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MacOS Monterey Messages crashes on launch

M1 iMac upgraded to MacOS Monterey 25 October 2021 and all went well but...

Messages app crashes on launch

Tried moving com.apple.iChat.plist out of Library/Preferences and restarting but no effect

Tried SafeBoot but no effect

Tried reinstalling MacOS 12.0.1 but no effect



iMac 24″, macOS 12.0

Posted on Oct 26, 2021 6:11 AM

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Question marked as Best answer

Found this elsewhere and seems to be an issue with AddressBook-v22.abcddb in ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook

Moved it to the Bin and hey presto Messages up and running :D

Posted on Oct 26, 2021 9:29 AM

26 replies

Oct 28, 2021 8:01 AM in response to macrobin

I came back SPECIFICALLY to say thank you to this post… after installing Monterey on my wife’s computer, her Messages app would not stop crashing. I spent three hours trying all kinds of solutions found online, none of which were specific to Monterey.


I guess it took a few days for the problems and solutions to surface.


In any case, when I came across this one and tried it, the result was instantaneous. Messages now works great. I’m so grateful for this being shared to the community and hope others find this and get the same result. Thank you!

Nov 6, 2021 12:15 PM in response to JTF

Hello JFT,


Unfortunately it did not work for me. I see three files with that name, which Messages seems to create at opening when they are not present:


AddressBook-v22.abcddb-wal

AddressBook-v22.abcddb-shm

AddressBook-v22.abcddb


Did you move all three to trash? I tried with only "AddressBook-v22.abcddb" and also with all three, and it still does not work. Messages takes forever to start, and then nothing happens. The icon just sits there with no action, and I can only change its status by force quitting it.


Did you do anything else, like restarting?


Thank you

Question marked as Helpful

Nov 17, 2021 6:27 AM in response to WMZoo

WMZoo...


Try this...


1) Click anywhere on your desktop to get to what's called the Finder.

2) Click on the word "Go" at the top while holding down your "Option" key. This will show you the Library folder, which is usually hidden because it just has system stuff inside.

4) Select that entry, "Library," in the drop down menu under "Go"

5) You're now in the Library folder. About six folders down, you'll find "Application Support." Double click on that.

6) When the Application Support folder opens, now look for the folder called "Address Book." Double click on that.

7) When the Address Book folder opens, you'll see lots of files with system-like names. Search for "AddressBook-v22.abcddb"

8) Drag that file to the trash bin in your lower right corner. Empty the trash by selecting that option under "Finder" in the top menu. And reboot.


If it went right, your Messages app should now be working.


Good luck!

Nov 17, 2021 4:03 PM in response to facmello

I have MacBook Pro 2020. I have followed your instruction and restarted the computer a couple of times but it didn't work.

This is a MAC OS Monterey issue for me. I had no problem with Big sure OS.


I also experienced a memory stack issue with Pixelmator Pro (Mac Photoshop competitor) AFTER UPGRADING to Monterey OS.


It seems that we (THE CUSTOMERS) are the QA department for Apple. Unfortunately, the good old days of quality Mac is GONE!


AND YES, I thought about downgrading to Big Sur. However, it requires a complete clean-up of my drive with all the apps and files.

That means a lot of hours spent on an expensive computer that is supposed to be USER FRIENDLY, with an UNKNOWN Result.

Apple should fix these issues and have a mandatory OS update!!!


Nov 18, 2021 2:02 AM in response to Que111

Hey Que...


I know how you feel. I had a similar reaction when I bought a top-of-the-line 2017 MacBook Pro and started having trouble with the faulty keyboard. Those experiences are indeed frustrating. And now, years later, I'm on that same 2017 machine and still occasionally replacing keycaps. The good news since is that Apple realized the design was a problem and has changed it.


That said, I've been using Apple computers since the Apple II+, with only a very brief period in the '90s when a job made me use a company-issued IBM Thinkpad. And over that time, the user-friendly reputation for Apple's/Macs/the OS has been well-deserved. Situations like this, comparatively, are very rare.


As for customers being the QA department for Apple, that's the purpose of this forum. It's designed so customers can help each other. You'll still find Apple Support and the Genius Bar in the stores generally very helpful. Though, in situations like this, reaching out to the customer community is actually better because they're more able to recommend granular solutions like this one.


About the Messages problem, can you confirm... are you using the steps exactly as outlined in Macrobin's original post or as I detailed for another user in a post not too far below this one? (The message with eight outlined steps, including emptying the trash before rebooting?) If that's not working for you, you might have a different issue.


What are the symptoms you're having?


P.S. Apple is usually pretty diligent about issuing a fix... eventually... and this seems to be a widespread issue.


Nov 18, 2021 12:06 PM in response to JTF

Thank you for your thoughtful note. I, also have been Apple and PC user since the Apple Version I back in the '80s (LoL)...

  • In regards to my frustration with this particular MacBook Pro: this new (2020) Macbook Pro had a screen issue and the screen had to be replaced 2 months after I bought it. I guess I have to be VERY GENTEL when closing the lid. Not like the old days when slamming the led closed at the end of meetings and nothing happened to the computer. I missed those computers.
  • In regards to the issue (Message+) - I did remove the files and cleaned the bin and restarted the computer.
  • Tried to lunch Message+ (desktop) and it failed for the same issue. The issue persists. (However, I can access my messages through a browser)
  • Like I mentioned before, this happened after the OS upgrade to Monterey, and additionally, the Pixelmator (Apple App Product) crashes in the middle of a project. That seems like a memory stack issue. But again I am experiencing these problems after the OS update.
  • All of my crash reports are sent automatically to Apple. I am hoping for a resolution on the other side of this.


Regards,

Que


MacOS Monterey Messages crashes on launch

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