Updates linked to hardware ID.

Tazium

Just noticed last night that when opening the app store and checking for updates it's now telling me that iLife apps - iMovie, iPhoto and Garageband are registered to a different device and I can't update them on the iMac.

Wasn't the new iLife bundle part of the purchase of a new machine? I'm using both an iMac and an Air and both were bought new, so these apps should be available including all updates to both machines right?

Anyone else?

Sad Professor

I'm not quite sure what you mean. What exactly is the error?

Mac App Store apps can be used on up to 5 computers. When you buy a new Mac the iLife apps are added to your Mac App Store account, so you should be able to download them to your other machines as well.

Tazium

Thanks for the reply. When I accessed the App Store, updates section last night the three apps were sitting on the top of the screen with the 'update available' button. Clicking that I got a message that the Hardware UUID hardware was required to 'validate' the updates. Clicked through and got a message that the applications were already assigned to another hardware ID. Effectively denying the updates on the iMac. Thought it was a bit odd. Then tonight on the air when I clicked updates, I got a message stating that the iLife apps were assigned to this computer.

Previously all the updates were based on the apple ID (I think), and apps that were purchased using that ID would be updated when you signed in to the app store.

Sad Professor

Are both Macs associated with your Apple ID? You would have done this during registration. Have a look in System Prefs > Users and Groups > Apple ID > set if necessary.

Also, did both Macs come with Lion preinstalled?

Losty Dublin

OP, at some stage did you purchase a new OS and install it onto one or both old Macs? If so, it may be that App Store is seeing the old and new OS and treating them as two separate machines. It's happened to me in iTunes before and all told it simply needs for you to deregister one of the old accounts in order to free up a space; Sad Professor's instructions will lead you there.

Tazium

Guys, thanks for the posts. I've not yet resolved this. My Apple ID is set on both devices, both were purchased with Lion preinstalled so they came with these Apps. No idea why its not being recognized as valid. That said both the iMac and the Air are showing the apps as up to date. I will pay more attention on the next update to the error and will grab a screenshot to show ye.

Rulmeq

If you bought the apps as boxed, or got them as part of the computer purchase, they won't be linked to the apps in the App store.

I'm not sure there's an easy solution to this, I guess you could wait until the next full release and re-purchase them from the App store.

Sad Professor

Apple don't provide discs anymore, so preinstalled versions of iLife are linked to your App Store account. You are given the option to do so the first time you launch the App Store.

Tazium

That's my expectation - tied to my apple ID. The issue seems to be that the apps are also assigned to your hardware ID. So where you use your Apple ID to get the apps installed, the apps are assigned to that device.

This was only iLife apps, that came bundled with both machines. It makes sense in a way for them to do this, otherwise you could effectively sign in to the app store on any mac computer and download applications that you bought on a different computer.

Sad Professor

That's what I was able to do though. I got a MBA with iLife '11 earlier in the year. After linking them to my Apple ID, I was able to download them to my MBP.

Afaik the hardware ID is just used to validate your machine and link iLife to your account. Once it's done you don't have to do it again and iLife will show up in your Purchases tab and can be downloaded to multiple computers. Any purchases on the Mac App Store can be downloaded on up to 5 computers.

Tazium

It happened again. But I grabbed the screenshots this time.

Effectively, the programs are showing on the iMac with the purchase date of the Air. If I try to update the apps, then I get the message that the apps are assigned to another ID and I'm stuck. I have one apple ID and I'm the only user on both machines so I can't sign in with another ID.

Any thoughts?

Type 17

Is the iMac older than the MBA?

If the iMac came with an earlier version of iLife pre-installed, perhaps they won’t let you update them using the "licence” of an iLife copy that came pre-installed with the MBA?

Tazium

Thanks, but the iMac is newer than the Air. So, I'm stuck, I've requested Apple support help.