Feb 20, 2012

iTunes error "This computer is no longer authorized for apps that are installed on the iPhone. Would you like to authorize this computer for items purchased from the iTunes Store?"

I ran into this issue with my iPhone 4 running IOS 5.0.1.  I plugged my iPhone into my Windows 7 PC to sync with iTunes and half way through the sync process a message popped up and said "This computer is no longer authorized for apps that are installed on the iPhone "Jason's iPhone". Would you like to authorize this computer for items purchased from the iTunes Store?"  Then it says "If you do not authorize this computer, the app E*Trade Mobile" (and 3 other apps) and it's data will be deleted from this iPhone."

Then is gives me buttons for Authorize, Don't Authorize or Cancel.   I didn't want to simply hit Authorize, because as you may know, you are only allowed to have 5 computers authorized for any particular iTunes account.  And since this was the only PC that I use iTunes on, something was clearly wrong and I didn't want to waste one of my authorizations.  I'd rather fix the actual problem.  So I hit the Cancel button on the error.

You could first have a look at this article from Apple, but it didn't really help in my case.  http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1389

My guess is that it is related to the fact that I ended up with two different iTunes accounts because I was a Mobile Me customer.  I've had an iTunes account for a couple years and then I signed up for Mobile Me account (the predicesor to iCloud) and created a new account with an @me.com address.   Then when Mobile Me merged into iCloud last year, the @me.com account also became an iTunes account.  So now I've got two iTunes accounts and Apple doesn't provide any way to merge these into one.

So it turns out that I had downloaded a few apps onto my iPhone using the @me.com account without really thinking about the consequences.  It looks like this decision is finally catching up to me.

So I went back to my iPhone and deleted the first app that the error mentioned - E*Trade Mobile.  Then I started the sync process again in iTunes. The same error came up and mentioned a different app this time, because E*Trade Mobile was gone.  I hit Cancel again and then deleted the app that it mentioned from my iPhone. I repeated this process 4 more times until I had deleted all of the apps on my phone that were mentioned in the error message. I'm assuming these were the few apps I had downloaded to the iPhone using the @me.com account instead of my normal iTunes account.

Then it was able to sync without any issues. And I had made a list of the apps that I deleted so I simply re-installed them using the proper iTunes account.

 If this post helped you out, it would be great if you would click on an ad or two. Thanks!!

17 comments:

Freewrite278 said...

I've had this issue for a while and gave up on it until today when i tried to find the solution. This helped! I didn't realize i had two accounts, so I figured out the pass from the early one and everything worked. Thankyouthankyou!

Sue said...

Thank you so much for this post. After 2 hours of trying all the suggestions by Apple (none of which included your issue), I stumbled upon your post. And it worked. First time. Thank you again.

lego842 said...

Help! it says 146 apps will be deleated!

Anonymous said...

This helped, basically I had two accounts and I Hadn´t realized it, I just switch to the same account in the itunes store and everything worked out.

Anonymous said...

Turn on home sharing so that the computer and the iPhone are both part of home sharing.

Anonymous said...

Turn on home sharing, upper left in itunes under Library menu

mariavista said...

Thank you!! I opened 'home sharing" and found my old Apple ID was being used. I turned it off and back on. Then it asked for my Apple ID and I input the new one. After that I got synced.

آنی said...

Thank you very much.
It works for me too.
when I bought two Ipod for my children the salesman used his own apple ID. and we had not problem until I updated my iTunes to 11.1.3
again thank you very much. BIG BIG LIKE for your post.

Aapon Ghor said...

At last this also work for me, i didn't think this actually work!!!! Thank you very much dear

Unknown said...

I have this issue with my iPad and have tried everything. I only have one iTunes account so that's not the issue. The app that's named is one I purchased and I don't want to delete it from my iPad. Getting very frustrated. Thanks.

Unknown said...

Thanks. This was my issue as well. Why apple will not let you delete a duplicate account is beyond me. Really kinda pisses me off, but my ipad is all better now.

Anonymous said...

Apple makes you live in their communist world.

How come I can authorize a computer but still can't back it up for fear of losing 70 apps because it continues to ask me to authorize the computer.

I started with 3 computers authorized. One authorization I believe was attached to a hard drive that failed and needed replacing. I have a desktop and an apple laptop now. Both now suposively authorized.

I deleted itunes and re-install the current version.

Followed the advise and deauthorized my desktop and then re authorized it. Itunes now sees only 2 authorized computers. BUT it still wont let me back-up for fear of losing my 70 apps and prompts me to again authorize my desktop which I have done several times to be sure!

All I have been trying to do is transfer music from my desktop to my iphone but I am not prepared to risk loosing my apps in any sync process. Thus I tried to backup

It wont allow me to manually drag and drop music files into the device folder from the computer library! (doesn't show the green + icon when it hovers over the devices folder.) And with all these apple problems no way am I going to use the automatic music sync option.

I am lost, confused, frustrated and about to buy a new android phone and throw this iphone against something very hard!!!

I hate your authoritarian system apple!

Anonymous said...

Hi guys and gals.
After my last dummy spit I have an update.

Found some partisans in appleland that gave me an inside tip to navigating through their regime.

http://www.copytrans.net/download.php

Copytrans. Youtube it for instructions.

Great program and you don't need to touch Itunes or log into their restrictive system and no fear at having your Apps executed.

I'm a happy chappy now.

Anonymous said...

i still can't synchronize its giving me the same message that my ipad is no more authorized

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this post!

Happened to me after I changed my iTunes account email address. iCloud account was still using my old address, so once I updated that on the phone, everything syncs correctly.

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