Any ideas why applications keep asking for keychain password?

Probably because you didn't select synchronize login keychain password and set login keychain as default under Keychain Access.app's preferences->First Aid tab. Give that a go, restart, and see if that fixes things. If not, then launch Keychain Access again and run Keychain First Aid, under the Keychain Access menu.

Hello,
My problem is that when I go to Keychain access and try to "go to" a site that I have included in the login keychain, I get replys that they don't recognize my data, i.e., user name and password. Apple support specifically says no application id has been set.
What does this mean and what am I doing wrong?

Open Keychain Access, select login keychain, select a site that's giving you the problem, double-click on it, select the Access Control tab, choose your options accordingly, and add or delete applications as desired.

OK, I've done that. The applications I have selected are Safari, Firefox, and Keychain access.

I also tried it with the allowing all applications access. Still get rejected at the login sites.

Did you restart after doing that? You might have to delete the specific keychain item, revisit the site, and reenter the username/password combo. If that doesn't work, then it's a site problem and you'll have to contact them.

Yeah, I did the restart thing, repaired permissions as well.

I'm confused. I thought the idea behind keychain was to set up this login thing in the app(KC) and then access the site from keychain access and it would automatically log you in. Otherwise what is the point?

IIRC, you initially go to the site, establish an account, at that time, if the site allows, a dialog box pops up asking if you want to save the username/password combo, you enter your option, and it's saved to the keychain. Then, on subsequent logins, keychain pops it into the login page, and you click on the Go or Enter button.

Hasn't happened that way as of yet. Keep having to sign in even though I have been told that both id and password have been saved. And I don't log out.

Just don't get it. It's a pretty stupid application if you want my opinion. The only thing that's automatic is Mail, and I guess I should be grateful for that. Apple can't be very proud of this thing.

As stated earlier, it might be a site thingy—they don't recognize the auto-save for username/password. Most of my banking and investing sites are like that; where I have to manually enter them each time I visit—there's nothing Apple can do about that. Otherwise, Safari doesn't have any problems using the keychain. I suggest you check with the site before making blanket condemnations.

I just don't think there is enough documentation for the whole password concept, of which keychain seems to be a major player, at least on Macs. I still don't understand how I am supposed to interact with keychain access. If you check the save password and id choice on the sites, perhaps it is meant to be an in the background application. If so, Why keychain access?

Have to agree, this is a pretty stupid application.

I have been trying for a week or so since I downloaded the Tiger update, to get rid of the persistent Keychain popups on everything I do on the web.

I had a similar problem when I first installed Tiger. I was able to get the problem to go away at that time, but my notes from that time appear incomplete.

Doubly frustrating, knowing the problem actually is solvable, but unable to find the fix!

Anyone know how to put this keychain stuff in the background for those of us who don't need/want it ???

OK