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User profile for user: TheAlpsman
TheAlpsman Author
User level: Level 1
17 points

Unable to authorize iMac in iTunes

I have tried extensively to get help from the Apple tech people without success. I can play all purchases on my iPhone and I can play any purchases that were made after mid 2009 on my iMac but no purchases that were made earlier. I can no longer authorise my iMac and keep getting the message 'There was a temporary problem completing your request' 'Try again later'. However it does not seem to be a temporary issue and I am now thinking that some Apple updates that are not available to me (because of the age of my computer which otherwise works perfectly well) have made part of my computer redundant . I do not subscribe to Apple Music due to the massive size of my music library (6000+ albums) which Apple Music could not seem to cope with when I tried to subscribe a few years ago. I do however use the 'Music App' and not the old iTunes app. Thanks

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iMac 27″, macOS 11.7

Posted on Jan 3, 2025 3:07 PM

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4 replies
User profile for user: TheAlpsman
TheAlpsman Author
User level: Level 1
17 points

Jan 6, 2025 2:11 PM in response to TheAlpsman

I have an iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) which runs on macOS Big Sur 11.7.10 which was the last update available for this model. For reasons unknown to me I can no longer sign into the iTunes Store or authorise my computer to play older purchases (pre early 2009) but rather strangely I can still play purchases made from mid 2009 onwards. At the request of Apple Tech personnel I have done a full reinstall of macOS Big Sur but this has not changed anything. This now means that I have a large number of purchased albums and tracks that I can no longer listen to even though I have purchased them. I surely cannot be the only person with an older iMac that this has happened to. Any suggestions would be really appreciated



[Edited by Moderator]

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User profile for user: christopher rigby1
christopher rigby1
User level: Level 4
2,283 points

Jan 11, 2025 8:18 AM in response to TheAlpsman

It's only "rather strange" until you learn that Apple removed DRM from purchases in 2009. You can tell which tracks are affected because non-DRM tracks will say 'Purchased' whereas the earlier ones will say 'Protected'.


You can play DRM tracks on up to 5 computers which is why it's important to Deauthorise from iTunes whenever you get rid of a computer. Later purchases don't have this restriction.


Have you possibly got 5 computers authorised already, i.e. either past or present? If so you can deauthorise all 5 in your iTunes / Music account, then reauthorise each one you still have and want to use. Please note, this only applies to actual computers not phones or tablets.


If that is not your problem, another thing you could try is to sign out of your iTunes account then sign back in.

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Unable to authorize iMac in iTunes

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