Overriding the once-per-year deauthorizations in iTunes

[Parasitic]

I love formatting and starting fresh, but I'm also a retard. I never seem to remember to deauthorize my computers before a system reinstall, and already used up my once a year "deauthroize all" ticket in iTunes so I won't be able to access that on my behalf until November

I sent a trouble ticket via the web interface to iTunes support begging for mercy - does anyone know the possibility of them sparing that once chance and doing it for me?

 

[TheStu]

They have done it for me twice now.

The interesting thing is that iTunes on OS X never needs to be deactivated before a reformat. If I forget to deauthorize and then wipe my laptop, my count stays the same after I 're'authorize it.

 

[Kaido]

Yeah a couple times. One of my few complaints in iTunes

 

[Parasitic]

So emailing them and asking will get it done?

There's some degree of hardware recognition I believe, but it's only limited to OSX. I could wipe the hard and reinstall OSX and the authorization limit wouldn't increase, but on the very same Macbook if I authorized the Vista installation on bootcamp it would trigger the counter. Changing OS is out of the question, it appears.

This inconsistency is what ticks me off the most.

 

[fatpat268]

Originally posted by: TheStu
They have done it for me twice now.

The interesting thing is that iTunes on OS X never needs to be deactivated before a reformat. If I forget to deauthorize and then wipe my laptop, my count stays the same after I 're'authorize it.

I never had to deauthorize it in Windows either. I remember formatting numerous times in a span of 3-4 months and never once did I use another authorization.

 

[Parasitic]

After getting a reply asking for my permission and billing address to verify that I'm the owner of the iTunes account, I've now got the authorization counter reset to 0. Awesome

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Doesn't it give back authorizations if the computer is not being used anymore? Like if you format it?

 

[TheStu]

It has no way of knowing if you are using the system anymore. I suppose they could let it time out. Like if you haven't utilized the authorization in 3 months it would deactivate on that system or something... I don't know.

 

[umrigar]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1420

btw, the authorization is tied to the logic board. if you have it replaced, you need to re-authorize.

 

[TheStu]

That would explain why my MacBook has never needed to be reauthorized