iPod Did I accidentally lose an authorization?

[Wolfpup]

I had to reinstall Windows on a new system. I'd forgotten that I'd already authorized iTunes on it, so it was never deauthorized.

For the heck of it, I just reauthorized it (with the new install) and it still says I am only using 1/5 authorizations. Is 5 the total? Does that mean Apple's authorization thingee is smart enough to know it's the same system, even though I forgot to deauthorize, and the install is clean?

If so, I'm impressed! I mean I hate activation DRM, but...well...yay!

 

[Wolfpup]

No thoughts? How many activations total do you get? 5? Is this accurate that I still have all my activations, and don't need a new account?

 

[WPB2]

I did the same thing as you, but lost 1 activation. Mine said 2 activated machines. I also had to bring my macbook bact to apple for a problem, and they gave me a new macbook, and transfered all my files for me. They forgot to deactivate my macbook before replacing it, and i had to activate the new one, and that counted as an activation. I now have 3 activated machines, but I only have 1 computer. That sux, and I will have to call them or something.

 

[bozz2006]

You don't have to call anyone. You may have "lost" an authorization, but don't worry. What you can do is deauthorize all of your accounts, and then authorize your new system. It's not like you only have 5 authorizations that you can ever perform. Rather, you can only keep 5 authorized machines at a time. anyways, open itunes, then go to the itunes music store. click on "account" on the upper right area of the screen, in the quick links menu. there will be an option to "deauthorize all" of your computers. then to re-authorize, just try to play one of your purchased songs in itunes. It will ask for your apple id and password. type it in, and your computer is authorized.

 

[California]

But you can only deauthorize all your computers once a year ... that is what I heard.

Just did it myself.

 

[lostless]

you can deauthorize twice. Itunes store keeps track of what the specs of the computers that you authorize so if you authorize twice it has 2 entries of your computer. So if you deauthorize once, it only removes 1 entry. Ive does this and it works.

 

[Wolfpup]

Oh wow, you guys have so much information! Thanks!

You don't have to call anyone. You may have "lost" an authorization, but don't worry. What you can do is deauthorize all of your accounts, and then authorize your new system. It's not like you only have 5 authorizations that you can ever perform. Rather, you can only keep 5 authorized machines at a time. anyways, open itunes, then go to the itunes music store. click on "account" on the upper right area of the screen, in the quick links menu. there will be an option to "deauthorize all" of your computers. then to re-authorize, just try to play one of your purchased songs in itunes. It will ask for your apple id and password. type it in, and your computer is authorized.

Okay, so if I'm understanding this right, even if I screw up and can't deauthorize a computer, you can deauthorize all of them from this screen (but maybe just once a year?)

I didn't realize that screen existed. Is it the one that says "Apple Account Information"?

It lists "Computer Authorizations", but doesn't have abutton I can see to deauthorize everything.

As it happens though, it initially said "One machine is authorized to play music purchased with this account". I then deactivated my system and went back to this screen, and it said zero. Then activated and it says one again.

So apparently it really didn't count as an activation, even though I forgot to deactivate!

If this really lets you deactivate even if you screw up and can no longer do it from a particular computer (which could even happen because of hardware failure), then I'm really quite impressed with what Apple's done here! I mean I hate activation, but as activation goes this is apparently really fair and well thought out.

Here I was going to create a new account to get my five activations back, and there was apparently no need at all!

you can deauthorize twice. Itunes store keeps track of what the specs of the computers that you authorize so if you authorize twice it has 2 entries of your computer. So if you deauthorize once, it only removes 1 entry. Ive does this and it works.

Sorry, I'm sort of confused by what this means...I guess that you can deauthorize even iyou're not authorized, and that wipes out what happened in my situation ? Maybe I accidentally did that.

If it's true that you can wipe all authorizations once a year (hopefully yevery year, if need be) that's better still! I've always figured I'd screw up and lose an authorization sooner or later...and I mean hard drives do die, plus it's really hard to think of everything you have to do before reformatting.