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Resolved How to reinstall iLife on an open-box Mac w/ Lion.

iBreatheApple

iBreatheApple

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Sep 3, 2011
3,104
1,390
Florida
So I was in best buy the other day and picked up the newest MacBook Air 11 for $1101 (including 7.5% sales tax) (AMAZING beast of a machine by the way) and have run in to a problem.

Because Apple likes the cloud so much, we don't get application CDs any longer. By law, Best Buy is required to restore a returned computer. If you go to "purchased" in the app store, you will see your iLife apps but when you click download it will tell you that they are linked to another Apple ID! I called Apple Care and after being on hold for a while I was told that my only option was to email the App Store representatives, BUMMER!

Anyway, even though it will more than likely be a simple 2-3 email solution, Apple is going to have a messy experience with this and it's pretty inconvenient for both sides.

Call Apple Care. Let them know you researched the topic online in case try and ask you to do anything other than what is listed here. If they try to tell you to contact the Mac App store tell them you are certain that is not a resolution. Ask them to contact their engineering team to remove the previous users registration for iLife off the computer/Serial. It does NOT matter if you erase reformat your drive and reinstall Lion, that will not work (by the way, they will not be able to do it while you are on the phone with them as they have to contact the engineers.) After they do this, do the following and you will be good to go!

1) In Finder, click on the Go menu.
2) Click Go to Folder.
3) Enter ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.appstore/
4) Drag adoption.plist to the Trash.
5) Restart and see if they appear in purchased items.
 
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I'm not sure what's going on here - you bought a returned machine from BB, correct? They had restored/reinstalled OSX and apps using their IDs?

Why can't you change accounts by logging into your account via the App store and download what you purchased?
 
killerrobot said:
I'm not sure what's going on here - you bought a returned machine from BB, correct? They had restored/reinstalled OSX and apps using their IDs?

Why can't you change accounts by logging into your account via the App store and download what you purchased?
Click to expand...

It was completely wiped with a new copy of Lion. It showed the 3 apps and when I clicked "install" it said, these items are linked to another Apple ID and are not available for you to download (and a bit more that I don't want to miss-quote), and then the 3 items automatically disappeared from my purchased list. I have no idea how Apple is linking these apps to the ID. The Apple Care rep, told me (before I tried) that it would work because they are tied to the computer. Well, it's definitely not. :eek:

Bummer.
 
The only thing that should be linked with the computer is Lion - the apps are individually purchased. So, unless you bought them using your Apple ID, you shouldn't be able to download them.

If Best Buy sold them to you included with the purchase then you need to contact BB for the "disks" because they just ripped you off and sold you illegal copies of apps.
 
killerrobot said:
The only thing that should be linked with the computer is Lion - the apps are individually purchased. So, unless you bought them using your Apple ID, you shouldn't be able to download them.

If Best Buy sold them to you included with the purchase then you need to contact BB for the "disks" because they just ripped you off and sold you illegal copies of apps.
Click to expand...

They completely restored the computer, I had the first time set up and everything. I logged in for the first time. Everything through Apple is sold through the App Store, how could Best Buy help? I understand they should be able to, but I doubt they will. In any event, I'm waiting on hold now.
 
killerrobot said:
The only thing that should be linked with the computer is Lion - the apps are individually purchased. So, unless you bought them using your Apple ID, you shouldn't be able to download them.

If Best Buy sold them to you included with the purchase then you need to contact BB for the "disks" because they just ripped you off and sold you illegal copies of apps.
Click to expand...

I believe the iLife apps are part of Lion and when you buy a Mac with Lion installed or purchase and download it from the App store those apps can be re-downloaded with the same ID anytime. I suspect as it was an open box item where the OS and apps were restored by Best Buy using their ID the OP is not able to access and download them for free like it should be. Unless I misunderstood I believe this is the issue.
 
Mr.C said:
I believe the iLife apps are part of Lion and when you buy a Mac with Lion installed or purchase and download it from the App store those apps can be re-downloaded with the same ID anytime. I suspect as it was an open box item where the OS and apps were restored by Best Buy using their ID the OP is not able to access and download them for free like it should be. Unless I misunderstood I believe this is the issue.
Click to expand...

This is how I understood it. I imagine if you get in touch with the right team at Apple they will be able to reset it.
 
I totally missed the "iLife" part of that. Need more coffee. :)

Seems like support should just be able to add that to your purchases - although yes, that is quite a hassle to go through to contact them for everything.
 
Mr.C said:
I believe the iLife apps are part of Lion and when you buy a Mac with Lion installed or purchase and download it from the App store those apps can be re-downloaded with the same ID anytime. I suspect as it was an open box item where the OS and apps were restored by Best Buy using their ID the OP is not able to access and download them for free like it should be. Unless I misunderstood I believe this is the issue.
Click to expand...

No, my apple ID is linked to the OS, it asked me when I set it up. Also, all my apps from my iMac are available for re-download as well. They iLife apps were at the top of my purchases in a divided section.

----------

That was a quick response. Unfortunately, I am about to get the run-around. Taking it back to best buy will do nothing as it is MY information in the OS. *sigh*

Either way I am waiting on a call from the Apple Expert from my local best buy as he was helping customers when I called.
 

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iBreatheApple said:
No, my apple ID is linked to the OS, it asked me when I set it up.
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Not sure why you can't download the iLife apps then. I guess this is new territory as far as included software goes. Before the OS and associated apps came on a recovery or restore disc and you could just re-install from that.
 
Now they are telling me they can't help me. I'm starting to get slightly irritated because I now have Apple Care, App Store Reps, and Best Buy ALL pointing fingers at each other. This is kind of crazy. Best Buy just told me that it would be the App Store reps and that they can do NOTHING for me at best buy. The App Store rep is telling me that this is a technical issue, and Apple Care is telling me it's an app store rep issue.
 

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iBreatheApple said:
Are you trying to be funny?
________________________

Yet another email. So now I've talked to Liz, Benjamin, and Sandra from the App Store. Multiple people from Apple Care, and the Apple 2 specialists from my local best buy. Here is the latest email, with my response this time.
Click to expand...

I would call AppleCare again, sometimes you get a different rep with better results or just return the computer to Best Buy asking for either a refund for the cost of iLife or your money back on the computer.
 
Yet another email. So now I've talked to Liz, Benjamin, and Sandra from the App Store. Multiple people from Apple Care, and the Apple 2 specialists from my local best buy. Here is the latest email, with my response this time.

marc11 said:
Are you? You contacted iTunes support for help with your computer and with software on the App store. The rep clearly and honestly said it was out of his area of expertise and offered you a very sound suggestion to follow...
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Actually, you're wrong, and I'm not.

I did not contact iTunes first of all. Second, she said this is a TECHNICAL issue, not app store related.

Why don't you read the credentials of the rep in the first attachment.
 

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Primus84 said:
Have you tried calling and speaking to a manager?
Click to expand...

They said it was meaningless because they would tell me the same thing, it's an App Store issue. Then I have App Store telling me it's technical. And lastly I have Best Buy telling me to re-contact the App Store because they can do absolutely nothing for me. This is quite lame.
 
iBreatheApple said:
They said it was meaningless because they would tell me the same thing, it's an App Store issue. Then I have App Store telling me it's technical. And lastly I have Best Buy telling me to re-contact the App Store because they can do absolutely nothing for me. This is quite lame.
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Keep escalating it, someone will be able to help you if you persist.
 
I'm changing the title of this thread.

Apple WE THE PEOPLE are going to have hectic MISERABLE HELL of a time with Lion and open-box items.

:D:eek::(:mad:
 
Have you tried to doing a complete reinstall? BestBuy probably did an upgrade rather than a clean install.
 
LIVEFRMNYC said:
Have you tried to doing a complete reinstall? BestBuy probably did an upgrade rather than a clean install.
Click to expand...

Ohhhh trust me, they did a clean install because I had to sit there for 2 hours while they did it (the last 2 hours before they closed.)
 
iBreatheApple said:
Ohhhh trust me, they did a clean install because I had to sit there for 2 hours while they did it (the last 2 hours before they closed.)
Click to expand...

2 hours? That's pretty long.

Did you actually see how they did it? Or was everything done in the backroom?

I HIGHLY suggest you do a clean install anyways.
 
CLEAN INSTALL WORKED! However...

A clean install worked, but majority of users don't have the help of MacRumors or even the knowledge that we do about electronics so I fear this will become a huge problem for open-box purchases. Thanks for the help everyone! :)


EDIT: IT DIDN'T WORK!
 

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