After having used several computers in the last few years – and having installed iTunes on all of them – you may end up with a message like this one:

That’s it: only 5 computers can be authorized at the same time to play stuff you buy in the iTunes Store! So what happens if you reach the limit? The first – and easiest – solution is deauthorizing one of those five computers, so you free up a slot for the new one. It’s as easy as going to the Store menu in iTunes and selecting the Deauthorize This Computer option.

But what if you no longer have access to an authorized computer? That old desktop system you used to share with your roommate at college, the laptop that was stolen last year.. . well, there’s also a solution for those. Log in to your iTunes account and go to Store > View My Account. This will display a summary of your account information, including computer authorizations. If you’ve already authorized five, there'll be a button to deauthorize them all.

This option – which, by the way, can only be used once a year – is particularly useful if you no longer have access to computers you authorized in the past. From this moment on, you’ll have the five authorization spots free again, and you can start authorizing new computers via the Store menu in iTunes.