Buddy List Not Showing Buddies Online

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Level 1

4 points

Buddy List Not Showing Buddies Online

Alright, so I've used iChat for like 2 years now and I've never had a problem. I use AIM through iChat and it's worked great.

I leave myself logged on at my computer at my apt. and I just happened to be at work last night and tried to sign on at the computer at work. I opened iChat on the work computer and set up my AIM account and tried to log on and ended up getting an error and decided "screw it" I'll just wait til I get home.

When I get home I find myself not online like I usually am and now when I sign on, it tells me my status is "Available," but it shows none of my buddies online. I can hit "Cmd ShiftO" and it'll show my entire buddy list(those who are offline, which is all of them), but it doesn't show anyone online.

I even when to my roommates room and checked to see if I showed up on his buddy list as online. Nope, apparently even though my computer is telling me I'm online, I'm apparently not. So my problem is now that I can't even connect and it doesn't show my buddies online.

I've already tried deleting the AIM account in iChat along with all the preference files for iChat and the re-entering my AIM account information. I tried to log on after that and still had the same problem.

I do have my firewall up, but all the ports needed for iChat are open. Like I said earlier, iChat has worked fine for me up until the point where I tried to sign on from another computer while I was still online at home.

Please help.

15" PowerBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Sep 12, 2007 11:51 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 12, 2007 12:23 PM in response to David_C

Hi David,

Go to iChat > Preferences > Accounts
Select the account you are using in the list on the left.
Now the Account info tab on the right.

Does it say Allow Multiple Logins ?
Does the one at work ?

8:23 PM Wednesday; September 12, 2007

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Answer 2

David_C Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 12, 2007 2:46 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Originally, no, neither one was set up to "Allow multiple logins." So when I was setting up my info at work, I did check "Allow multiple logins," before attempting to login from work. The computer at home's settings were not set up for allowing multiple log-ins. So I don't know if checking that option at work affected the settings of my home computer that was already logged in.

I removed my information all together from the work computer last night, and I've tried checking "Allow multiple logins" on this computer at home. With it checked or unchecked, I still cannot connect now...

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Answer 3

Sep 12, 2007 2:51 PM in response to David_C

Hi David,

It is best done when you know both computers are logged out.

Then both should be changed to Allow Multiple logins before one of them logs back into AIM again.

In you current situation you can probably do that by setting the home computer as you can not get on line and then Shutting down iChat and then set it at work before making sure it if Off-line in iChat before you come home. The start up iChat at home and make sure it logs in properly.

10:51 PM Wednesday; September 12, 2007

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Answer 4

David_C Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 12, 2007 4:40 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

So I went to work(I'm still there so I can't test anything at home), and I re-entered all my AIM information to iChat at work. I made sure that "Allow multiple logins" was check and attempted to login. It showed my status as available as usual, but still didn't display my buddies online. However, I did get this error message:

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iChat Parental Controls not set up properly

Since your white list has not been configured, there are no buddies you can chat with. To configure your white list, press the Open System Preferences button.
-

I'm assuming this is the reason my buddies are not showing up. I'm also assuming that this has to do with the Parental Controls set up on the computer from the Administrator profile. However, I don't understand why this would affect my computer at home and stop my buddy list from showing up there.

Like I said, I haven't been back home to re-test my iChat at home, but I figured this error would have something to do with the problem. Am I going to have to login to the Administrator profile on the work computer to fix this for my computer at home? I figured I would just be able to remove my AIM info from the work computer and my home computer would work fine.

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Answer 5

David_C Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 13, 2007 12:05 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Ok, so when I get back home, I attempt to login again. It still shows me as "Available," but I'm not actually logged on and my buddy list isn't showing anyone online.

I try to manually open a chat with my roommate by hitting "Cmd+N" and then typing in his AIM screen name to the chat and it gives me this error when I try to IM him:

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AIM error:

Your privacy preferences are set so they prevent you from communicating with this person.
-

So now I'm fairly certain the problem has something to do with the computer at work, but I don't know why the parental settings on the computer at work would still be affecting my computer at home. All of my AIM information is removed from the work computer.

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Answer 6

David_C Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 13, 2007 12:14 AM in response to David_C

Alright, just figured it out. I was continuing to look around to figure out the problem. Turns out, when I attempted to sign on at work, somehow it changed my "Privacy" settings on my AIM screen name and home computer to where it "Allowed Specific People" on a list...which was empty.

So I switched the privacy settings back to "Block Specific People"(which is what it was set on prior to my attempt to log on at work) and immediately all my buddies showed up on my buddy list as online.

Thanks for the help Ralph.

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Answer 7

Sep 13, 2007 3:11 AM in response to David_C

Hi David,

Glad to hear you have sorted it.

As you had not mentioned either the Privacy setting or Parental Controls I had not even considered them.

As your post points out where the problem was and the fix I will detail a bit about Parental Controls for you and other readers.

Parental Controls are set by the Admin account in System Preferences > Accounts
iChat can have the Buddies the User Account can talk to (Any form of Chat)

Problem arise if you set a Mac User account with iChat Parental Controls and the same iChat Buddy list (or even Address Book).
This on it's own will produce the same or similar effects to those you describe.

If you go one step further like you might if your child or partner leaves home and you delete the Mac User Account - WITHOUT - stopping Parental Controls first you can effectively lock your Buddy list that way.
Luckily the "deleted" account is just locked and not actually removed from your System and can be reactivated for the change to be made and "Deleted" again.
It is a little more difficult if you have removed the locked "Deleted" Mac User's Folder. (It involves Terminal and renumbering a New Mac User Account in NetInfo)

11:11 AM Thursday; September 13, 2007

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Answer 8

Sep 17, 2007 7:04 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Ralph,

I'm a new iMac owner. I have followed your discussion and changed my port from 5190 to 443. I had one of my buddies log onto to iChat and I can finally see that he was connected. I click on the video camera and I get a Connection error. I am using Windstream internet via a Siemens Speedstream 4200 modem. Can please help? I'm ready to throw this thing out in the yard!!!!!

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Answer 9

avjoe

Level 1

0 points

Sep 18, 2007 9:58 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hey all,
Im working off of a 2GHz Intel Core Duo laptop and Im having the same "missing buddies/security prevention" problem just now. My computer went to sleep for a momnt and when I came back, all my buddies on my account were GONE and I can't talk to them because of a "privacy" issue when i try. I tried changing the "blocked users" and all the methods that David tried and worked for him but to no avail. Are there any other methods I could use? I tried it on multiple computers using my account and all of them are appearing blank but im "available". Please help!
-Joe

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Answer 10

robertsf

Level 1

0 points

Sep 18, 2007 11:14 AM in response to avjoe

I'm also having this problem. I left my work computer on last night, tried to sign into iChat and was listed as "Available" but no buddies showed up and people I work with said I was no online. I've restarted my computer, checked for software updates, played with "privacy" settings... NOTHING works (I even tried installing an old version of AOL Instant Messenger... same result about privacy settings).

Any ideas?

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Answer 11

avjoe

Level 1

0 points

Sep 18, 2007 11:25 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hey gang,
To add to the discussion...I could not get the buddy list to appear (just says "available" but no buddies) so i called my friend on IM from his PC and asked if he saw I was online. He said "no" and then took my account and signed in on his PC there...AND IT WORKED!!! All the names were there, the chatting worked fine...just on my .mac, it doesnt work at all. Help!!!!
Joe

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Answer 12

Sep 18, 2007 11:31 AM in response to David_C

It's just started working for me. No explanation... I didn't do anything, but now it works. I opened iChat again expecting to be frustrated but the list shows my buddies now.

I hope you all find the same results.

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Answer 13

avjoe

Level 1

0 points

Sep 18, 2007 11:33 AM in response to Prometheus

yeah me too! So strange...guess AOL had a virtual brain fart. Thanks guys!
Joe

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Answer 14

robertsf

Level 1

0 points

Sep 18, 2007 11:34 AM in response to Prometheus

it did! weird. thanks for the alert. if you were having the problem, just log out / quit and reopen...

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Answer 15

Oct 20, 2007 7:46 PM in response to David_C

I had this problem too and did the following - I don't know which one fixed the problem but it is now fixed...

Logged in using my settings to aimexpress.aol.com (i.e. the AIM web client).
Logged back out again.

Went in to iChat > Preferences... > Accounts > Account Information
Unselected "use this account" and reentered the password (which is greyed when use this account is checked) and then reselected it.

This worked for a iMac 24", iMac 20" (pre-intel G5 model) and a Powerbook G4.

Note, I did NOT have to do this on my Mac Book Pro, where 'use bonjour' is also enabled. So whether this is because I had already fixed the account at the AIM end or the bonjour aspect is not clear.

Try just the AIM bit and see if it works for you...

Regards,
Charlie

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