enjoyment of this very expensive computer. Since I did not change anything from when I was running Yosemite without problems and completing the "Upgrade", and I followed Apple's instructions to the letter in preparing for and carrying out the upgrade, I can only assume Apple screwed up and they don't care.

So I noticed this kind of died, was there any resolution because I'm still seeing this problem in my iMac.

I fixed the problem connecting to the ID server - but unless you have Kaspersky Internet Security installed, it won't work for you - although there may be an equivalent setting in your antivirus / firewall software. For Kaspersky, go to Preferences > Protection. Next, look for the Web Antivirus section. You will find a setting "Check secure connections (HTTPS), and below that, two radio buttons - 1. Always and 2. Only for Parental Control. Check the Parental Control option.

For people without Kaspersky, I'm hoping this helps them look in the right place to find their own solution.

This was exactly the problem I had - as I said in my previous post, it was down to a setting in the Kaspersky preferences. You should check your firewall and antivirus settings - there may be a similar rule or setting blocking the ID server

Johnny50, this worked. Thank you for your help.

Thank you JohnnyF50. I was bitterly disappointed in Apple’s lack of meaningful support, and the evident creation of problems where none formerly existed. Your suggestion helped me immediately on both the macbook pro and the iMac, neither of which would connect to the Apple store, nor permit certain downloads etc. after I updated all of my phones and tablets to iOS 9.1 (which was another drama that need not be repeated here) and I changed my Apple ID in consequence of the hand-held update setup steps when the MacBook and iMac would not connect to the store.

Your solution was immediately effective and I thank you for the advice. Frustratingly for me, the pc’s could still access the store and everything appeared to work OK, until/unless I was asked for my Apple ID password, and in that case, it refused to connect. Even more frustrating was the fact that I could log into the store with the same password on all of my other Apple devices - just not the macbook nor the iMac.

Kaspersky users, and perhaps others, might also notice that the firewall raises an alert when their apple notebooks or desktops attempt to connect with the Apple Store. The substance of the alert is that Apple appears to be using a different URL that users normally would not see when connecting to the store, and Kaspersky (in my case) warns that the certificate for this URL s not valid (expired) and may not be trusted. On the face of the evidence, it seems that Apple is becoming sloppy in its care for its former dedication to the trouble-free user interfaces upon which it built its otherwise excellent reputation. I offer as evidence of this, that El Capitan has dropped a star in its rating on the iStore “Best New Apps” in only a couple of weeks.

Thank you JohnnyF50! It works well!

Cheers!

Geraldo

Same issue. Making the fix in Kaspersky resolved my problem with error connecting to the Apple ID Server. Thanks a million.

I'm not technically savvy. I have an Hp. I don't know what Kaspersky is. Where do I even start? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Debbie 427

Kaspersky is one of the better anti-virus, ant-malware, internet protection products available for Windows and Mac users. Google the name and go to their home page to check out the product. If you think it will help, there is a 30 day free download for you to try out. I have used it for a decade, and have very few issues with what it can do. There is a number of equally good products about, and many inferior ones. Review them on a reputable site and make your choice. Some of the free ones appear to be fairly good too, but my experience after years of involvement with computers and information systems is that you will generally get what you pay for. Ultimately the choice of what to do and which product to use, is yours. However what you must never do, is to avoid making a choice.

All the best.

Thanks for this - Suddenly just today I had this issue and was going crazy. Even changed the password fearing someone hacked it - lol. Issue resolved with the resolution explained. Although wondering how it was working before/what changed in KIS.

Hi PrasannaSK,

I have brought this issue to the attention of Kaspersky and have confidence that it will be investigated. However from my limited understanding of the issue, Kaspersky is operating as it should, and validating the authenticity of the server used by Apple to deliver software products to the Apple Store users at their request. Because the server's certificate was reported to Kaspersky as being expired, Kaspersky flagged it as a problem, and did not permit access to that server. What was most troubling to me was the non-advice provided by Apple's pop-up when the server would not deliver the product requested and did not provide any meaningful advice to the user despite the user authenticating access with a correct password. I wonder how many users like you, would have had concerns about their password security and, as a consequence, unnecessarily changed their password only to find that they still could not access the server. Apple systems are great products, but occasionally I wonder what logic is used to address user experience interface problems, when I am confronted by meaningless alerts. Nonetheless, I am pleased that you have recovered your access. My hope is that the issue will be resolved (as it appears to me to be a fairly simple technical issue to solve) and conscientious users can again turn on the full protection of Kaspersky and similar products.

Enjoy!

If you use LittleSnitch or HandsOff, you may have inadvertently created a rule that denies access to certain servers. Since some of the Apple servers have bizarre, unintelligible names, it is entirely possible that you said "No" when it attempted to access iCloud or other services.

Open either program and do a search for "apple" and delete any rules that deny access. That worked for me. Nothing else did.

The same may be true if you have firewall settings set independently of those two apps.

I have a MacBok Pro an iCloud account and a different iTunes account. I've been having loads of issues with iTunes saying it can't connect to the server when I want to by anything or look at my hidden (i didn't hide them ***!) purchases. I don't often have the same issue on my phone or ipad and I don't have kaspersky either. However, signing out of iCloud on the laptop, then signing back in - remember this is with a different account to my iTunes account - straight away allowed me to get back into iTunes with the unrelated account.

Makes no sense unless there's some kind of proxy permissions file that allows connection to the iCloud/iTunes networks that gets screwed up sometimes and just needs a kick up the arse to fix it.

Happy Days. Shame nothing has worked since Jobs 'departed'.