“Some users of iLife ’11 and iWork ’09 are having trouble upgrading to the new versions released yesterday, according to complaints,” MacNN reports. “The difficulty is that when trying to download the new software through the Mac App Store, the store fails to recognize the earlier installations.”
MacNN reports, “An Apple spokesperson states that the company is aware of the problem, and working on a solution.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Are iLife, iWork upgrades working for you?
Working flawlessly on my three devices.
Ditto to what MA said…
FIRE Tim Cook!
iLife and iWork upgrades working fine for me.
No big problem but I had to quit App Store then try again. Smooth then. Very pleased I can at last update all these apps, including Aperture, this way.
Nope, had to rebuy.
Buy for free?
Apparently not. Mine charged me the $20. Got the iTunes invoice this morning 😒
jers333 is right; it was $19 or $19.99.
Request a refund on iTunes. You should get it without any hassles.
Upgrade to Mavericks first
I couldn’t upgrade because so far, I’ve still got Snow Leopard.
My two Mac Pro’s are stuck at Leopard and Lion and won’t get any Mavericks love. Guess it’s time for a new Mac Pro. What’s kind of funny are the words “64 Bit” proudly stamped on the outside of the 2007 Mac Pro box. Guess not.
I run 10.9 on the first gen mac pro using chameleon to emulate a 64 bit efi 🙂
I just upgraded 2 MacBook Pros to Mavericks – both on Lion and both are 3-4 years old. Not sure what you’re referring to. If your Mac can run Lion, it can run Mavericks.
That was meant for Peterblood71.
… an hour just to DOWNLOAD Mavericks! AFAIK most of that time was spent waiting to START the download. After that, things went smoothly.
Have not tried iWorks or iLife … yet. I figure the Apple site is getting hammered and I can avoid some stress by waiting. Glad I’m not depending on any “new features”. 😉
Hammered is putting it lightly.
When apple released ios 7, the internet slowed.
When apple released 10.9 for FREE… I think we will hear stories if servers crashing once again under the stress.
It took a while for my download, maybe 2 hours, but other than a few odd things 10.9 is great.
Lost some swipe gestures in finder for one.. Apple has known for a while but has yet to address it.
I did upgrade to Mavericks first. I was charged to upgrade iPhoto and iMovie.
Then you must not have bought them before or had them installed on your system.
Either that or you were not logged into the account that you registered them with.
It “should” work fine…
I actually had them all download twice – once through my Australian account and then again through my US account.
Kind of weird. And no charge for either.
Had to rebuy too. Numbers upgraded just fine. No go for Pages and Keynote. Will Apple issue a refund?
My understanding reading the Apple website is that you had to buy new HARDWARE to get these updates for free. iPhones purchased after September 1, 2013 qualify, and Macs purchased after October 1, 2013 qualify.
You want to save $20 per update? You need to spring for new hardware — or at least that’s what the Apple site clearly states.
Initial installation is related to new hardware purchase but upgrades should be and appear to be free.
I talked to Tier 1 Apple support this am about this. He assured me that my iWork ’09 boxed set was eligible for a free upgrade.
Like others, Pages & Numbers only showed a Buy option, Keynote let me upgrade for some reason.
I installed Mavericks first, signed out of and back into the Mac App Store, etc., etc..
I own iWork’s 2009 which I bought on a CD when I purchased my MacBook Pro 13″ in 2010 and at first, I could not upgrade to the new version of iWork’s. I downloaded Macerick last night and this morning, I had a notification from the Mac App Store telling me that I had 3 updates (Keynote, Pages and Numbers.) I downloaded them and all is swell. It also gave me the option to download GarageBand even though I never paid for it prior to downloading Maverick.
I had the same exact problem. It charged me to upgrade.
I ran into the same problem. I had purchased iWork ’09 on a disk and the Mac App Store was asking me to pay for the upgrade. This workaround was effective for me:
note, I had already downloaded and installed Mavericks and updated iPhoto and iMovie.
– download & install iWork 9.3 update from http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1563
– restart
– upgrades were available at Mac App Store
note that before the restart, the Mac App Store indicated I had 3 updates available, but would not show them or install them. That was only possible after the restart.
No issues with iLife. Pages shows for me in the app store, however wants to charge $19.99 when I already own iWork.
I attempted to upgrade iWork prior to downloading Mavericks. The App Store was going to charge me for the apps, and it didn’t show up in updates. I had purchased iWork on a disk, but previously had been able to receive updates through the App Store. After I upgraded to Mavericks, iWork showed up as an update for free.
Good to know. I’m in the same situation but haven’t upgraded to Mavericks yet.
I need to buy the desktop iWork still, I’ve been using the ios and iCloud versions. The iCloud iWork has been amazing since the beta, I can do all my work online from the crappy school machines running xp without Microsoft office
All have updates except GarageBand. App Store doesn’t recognize my prior purchase.
The upgrade process worked great.
However, there are some serious deficiencies in the new iWork apps: can’t customize the toolbar, some functions are that were simple to find are now hidden in menus, rulers aren’t as functional, no distinction between page layout and word processing in Pages, etc.
I have a 2008 model iMac. All updates worked fine except for iMovie. I got an alert telling me the video card on my computer is not compatible with iMovie.
The app store doesn’t recognize that I’ve already purchased the apps and won’t offer an upgrade. I hope they get it fixed soon!
It wasn’t working for me at first. I had to sign into the App Store, launch iPhoto, and restart the App Store. Then it allowed me to upgrade.
As I’ve commented elsewhere, iWork needs to become cross platform (Windows, Unix, etc) and possibly even open source in order to dethrone Office as the de facto business standard. Apple tried and failed before with AppleWorks, but now the time seems right.
Some of us here still remember earlier tectonic transitions – WordStar, WordPerfect…
iWork IS cross platform.
You can use it on any pc using safari via iWork.com.
All iWork apps can be used in a browser.
You don’t even have to use Safari. Works well for me using Chrome on a Windows 7 PC.
iWork.com redirects to Apple.com on firefox but on Safari on a PC it shows iwork.com but has the Apple page..
On a PC, icloud.com will work on IE or Chrome but Safari doesn’t support all the features. I find that strange.
Didn’t work yesterday but it’s working now. I think Apple has fixed it…at least for me!
To my surprise, mine updated and I didn’t get them off the App Store. They were installed off my old DVD that I purchased back in the day. Glad to see they updated nicely off the App Store.
I hit this problem last night, and figured I had to pay for them since my install came from a CD, not from Mac APP Store. I’ll be contacting Apple about a $60 refund …
All of the iLife apps did install free of charge though, with no problems.
Ditto to your story, my refund is in the works after talking to Apple Support.
They have a new iTunes Store Support division now.
Owned iWork via original DVD. Have had no issues getting upgrades (such as they were) over the years via Software Update. I did have to wait until Wednesday AM before I saw the October 22 updates for Pages, Keynote and Numbers. Now I have copies of both the ’09 versions as well as new 2013 versions.
Aperture, purchased in the box, also updates to the current version with the online store.
The Garage Band update was a s-l-o-w experience on a fast cable internet connection, but Apple’s servers must have been hammered hard yesterday.
The downloads went fine, but I think I’m actually still running the old versions. The icons are the old ones, and About gives iWorks ’09 v2.3 for Numbers. They don’t seem to start up any faster…was that going to be part of the deal?
You should see new icons – Pages has a sheet of paper and a pen, Numbers now has 4 bars in 3D coming off of the sheet, and Keynote has a blue lectern.
If you don’t see those icons, launch LAUNCHPAD, look for the new icons for the iWork apps and start them from there. That should put the new icon at the end of your dock – move it where you want and delete the old ones off of your dock.
Ah ha. The old versions were still hanging around in ?applications/iWork ’09. The new versions are just loose in /Applications. But now Software Updates says theres an update to Pages again. Huh. The Pages.app modified date is still last night. ??
I bought the boxed version of iWork and have to buy them again as I didn’t buy them on the mac download store :((
If you did them last night, you paid and shouldn’t have. If you waited until this morning (as I should have but I don’t have that kind of patience) they should have been FREE. If you paid, contact Apple through Mac Store Support and ask for a refund. I just sent my request, I’ll update when I see a response. Hopefully they don’t just laugh at me and call me an impatient sucker!
Worked slicker ‘n’ snot.
All worked fine except for iPhoto which, despite having the install showing in the App Store, changed to the ‘do you want to purchase’, which I accidentally clicked and it proceeded to install.
Keynote 6 is much worse than Keynote 5.3. Some cool animation and transition effects from 5.3 are missing in Keynote 6. The new animations are few in quantity and mediocre in quality. Also, certain features of my presentations are missing when I open them in Keynote 6.
Bought iWork years ago, and updated regularly. Installed Mavericks yesterday, and yes, I too am not allowed to upgrade (“preflight file” error). Fix it Apple!
I had this exact problem. Phoned Apple support and they talked me through a “fix” involving the creation of a “Test” administrative user. Using this allowed my various machines to download 7 apps. When I returned to my normal log-in account, the App Store still showed that I needed to update 7 apps even though they were actually updated. I was told that Apple were/are aware of the problem. Good luck, but please register your problem with Apple support (which was excellent in my case).
working great on all three iDevices, and might I add…
Mavericks didn’t brick iMovie HD 😉
After installing Mavericks last night, the App Store indicated I would need to buy the update. This morning, the App Store showed it as a free update. So, no problem.
I was surprised however, that it downloaded an entirely new version of Pages rather than updating the former version. So far, working with the new Pages this morning, I’m frustrated that the “two up” option to view a document has disappeared. It may be there somewhere, but not intuitively found (or I’m not intuitive).
I know what you mean MacBen. The Mac App Store is not Apple-worthy IMHO. Apple know of my vehement opinion. The only change they’ve made there is extreme politeness, which doesn’t help when they can’t do anything else correctly.
Also another side note… the iWorks install on the iMac did not remove all of the 3rd party templates I have installed for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Something that has happened in the past with earlier updates. Nice job Apple…
I’ve had zero problems.
However, I will point out that the App Store app continues to be a clunky junky application that makes plentiful blunders. It allows for no sorting at all. If you’ve just downloaded stuff via Updates, go navigating around elsewhere it the app then return to Updates, it is very common for what you just updated to NOT be listed as such in either Updates or Purchases.
IOW: App Store is AS: Artificially Stupid.
I’ve ranted at Apple about it SEVERAL TIMES! One thing I can tell you is that bothering to tell the actual App Store ‘support’, so-called, is its own brick wall of stupidity. They are easily the worst division of Apple with ample cordiality and zero ability to do anything but purchases and returns, just like at any minimum wage retail shop. HATE IT. /rant
Those who have difficulty “upgrading” should consider themselves lucky. The iWorks apps have been lobotomized. If, for example, you use Pages as anything more than a fancy notepad with butterfly pictures, you will be sorely disappointed.
iWorks 09 allegedly stays on your disk, so if that’s true, there isn’t much damage.
Best advice is not to upgrade at all. You lose a lot of features if you do, and some of them might be essential. Out of caution, I did not “upgrade,” and after reading the Apple discussions, I’m glad I did not.
No, iWorks 09 didn’t stay on my disk. I got odd results:
1) I got Keynote 6.0 installed. It works. But I didn’t buy the update. Meanwhile, a wreckage version of my original Keynote was left behind, corrupt and unusable.
2) Pages and Numbers are gone entirely.
Luckily I can drag and drop them from another computer on my LAN! But not many people can do that.
I have not tried this, so it is just an idea. There are uninstall utilities that move the app and all its preference files and such into a special directory, in case you want it back.
Derek, If you make a note of the paths to each of the files, you might be able to use the utility to uninstall iWorks Grownups on your other computer, then make a copy of all the files it removes. Restore iWorks for Grownups, then use the copies to manually restore it to the the right directories on the machine from which it is missing.
I ended up with an iWork ’09 folder in my applications list.
I did not make that folder. Check in Finder.
So weird. Yes, my iWork ’09 folder is still there. It contained an alias I had put there to a Jumsoft app I bought to use with Pages and the wrecked, unusable copy of Keynote. Nothing else! No Pages, no Numbers on that Mac after the Mavericks install.
But, as I say, I got a free copy of Keynote 6!
Meanwhile, I copied over a working iWork ’09 folder so I’m back in business again.
As I’ve ranted elsewhere, this is NOT the Mavericks GM I tested. Apple pulled a looloo when they screwed it up in GM 2. I can hardly wait for 10.9.1, which I had already stated was necessary two weeks ago. /rant
No problems with being charged to upgrade, but did hit a snag with upgrading iMovie, because the graphics chip in my mid-2007 iMac is not supported. I guess it’s time to part with some cash to join the modern world.
So far, not for me. I’ll keep trying to download…
It is my impression that Apple said that iWork will be free with new Macs. Also, the Apple store never recognized Apps not previously downloaded from a disk before. A while back I had to buy the same versions of the Apps so I could later get upgrades for free.
Update went flawlessly on three Macs. However, the older versions remained on the machine and, more importantly, in the Dock. I had to manually remove the Dock icons for the old versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote and manually install the Dock icons for the new versions on all three Macs.
No problem with the download or opening them up, but at first glance the new Keynote is a MAJOR disappointment. Many transition and build effects seem to have disappeared, and lots of this party themes are no longer usable…they don’t even show up in the theme screen.
dang….lots of THIRD party themes, I meant.
No issues here. Worked like it does all the time.
iWork and iLife, no problem on my new iMac 27 but on my iPad 4 gen and iPhone 4S had some hard times loading it, after a few restarts etc it’s all fine. To switch optics iBooks completely stinks. I want them to fix it fast! iBooks is as lifeless as an ap can be. I file a lot of PDF files from my mac and sync them to my iPad so I can use my iPad for business, iBooks will not allow any manipulation of files in iBooks in old iTunes I could select a file and modify its file name and info etc, If you drop a PDF in iTunes it keeps it in file but not as a book, strange.
After installing Mavericks on my 2008 Mac Pro yesterday the iWorks suite appeared in my Mac App Store Updater pane as free updates even though I had never bought any of them before. And while the new GarageBand was offered for free with a $4.99 in App purchase option for the rest of it, iPhoto and iMovie for Mac are both priced at $14.99.
Yes I did have this problem.
Going to the Mac App Store “Store” menu and then choosing “View My Account” and then “iTunes in iCloud” Hidden Purchases then “Manage” then and unhide purchases made all three iWork apps appear for free upgrade.
Absolutely no problem updating all my iApps.
You see, the same as ObamaCare and that dumb piece of shit in the White House who is peddling it.
So does the free update apply only to iLife 11 or would it also work for upgrading iLife 09 suite?
Funny thing happened when I went to the App Store to retrieve my updates. It asked me to both my accounts ( I have an old @mac.com account and a newer one- I have hated this nonsense) one right after the other. The App Store then found everything that I was expecting and downloaded it all. Excellent.
When I logged into the new iBooks on my MacBook it did the same. Now all my books, bought from two different accounts, are visible at once. Excellent and about time!!
Updates worked for me. I originally got iWork on DVD in the Mac Box Set that also included the Leopard DVD.
After updating to Mavericks, the Mac App Store offered me free updates to all the iWork apps. So, I got ’em.
Worked perfect for me, I was especially pleased when I had them on my mini but not my MB air and after upgrading my mini, was able to install them on the air free of charge. Way to go, Apple.
I was able to only update iPhoto and GarageBand:(
Did and done twice already. Nooo Problems.
No problems installing however, be advised that keynote 6 will not play smart builds and we substitute other effect in place of the.
There are no smart builds in the new keynote so put the old apps in a folder before you upgrade.
The old keynote app still works and lets you play your original files.
Havent tried yet but sounds like a similar problem I just related on a different thread related to Pages when though pre loaded by Apple updates it offered me actually refused to load saying I did not own the original software. They couldn’t solve it I actually gave up but it suddenly downloaded an update about 2 months ago after several months of refusing to do so.
This is all very interesting. The experiences are very uneven across the board. This is un-Apple-like. I’m a big Apple fan, and have never even owned a PC, buying my first Mac in 1985. This is not like the Apple of old which provided a consistent, flawless experience. (In my household are four MacBook Pros, three iPads, five iPhones, five iPods, two Apple TVs, two Airport Expresses, one Airport Extreme, an iMac and a Mac Mini).
I had issues in which the iWork suite would not upgrade even after many inputs of my AppleID password.
Upgrade of all apps went flawlessly. Not so happy about lost features. Without linked text boxes and page spread view, the new Pages is unusable for editing newsletters and the like. Fortunately, the “upgrade” leaves iWork ’09 intact.
went OK on 2011 Macbook Air . Everything but iMovie went OK on 5 year old iMac
Said incompatible with dual core 2.6 2GB running Mavericks
The App Store says Numbers, Pages, and Keynote downloaded, and I watched them download, but only the old versions exist on my computer. I am not a novice. I’ve been doing Mac Tech work for years.
The new keynote does not support smart builds . Keep your old version to play files with smart builds.
I had no problems with iLife 09 nor iWork 09 they are working flawlessly on all devices.
Had to manually download from the App Store, but worked fine.
For iWork the updated doesn’t replace the old app, it installs a new one… That is probablyy confusing some basic users
I upgraded to 10.9 last night – took 2 hours but once downloaded installation was problem free. Did not have any option to upgrade iLife or iWork apps until the update notification popped up at about 2 this afternoon. No problem downloading or installing – and free for everything.