iTunes Store: "Error (-50)" when downloading purchased content

Products Affected

Mac OS X 10.4, Mac OS X 10.5, Mac OS X 10.6, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, iTunes, iTunes Store

Symptoms

The following alerts may appear when trying to download purchased content from the iTunes Store:

"There was an error downloading your purchased music. An unknown error occurred (-50)."

This can happen when the connection timeout occurs while downloading purchased content from the iTunes Store. Certain types of software may also affect the way a computer sends and receives information from the internet. Here are a few examples of these types of software:

  • Firewalls
  • Web Accelerators
  • Ad Filters
  • Virus Protection Software

Resolution

If you have any of the software listed above, and you cannot access the iTunes Store or complete your download, you will need to configure these applications to allow iTunes to connect to the Internet.

Refer to the documentation that came with that software, and if necessary contact the software's manufacturer. You will need to configure the software to allow the following domains to send and receive data from the Internet.

  • itunes.apple.com
  • ax.itunes.apple.com
  • albert.apple.com
  • gs.apple.com
  • deimos3.apple.com
  • phobos.apple.com

If a web accelerator appears to be causing the issue, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the software manufacturer. If your computer is on a network, you may also want to try using a different computer on the network, or discuss the issue with the network administrator.

If you find that this error only occurs while attempting to download video content, you may be able to resolve this issue by deleting the cached video files of the download, then resuming your download.

"Error (-50)" when downloading purchased videos

Deleting the cached video files of the download, and starting the download again from the beginning, often will resolve this issue.

To find the cached video downloads:

  1. Navigate to the downloads folder on your computer. This folder can be found in the locations listed below. Note: the "iTunes Media" folder may appear as "iTunes Music".

    OS X:
    ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/Downloads

    Note: The tilde (~) refers to your Home directory.

    Windows Vista:
    \Users\username\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Downloads\

    2. Windows 7:
    \Users\username\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Downloads\

    Windows XP:
    \Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Downloads\

     

  2. Locate the folder that contains the cached video file for this purchase.

    In Windows Vista and Windows 7, the folder will be named for the purchased video, and the name will end with .tmp.

    Example: The Dundies.tmp

    In Windows XP and Windows 2000, the folder will be named for the purchased video, and the name will end with .m4v.tmp.

    Example: The Dundies.m4v.tmp

  3. Move the .tmp folder for the affected purchased video to the Trash or Recycle Bin.
  4. Open iTunes.
  5. Choose Store > Check for Available Downloads.
  6. Enter your account name and password and click the Check button.

Additional Information

Instructions on using MSCONFIG to troubleshoot conflicts in Microsoft Windows can be found here.

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.
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