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Wednesday 8 August 2012

iTunes/AppStore default apps assigned to another user

The iLife apps which now come with Lion+ are by default 'assigned' to the first iTunes user that logs in to the MAC and updates.

Which is fine if its your personal device but not fine when its a business one and that initial user leaves the company.  Apple provide no method to re-assign apps and the no media mandate means you can't re-install.  Essentially your broken and can't update any of the apps.

Spent a good deal of time on Google and eventually emailed support - who were crap.

Resorted to calling Apple Care and after the first tech tried to send me back to iTunes support.  With some perseverance I got through to a senior tech (who wishes to remain anonymous). He took the details and totally owned the case.

Came back within the hour and said we could switch the registration from user XYZ to ABC.  We registered ABC, which will now become the business iTunes account and had the apps switched over.

At first this failed but a suggestion to delete the apps and then re-install resolved that.

Happy user, and really happy with the way Apple support dealt with this.