Deauthorizing to create hard drive space

Question

I am going to give my computer to my wife, and want to create hard drive space. This is a computer we already share, but maintain separate music libraries on iTunes under each of our user accounts. In attempting to create disc space, I wanted to remove my music from the computer, but we share the same iTunes account. So if I deauthorize the computer for my account, her music purchased from iTunes won't play either.
I thought that as a solution I would deauthorize the computer for the account. Then delete my iTunes library, then using my wife's account on the computer (which would still have songs purchased from iTunes on it) I would reauthorize the computer so that the computer would play songs we purchased, but I could save disc space. My hope is that if my library isn't on the computer when I reauthorize it, it will still play her library (even if we have a few of the same songs). Also this will allow me to authorize the new computer that I will purchase soon.
I hope this is clear, and hopefully someone can answer this.
Thanks in advance.
Russell

Answer 1

Once you authorize five computers to play your music purchases, you can't listen to music you've purchased on a sixth computer until you deauthorize one of the already authorized computers. When you deauthorize a computer, you can't listen to any music that was purchased using your account on that computer. To authorize or deauthorize a computer, your computer needs to be connected to the Internet.
Each computer can be authorized to play music purchased with multiple Apple or AOL accounts. For example, if each member of your household has an Apple account and you share one computer, each person can choose whether to authorize the computer to play music purchased with their account. Similarly, multiple users can share the same computer and account and thereby use only one of the authorizations for the songs purchased with that account.
- source - iTunes Help
So, I don't think it is necessary for you to deauthorize the computer. If you move your iTunes Library to another machine, you simply authorize your account on that machine.
For further clarification, type in Authorizing or deauthorizing a computer in your search field after selecting iTunes and Music Store Help via the iTunes Help Menu.
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