Hi Max, If I understand correctly, you've been using an iPhone on a Windows computer for some time, but have just migrated to a Mac. Did you use Migration Assistant to move your previous iTunes library contents, including music and app purchases, over to your Mac? I've never used this in any fashion from Windows, but my understanding is that if you downloaded the Windows Migration Assistant from the Apple web site, this handled the migration of your iTunes library content including purchases, web bookmarks, contacts, and mail, and that this worked at least through Lion. However, most people who have switched to the Mac and posted queries on this list don't seem to have used all these tools, and it is certainly possible to perform all these actions independently.
Regardless of what previous migration actions you took, does any of your music or other purchases now showi up under your iTunes library? (I'm not talking about looking for a "purchases" playlist in your sources table, I'm simply asking whether, if you navigate to Apps or Music under your sources table, whether any of the contents of your current iTunes library under the Mac includes any items that you previously purchased under iTunes, whether from your iPhone or from your Windows computer. Also, have you authorized your computer? By that I mean, is your computer's iTunes account associated with the Apple ID and password that you previously used to purchase apps and/or music? This is normally also taken care of as part of the Migration Assistant process. If your iPhone was set up to sync to your Windows computer, and you have never changed the default sync computer to be with your Mac, and have not migrated the purchased apps, musics, and previous backups to iTunes on your new Mac, then there will be no apps under iTunes on your new Mac. However, you can transfer purchases, including apps and music that are on your iPhone, to iTunes on your Mac by connecting your iPhone and then navigating to the "File" menu on the iTunes menu bar (either Control-F2 or VO-M to move to the menu bar, press "f" to move to the "File" menu, then arrow down to the "Transfer Purchases" menu option and press return to select it. This option will be dimmed if you have no iOS device connected, and it may be dimmed if you have not authorized your computer. Normally, you can just arrow down into the File menu and then press "t" to navigate to the "Transfer Purchases" option -- if it isn't dimmed. One of the points of confusion is that much of the documentation assumes that you use the same Apple ID for your iCloud storage, iMessages, and "Find My iPhone", etc. that you use for your iTunes purchases, but many people use a common Apple ID for iTunes purchases so they can share apps with a spouse. And in my case, my ID for iTunes purchases predates the newer system of using email-like ID names, and also predates the dot Mac and MobileMe accounts that are the standard Apple IDs. So, if the login name and password that you use to purchase apps and music from the iTunes store, and to purchase apps from the Mac App store, is not the same as the Apple ID you use for iMessages, etc., then you will have to make sure that you use the ID associated with your previous iTunes app and music purchases to authorize your computer's iTunes account. If this is not the case, then your apps and music will not sync from your connected iPhone, and you will not be able to use the "Transfer Purchases" option under the File menu when your iPhone is connected to your computer without first taking the step to authorize your computer. So if that step fails, go the "Store" menu on the iTunes menu bar (Control-F2 or VO-M to the menu bar, then press "s" to navigate to "Store"), arrow down, and press "a" to move to "Authorize computer", then press return. A dialog window will pop up with Apple ID and password. If you have a different iTunes Apple ID from the Apple ID you use for iCloud and iMessages, then you'll have to change the default Apple ID that appears in the text box to the one that you use for your iTunes purchases, and then type in the password associated with that ID in the password text box before pressing "return" (or navigating to the "Authorize" button and using VO-Space) to authorize your computer. It's hard to tell because I don't know what previous steps you took, but I'm pretty sure that if you connect an iOS device to iTunes on a brand new computer that provided your have authorized iTunes so that your previous purchases can be associated with a correct account, you'll be offered the option of syncing your device to the new computer, and even prompted about transferring purchases, making a backup, etc. But you can certainly transfer purchases without designating the new computer as the new computer for syncing your iPhone. And once you transfer these, you should have a library of apps. Here's the link to the Apple Knowledge Base article on transferring purchases. It also has links to related topic of authorizing computers, etc.: • iTunes 10 for Mac: Transfer purchases from your iPod, iPhone, or iPad to an authorized computer http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2554 Once you've transferred apps, you should find a "Purchased" playlist in your sources table, apps under the Apps playlist, and in Finder the apps will show up under your account in: ~/Music/ITunes/iTunes Media/Mobile Applications/ HTH. Cheers, Esther -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en.
