Remove Google Talk ID from iChat new account box

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Level 1

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Remove Google Talk ID from iChat new account box

Hello,

I recently set up an iChat account with a private email account just to test the software, but I want to delete the account. I have gone into the menu under preferences and deleted the account within iChat. However, whenever I open iChat again, the dialog box to start up a new account still shows my email address under the Google Talk option. As this is a private email address, I don't want this to display when I open iChat. I have deleted the entry from the keychain access, which helped to get rid of the password, but did not get rid of the ID being stored someplace. I have also deleted all of the preference files for ichat from my library folder, as well as everything from the ichat folder under Library/Caches. However, when I start up ichat again, this email still is being stored and pops up in the account setup window.

Can someone please help me figure out where this information is being stored and how to delete it? I have tried setting up a new google talk account, trying to replace it. The new account gets set up, but once I delete it and open ichat again, the original unwanted id is still there.

Thank you very much for any assistance!

iMac

Posted on Aug 11, 2011 6:26 AM

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Answer 1

pullman

Level 4

1,192 points

Aug 11, 2011 12:53 PM in response to briancycle

briancycle wrote:

I have tried setting up a new google talk account, trying to replace it. The new account gets set up, but once I delete it and open ichat again, the original unwanted id is still there.

Hi Brian

I may have misunderstood the above bit but when you delete the unwanted account are you then logged in to that same account or another account?

/p

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Answer 2

briancycle Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 11, 2011 2:26 PM in response to pullman

Hi,

No, I apologize for the confusion, it was difficult to explain. I only had one account in ichat, and deleted it, so there were none. So when I started iChat the next time, the new account setup window came up by default. And listed there was the gmail address that I had just deleted, and I didn't want this to show since it was private. I hope that is more clear.

However, I finally solved this by using grep in a terminal and searching for all the files that contained the email address and deleting them (there were several, suprisingly!). Now the problem is gone and there seems to be no remnant of the email address on the computer. Thanks very much for taking the time to reply, however!

Brian

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Answer 3

Aug 11, 2011 3:02 PM in response to briancycle

Hi,

IF you were starting with the Start Up Screens for iChat you an enter any Info in the AIM (@mac.com/Mobileme options) or Jabber/Google Screens as required as you go.

Those are then seen in iChat > Preferences >Accounts.

Deleting an Accounts/Screen Name here leave the ID used in the Keychain

Deleting the .plist for iChat (Namely com.apple.ichat.AIM.plist) does not stop iChat calling back that info from the Keychain ----- IF ------- you also happen to delete com.apple.ichat.plist at the same time (Forces the Start Up screens to Re-appear) at which point any Keychain info is "recovered".

Solution.

Go to the Applications/Utilities folder and Launch Keychain Access.

Go to the Password section.
Find the relevant entry and double click it.

This will open an Info window for this item

You can click the show Password box and then fill in the Allow Dialogue box to see it.

You can delete just the password.

You could delete the whole entry.

You can use the Access Control Tab to limit it to the app that should use the info. (i.e Mail if it is an email)

As a standard action deleting the account in iChat and then the Keychain references for the password should be enough with then restarting iChat

The first rewrites the iChat .plists that hold any info.

The restart of iChat cannot then access the Keychain info as it does not exist (the account is not in iChat to even ask for it).

One more possible to check.
Certain Email Addresses are also iChat Valid Names.

The Address Book will be read and @mac.com And MobileMe names, as they are Valid AIM names will be placed in the Start Up Screens even if they are not placed in the AIM name spot for IM names in the Card when you start up iChat for the "First Time" (First time includes the double com.apple.ichat.AIM.plist with com.apple.ichat.plist deletions and restart)

<
11:02 PM Thursday; August 11, 2011

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

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

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Answer 4

pullman

Level 4

1,192 points

Aug 11, 2011 11:27 PM in response to briancycle

Glad you got it sorted!

Have a nice day.

/p

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Answer 5

briancycle Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 12, 2011 7:29 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Ralph, thanks so much for the detailed and helpful response. I suspect it was because I deleting too many of the .plist files and possibly doing stuff in the wrong order that it never worked for me, but your info was certainly helpful for the future. In the end, I'm glad I used grep, because I was suprised how many places the address had ended up, such as getting added to the address book and creating a mobile me account for iPhoto as well. Strange behavior, in my opinion.

But thanks to you and pullman for the help!

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Answer 6

Aug 12, 2011 11:39 AM in response to briancycle

Thanks for the points.

I think Apple tries to guess where an ID might be used and make it available for easy access.

Sometimes it would be nice if they got the OS or an App to ask you first.

7:39 PM Friday; August 12, 2011

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

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Reply