duncan.alan
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Messages.app - unable to sign in with Apple ID/OS X 10.8

I'm unable to sign in to iMessage with my Apple ID/password on Mac.

 

Hardware:

2 x 2.26 GHz quad-core Intel Xeon Mac Pro

32 GB RAM

Network connection via wired Ethernet - confirmed operational

 

OS:

OS X 10.8

 

Procedure:

(1) Launch Messages.app under OS X 10.8

(2) Select Preferences > Accounts

(3) Note iMessage (Inactive) in accounts list

(4) Enter Apple ID and password.

(5) Click Sign In

(6) Note indeterminate activity indicator (spinner) followed by alert sheet:  "Could not sign in to iMessage.  Could not sign in.  Please check your network connection and try again."

 

Attempted already:

(1) Changed router DNS settings to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for primary and secondary respectively.

(2) Deleted every plist remotely related to Messages, IMAgent, iChat.

(3) Verified iMessage works with same Apple ID on iPhone 4 and iPad gen 3.

(4) Restarted computer after (2)

Messages, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Jul 25, 2012 2:00 PM

by duncan.alan,Solvedanswer
duncan.alan duncan.alan
Level 1 (0 points)
A:

To the list of 9 attempted solutions (vide supra), I'll add the 10th - the one that actually worked:

 

Reinstall OS X 10.8

Posted on Jul 26, 2012 4:57 AM

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duncan.alan

Q: Messages.app - unable to sign in with Apple ID/OS X 10.8

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  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jul 25, 2012 2:28 PM in response to duncan.alan
    Level 9 (73,203 points)
    Applications
    Jul 25, 2012 2:28 PM in response to duncan.alan

    HI,

     

    There seems there is now this article (or Already if you look at it that way)

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5419

     

    You could also try Opening Activity Monitor and finding IMagent and using the Quit Option

    Restart Messages after this.

     

    (IMagent is a support app for Messages and FaceTime and deals with logging in the accounts)

     

     


    10:28 PM      Wednesday; July 25, 2012


    Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),

    "Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

  • by duncan.alan,

    duncan.alan duncan.alan Jul 25, 2012 2:40 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 25, 2012 2:40 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Thanks -

     

    Forgot to mention that I tried that step also.  So here's the running log of attempted actions:

     

    (1) Changed router DNS settings to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for primary and secondary respectively.

    (2) Deleted every plist remotely related to Messages, IMAgent, iChat.

    (3) Verified iMessage works with same Apple ID on iPhone 4 and iPad gen 3.

    (4) Restarted computer after (2)

    (5) Kill process IMAgent -> restart Messages.app

    (6) Reviewed this knowledge base article

     

    The response in all cases, is "Could not sign in.  Please check your network connection and try again."

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),Helpful

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jul 25, 2012 2:50 PM in response to duncan.alan
    Level 9 (73,203 points)
    Applications
    Jul 25, 2012 2:50 PM in response to duncan.alan

    This Apple ID works in iTunes, the App Store, Posting here  or in Facetime ?

     

    If it works everywhere but Message and FaceTime we are back as looking at the IMAgent stuff.

     

    The article could only have been posted today and probably cover s the one area that was not fully tested.

    Namely that people may want to set up a second computer using an ID that is already is use and registered with iMessages.

     

    have you tried setting up Messages in a different Mac user account ?

    This may point us back to the .plists although you seem to express that you have covered those.

     

    It is late here and there will be a delay before I get back to any replies.

     

     

     

     


    10:50 PM      Wednesday; July 25, 2012


    Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),

    "Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

  • by pberk,

    pberk pberk Jul 25, 2012 2:53 PM in response to duncan.alan
    Level 2 (298 points)
    Jul 25, 2012 2:53 PM in response to duncan.alan

    Check your system prefers... Make sure -> iCloud is still set up and also check -> Mail Contacts Calendars which now also allows you to configure for Messages... Once J did that all the accounts started working on Messages

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jul 25, 2012 3:00 PM in response to pberk
    Level 9 (73,203 points)
    Applications
    Jul 25, 2012 3:00 PM in response to pberk

    HI,

     

    iMessages part of Messages does not  necessarily use the iCloud ID.

    It can be any Apple ID

     

    It does not feature in the list of items in Mail, Contacts and Calendars.

     

     


    11:00 PM      Wednesday; July 25, 2012


    Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),

    "Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

  • by duncan.alan,

    duncan.alan duncan.alan Jul 25, 2012 3:08 PM in response to pberk
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 25, 2012 3:08 PM in response to pberk

    pberk - I'm still set up properly in System Preferences > iCloud.  But System Preferences > Mail, Contacts, Calendars does not have a selection for Messages.  (If I understand what you are refering to correctly.)

     

    Also, I note that I'm unable to sign on to FaceTime either.  These behaviors are new since installing 10.8.

  • by duncan.alan,

    duncan.alan duncan.alan Jul 25, 2012 3:19 PM in response to duncan.alan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 25, 2012 3:19 PM in response to duncan.alan

    Also, sign in fails with another Apple ID

     

    So, a running list of items tried:

     

    (1) Changed router DNS settings to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for primary and secondary respectively.

    (2) Deleted every plist remotely related to Messages, IMAgent, iChat.

    (3) Verified iMessage works with same Apple ID on iPhone 4 and iPad gen 3.

    (4) Restarted computer after (2)

    (5) Kill process IMAgent -> restart Messages.app

    (6) Reviewed this knowledge base article

    (7) Tried same process as (5) with FaceTime.app -> same behavior

    (8) Verified System Preferences > iCloud and System Preferences > Mail, Contacts, Calendars

    (9) Tried another Apple ID -> same behavior

  • by enricojm,Helpful

    enricojm enricojm Jul 25, 2012 11:16 PM in response to duncan.alan
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jul 25, 2012 11:16 PM in response to duncan.alan

    I had the exactly same problem, y tried almost all the 9 alternatives. I really don´t why but in safari I pressed the share button > imessage, and then it told me I wasn't logged in, so I justed chose to log in and since then it started to work.

  • by duncan.alan,Solvedanswer

    duncan.alan duncan.alan Jul 26, 2012 4:57 AM in response to enricojm
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 4:57 AM in response to enricojm

    To the list of 9 attempted solutions (vide supra), I'll add the 10th - the one that actually worked:

     

    Reinstall OS X 10.8

  • by alibey,

    alibey alibey Jul 26, 2012 6:13 AM in response to duncan.alan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 6:13 AM in response to duncan.alan

    How do you reinstall OS X 10.8?

  • by duncan.alan,

    duncan.alan duncan.alan Jul 26, 2012 6:47 AM in response to alibey
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 6:47 AM in response to alibey

    The original installed version was the 10.8 GM - which ideally should have differed little, if at all, from the final release.  In any case, going to the App Store, I clicked on Download.  It warned me that 10.8 was already installed, but it let me re-download and re-install nonetheless.

  • by alibey,

    alibey alibey Jul 26, 2012 8:02 AM in response to duncan.alan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 8:02 AM in response to duncan.alan

    Alright! i'll do that! thank you !

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jul 26, 2012 12:37 PM in response to enricojm
    Level 9 (73,203 points)
    Applications
    Jul 26, 2012 12:37 PM in response to enricojm

    HI,

     

    I must admit to not using Safari for sometime and not knowing about that Share Button > Messages option.

     

     


    8:36 PM      Thursday; July 26, 2012


    Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),

    "Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

  • by mikzee,

    mikzee mikzee Jul 26, 2012 1:07 PM in response to duncan.alan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 1:07 PM in response to duncan.alan

    hi,

    same problem here. not even a reinstall of ML helped

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