Went to the iTunes store to upgrade one of my iPods to the OS 3.0 SDK to see if we can monetize the crap out of it. Hey, I’ve BEEN BUSY, so shutup.
Anyway, No joy. An UNKNOWN ERROR occurred on my transaction.
I will report back on this when I solve Apple’s problem (again).
Update and FIX:
The error was “An Unknown Error Occurred (1004)”. OH how precious that is. Apple must have hired a couple of hundred Microsoft Programming Wizards for that one. Yeah 100 mediocre programmers. Idiots.
OK here is what it is telling you:
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Go into your iTunes (mine is on the Mac).
Choose Store from the Menu.
View My Account.
Put the credit card security code into the app.
Close that pane.
Click on your iPod device.
Choose update.
Click on Buy now.
WHOA! It works now. AMAZING. Stupid. Imbecile. Mediocre programmers need to be shot. Where is Adolf Eichmann when we need him.
You’re done baby. Wait the 20 minutes to download this puppy.
Remember to BACKUP your iPlatform before upgrading dude and dudettes.
Thank you, thank you. I was at a loss for this. I am so glad someone figured it out and shared with the rest of us!! I appreciate it!
Glad I could figure this out. It is obviously a problem, but no one could get anywhere with answers. Check back for other solutions to these weird Apple problems.
Thanks for stopping by.
-T-
Thank you. Why the hell would Apple use a generic error message? How about, “Please verify your payment information.”
I entered my security code and clicked Done, then clicked Done again on the Apple Account Information pane and I get the same error, “unknown error (-1004)”. When I go back into my credit card information, the security code field is blank again. HELP, this is so incredibly frustrating.
@Tim
This could be “yet another error” that this error code is used for.
I went back into my Account information on iTunes (through the Store –> View my account) and the security code is also not there. It probable shouldn’t as that is the last piece of info that identifies your credit card. So that is not unusual.
Try this: If you have multiple computers authorized, deauthorize all except this one, put in the security code in iTunes –> Store –> View my account, and try it again.
The indication that this didn’t save in iTunes is that the Download from the store asks you to login twice and change the billing info.
If this doesn’t happen change credit card to none, save, then go back in and enter the credit card info. NOTE: Make sure the expiry date of the credit card is correct.
Sorry this is frustrating. All companies seem to “lose it” in this last mile. Although I would say Apple brings it further down the road than other companies before they fail.
Report back your results.
-T-
@Chad
Ummm because they ran out of time most likely. This is normal programmer behavior: 1) Management sets arbitrary marketing deadlines, 2) Programmers are “a dime a dozen” and “should” be able to get anything done. “Why, they saved our butts when they implented XYZ in two weeks, this is simple web programming” says ‘Management’. So programmers must cut corners otherwise THEY have failed (management NEVER fails).
Chad, this is why I took this role at Joroto. I will protect the programmers and engineers from the pinhead marketing weasels and other management. Programmers will be kings, not pawns. We’re going to pay our great programmer many times the price of a mediocre programmer. We will NOT have mediocre programmers working for us. They are a drag on our schedules.
Thanks for posting.
-T-
Tom, thanks a lot for your response and for trying to help me out on this issue. I tried as many of the things in your last post and still no luck. Still getting the same screwed up graphical interface and the same errors (unknown errors -1004 and 10054). I’ve got 3 computers authorized and I was not able to deauthorize the other two, mainly b/c I don’t know how. I think one of them is my old laptop that’s now out of my hands and decommissioned. How do you deauthorize such a computer??
@Tim
In iTunes go to Store and then on that menu (On my Mac at least) is a menu option that says “Deauthorize Computer”. I’m not sure past that because I haven’t had to do that yet.
I’m grasping at straws since that error message is so vague. But taking into account what I had to do to get mine to work (and one other post here worked too) I would say it is somehow related to the credit card account and the main Apple iTunes site figuring out whether you are putting in all billing information as well as being THE computer that is allowed to purchase using your account.
One other thing, now that I’m talking to you. I wonder if you can setup a brand new account on Apple just for this upgrade. Leave the old one active for your music. That should be your last ditch “Hail Mary” pass to “fix” this.
Good luck and keep me in the loop. I’ll help if I can.
-T-
Great solution – you’re awesome!