Deauthorize a PC (without Itunes..)

Meractik

Golden Member
Jul 8, 2003
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So I am in the process of taking an old laptop and reformatting it in order to give it to someone as a temporary solution until they can afford a newer laptop.

The laptop in question is my GF's and she once had apple Itunes on it (Prior to a reformat) and since the reformat Apple Itunes has not been installed, she said to me that she had attempted to login to her ITunes account on a new computer she bought once she installed ITunes and it said that it wouldn't let her b/c her library was authorized on another computer only?

I do not use itunes but she told me prior to giving this laptop to her mother she would like to have it 'deauthorized' so she can use her account on her newer PC, problem is.... I am staring at this laptop right now.... it doesn't even have ITunes installed. It seriously looks like it was never installed unless it was done long ago and then reformatted (as I cannot find any files or directories left behind by iTunes...)

Is it possible to still do something with this PC to deauthorize the library/account and enable her to use it on her new PC (currently on the new pc she said she had to setup a totally new ITunes account...)
 
 

TheStu

Moderator<br>Mobile Devices & Gadgets
Moderator
Sep 15, 2004
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Is it her iPhone / iPod that is giving the error when connected? Apple allows for up to 5 systems to be authorized at a time. Log into the iTunes Store with the account, and then go into the account settings. From there systems can be deauthorized. The authorizations only apply to purchased content anyway.
 

Meractik

Golden Member
Jul 8, 2003
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I will do some research I am not sure if its her IPhone that gave the error or her new PC once she installed Itunes, either way I will have her login later to said account and reset the authorizations...

Would it than be possible for her to stop using her newly created ITunes account and revert back to the old account for use on the new machine? and keep access to all the stuff? (I do not believe anything was purchased under the new account...)
 

TheStu

Moderator<br>Mobile Devices & Gadgets
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Sep 15, 2004
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Once she logs in under the old account, she should be able to access and download all her purchases from within the iTunes Store.

It makes more sense that it would have come up when she connected her phone. Those ARE tied to a single system, which is a real pain in the ass. There are steps that could have been taken on the old system to make the iPhone think that the new system wasn't any different, but what's done is done.

I'm going to run a test with my iPad, I'll report back.
 

TheStu

Moderator<br>Mobile Devices & Gadgets
Moderator
Sep 15, 2004
12,089
45
91
Once she logs in under the old account, she should be able to access and download all her purchases from within the iTunes Store.

It makes more sense that it would have come up when she connected her phone. Those ARE tied to a single system, which is a real pain in the ass. There are steps that could have been taken on the old system to make the iPhone think that the new system wasn't any different, but what's done is done.

I'm going to run a test with my iPad, I'll report back.

Ok, I was going to to test to see what would happen if you did an iCloud backup on the iDevice before connecting it to the foreign system, but...

iOS 7 actually completely eliminates this problem on the iDevice side, it allows you to connect it to multiple computers, multiple user accounts on those computers, and you can give/take the information as you like.