New Air - App Store shows iMovie/iPhoto updates but can't download them?

Same problem here

If you go ahead and click "Buy" (even though the apps are installed) it won't purchase them either. You will get an error message saying there was an "Error in the App Store. Please try again later." and an error code of (100). The last error message says "Purchase of this item is not currently available. This item is being modified. Please try again later."

I called Apple about this. Their response was that the servers are busy and that I should try again later. I replied that when I was on hold for about a minute, I downloaded 2 free app, both more than 10 MB each, with no problems. Again, they said try again each day, call us back in 5 days if it doesn't work. This doesn't seem like a bandwidth problem here.

I assume everyone who purchased a new Macbook Air within the last few days had the same updates needed, how did it work for everyone else?

I did change my apple ID password after starting the computer up, but before I tried to update the apps. Maybe that has something to do with it? Did you do something similar?

I also can't find a way to redownload Garageband, iPhoto or iMovie individually in Lion, so I can't just reinstall and see if that makes the app store recognize that it has been "purchased". And yes, it does show as installed in App Store.

Thanks for any help.

Same problem

I actually read about this somewhere in the official apple forums a few days ago. I do not remember exactly how it went but by using the internet restoring of lion you will not have iLife 11' then open up the App store and you will have to option to get iLife 11 for free. Once you confirm it, the iLife apps such as iMovie and iPhoto will move to your purchased history on your Apple ID for free. Then you should not have a problem upgrading through the App Store.

Ah there I found the page with the instructions.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

Please don't tell me I have to reinstall Lion via download only just to get rid of this annoying error from the App Store.....

It seems to be affecting quite a number of users so hopefully Apple will come up with a fix soon.

Then again the longer I leave it before reinstalling, the more I'll have to lose (i.e. the more work will be on it) grrrrr!

Obscurelight said:

Ah there I found the page with the instructions.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

Click to expand...

Does this method actually work?

If I'm going to have to reinstall Lion I'd rather do it now than in a weeks time or more when I've got lots of work on it.

Just go to apple.com/support/downloads and get the iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand updates directly.

iPhoto

iMovie

GarageBand

AdvocateUK said:

Does this method actually work?

If I'm going to have to reinstall Lion I'd rather do it now than in a weeks time or more when I've got lots of work on it.

Click to expand...

Well, the directions came from apple themselves and its always better to do it sooner than later to get the iLife suite permanently on your Apple ID for future updates.

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)

At my local apple store, all their demo MBAs show the badge on the MAS with the number 3 on it and sure enough it's those three apps the OP mentioned that show an update is available. I didn't try to update them though.

Obscurelight said:

Well, the directions came from apple themselves and its always better to do it sooner than later to get the iLife suite permanently on your Apple ID for future updates.

Click to expand...

A poster on the Apple Support Forums tried reinstalling as per Apples instructions and lost iLife completely, had to take his Air back to the AppleStore and have it exchanged for another one before it would work as expected.

Changing hardware to fix a software problem, nice going Apple

I've just had another reply from email support basically saying they've given up on me and that I should contact telephone support, which is closed right now

Any update to this? I still can't get my updates to download.

I have the same exact problem, too. The three updates for iLife suite failed. What is the current status?

Chundles said:

Just go to apple.com/support/downloads and get the iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand updates directly.

iPhoto

iMovie

GarageBand

Click to expand...

That doesn't work. An error message states that you need to download the updates through the App Store when you attempt to mount the respective disk image.

When I signed into the app store and went under the purchases two it asked me to agree to the 3 apps. Have you already done that.

Just a quick update for you all.

I tried the reinstall of Lion approach and ended up without iLife at all, luckily I had a Time Machine backup that allowed me to retrieve iPhoto and iMovie, though for some reason not Garageband

Not too bothered about the loss of Garageband tbh but this problem IS very annoying, just BECAUSE lol

Anyway, after the reinstall there was indeed a section in the app store ABOVE my purchases that I had to click "Accept" to have the three apps associated with my account. However, when I clicked "Accept" the App Store told me that the three apps had already been associated with my account. It wouldn't let me install them, or update them once I'd recovered them from my Time Machine grrrrr.

The whole appstore concept pisses me off. This thread shows that the purpose of the appstore is not to make it easier for people to upgrade their software but instead, for Apple to keep a database of what each Mac owner tries to install.

As someone earlier or maybe on the Apple forums did, I would just go and exchange the laptop for another one so everything works today vs waiting (who knows how long) for a fix to come.

i had the same issue. I was sure I even clicked "Accept" on the Purchases tab as well but it still didn't let me update telling me that i had updates but asked me to sign in with the account I bought it with originally.

So I emailed CS, who after exchanging a few emails, politely asked me to call telephone support instead. I was on the phone with tel-support for over 30 minutes and they couldn't solve it either. As I was having so internet connectivity issues at that time, they suggested I try a few things (like set up a new user and try from there, or sign out of App store, sign into iTunes first then try App store again - none of which worked either once I had internet acces again).

I even tried deleting GarageBand to see if the App store would allow me to re-download for free - which it didn't and I lost GarageBand for good.

Frustrated, I emailed CS again and they finally told me to go ahead and purchase the iLife apps and they would process me a refund. Once I did, I emailed CS and they have emailed me back to say that they have processed the refund.

Not sure if this will apply for everyone but this is how I solved it.

I can't believe the sugested solution to an update not applying is to reinstall the whole OS.

Sounds like they have no other solution so mine will be going back to a genius bar to be replaced if it has this problem.

I had the exact same problem with my new 11" MBA. I contacted the (German) AppStore Support and after exchanging a few emails and sending screenshots, my case was forwarded to someone else and this morning I received 3 codes from a 'senior advisor' in the App store . After redeeming them, the 3 iLife apps now appear as purchased and were able to update. Hence, the problem has been solved for me.