When cmd+shift+d does not work on a mac, here's what to do.

Question

I have been trying to authorize my new Macbook Pro 2011 for weeks. (I set up and authorized my iPhone with no problem.) Whenever I try to authorize my computer using the Digital Editions instructions given at the bottom of this post, I get the message:
Activation Server error - code E_AUTH_NOT_READY
Digital Editions encounter an error on the activation server.
I've read all the forums and tried everything. To deal with this problem, the answers in the forums say to deauthorize my computer and the reauthorize it but, no matter what I do, I cannot get it to deauthorize. i have tried opening ADE and hitting Command+Shift+D--using command because I have a mac--(tried this in library view and in reader view) but nothing happens. This is different from so many others who have solved this problem using Command+Shift+D. When I hit Command+Shift+D, nothing happens at all. I get no screen so I cannot hit Erase Authorization. I don't know how to get rid of the authorization that must exist somewhere but I don't know where. Only after I get rid of it, will I be able to reautorize my computer so I can read ebooks from the library, etc.
I also tried uninstalling ADE 2.0 and then reinstalling it. I did not get the set-up wizard to help me authorize my computer. So I went to the Help menu and chose "Authorize Computer" and got a window titled "Authorize Your Computer." The eBook Vendor was already shown as Adobe ID. All I had to do was enter my Adobe ID and Password. I did this (which worked successfully on my iPhone) and got the same error screen message noted above:
Adobe Digital Editions
An Error Has Been Detected
Activation Server error - code E_AUTH_NOT_READY
Digital Editions encounter an error on the activation server.
To retry, click the Try Again button.
Cancel button             Try Again button
When I hit "Try Again," the same error message just comes up.
I decided to try step 5 in the instructions below so I navigated to /Users//Library/Application Support/Adobe/Digital Editions. There was a document named "activation.dat" and a file named "Voucher." I dragged the activation.dat file to the trash.
I returned to the Help menu and chose "Authorize Computer" and got a window titled "Authorize Your Computer." The eBook Vendor was already shown as Adobe ID. All I had to do was enter my Adobe ID and Password. I did this and THIS TIME I WAS SUCCESSFUL. I got the following message screen:
Adobe Digital Editions
Your Computer Has Been Authorized
This computer has been successfully authorized to [email protected] with a Vendor ID.
You are now ready to read Adobe DRM protected items on this machine, and easily transfer them between devices.
SPECTACULAR!!!
SO FOR THOSE MAC USERS WHO HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DEAUTHORIZE THEIR COMPUTERS USING COMMAND+SHIFT+D, TRY DRAGGING YOUR activation.dat FILE (LOCATION GIVEN ABOVE) TO THE TRASH. THEN TRY TO AUTHORIZE YOUR COMPUTER AGAIN BY OPENING ADE 2.0, CLICKING ON THE HELP MENU, CHOOSING AUTHORIZE COMPUTER, ENTERING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND PASSWORD, CLICKING ON AUTHORIZE (OR WHATEVER THAT RIGHT BUTTON IS), AND YOU WILL MOST LIKELY GET THE MESSAGE THAT YOUR COMPUTER HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED.
I hope this helps. I have been trying for weeks to figure out how to solve this problem and for hours today. So I hope this solution will help those who have the problem I had with the Command+Shift+D not working.
I followed these instructions
Instructions from webpage: http://helpx.adobe.com/digital-editions/kb/error-e_act_not_ready.html
Issue
When you activate Adobe Digital Editions 2.0, you receive the error, "E_AUTH_NOT_READY."
Solution
This error occurs when the authorization information is damaged. Follow the below steps to rebuild the Activation file.
Mac OS
1. Open Adobe Digital Editions.
2. Press Command+Shift+D to deauthorize Adobe Digital Editions.
3. Select Erase Authorization.
4. Click OK and Quit Adobe Digital Editions.
5. Navigate to /Users//Library/Application Support/Adobe/Digital Editions and drag the activation.dat file to the trash.
If you are using 10.7, see Access hidden user library files | Mac OS 10.7 Lion.
7. Open Adobe Digital Editions and reauthorize.

Answer 1

I have just encountered the same problem and all the same frustrations as karliekate, except that I haven't got a new eReader.  I just use my PC, so I don't know what might have caused this.  The Adobe Help (!!) pages say to contact the eBook provide (the library) whose site says contact Adobe, although it should be well known by now that software producers like Adobe, Apple, Microsoft and many others are completely indifferent to their customers' problems.