Cannot sign into Messages on Mountain Lion OSX

Hi,

It will depend on the results.

If it works in the New Mac User Account we will know it is the stored info in the .plist in the regular account

If it does not work we will need to look at other things.

8:28 PM Sunday; August 12, 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

Hi,

Messages is at Version 7 in Mountain Lion (The Messages Beta was version 6.1 and the numbering system carries on from iChat)

FaceTime is at version 2 in Mountain Lion.

If you have trouble with both Open the Activity Monitor (Applications/Utilities) and find the imagent item.

Use the Quit Button top left after highlighting imagent

Confirm Force Quit

Restart Messages or FaceTime.

If this does not work it will be something to do with your Apple ID you are using.

8:32 PM Sunday; August 12, 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

So it looks like I was able to determine the issue and resolve it, although it was quite a pain to do seeing as I had to completely wipe my existing setup and basically start from scratch.

Originally I thought my issue might have had something to do with the fact that I changed the primary email address for my Apple ID, and this is why I was getting issues signing into iMessages and FaceTime on my new installation of Mountain Lion (on my personal machine). However, what I found out later is that I had no issues signing into either of these using my work machine, which was recently updated to Mountain Lion as well.

The only major difference between the two machines is the fact that my personal system is configured using AppleRAID with two SSD drives. So this got me wanting to test a theory: If I reinstalled Lion from scratch on a single drive (instead of a RAID configuration) would I then be able to use FaceTime and iMessages?

...and the answer is YES.

For whatever the reason, I simply could not sign into either service when using an AppleRAID configuration, but when setup using a single hard drive there were no issues.

Then I found if I setup the RAID configuration after the fact, and CLONED my single-drive installation of Mountain Lion to my RAID array (after logging into Facetime, iMessages, and iCloud on the single-drive installation), then I was able to do the same on the RAID configuration, but ONLY if I had setup and successfully logged into these first on the single-drve installation prior to cloning it to the RAID array.

Not sure why, but that's where my problem lied. I'm still in the process of testing this and getting my system backup and running again using this RAID array, but thought I'd share this in case anyone else runs into a similar situation. 🙂

Ralph,

No luck with using a different user account, so the problem must run deeper than corrupt plists (at least for me, and I can also state that I do not use an AppleRaid either so…).

To be frank, I am pretty much done with this application. I might look at it again once Apple has figured out what is causing this problem for some of its users, but until then, I am not even keeping it in the dock.

Thanks for your help, though. I can see why you have a level nine rating. 🙂

HI,

Summary.

Add a Public DNS server or two to System Preferences > Network > Advanced Tab

Google's 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 are two.

NEW

Make sure you are using only one method to Connect (such a Wifi or Ethernet but not Both)

Try killing IMagent in Activity Monitor (with Message open and when it is closed)

The Restart Messages afterwards.

Try a PRAM reset (Softer option that others)

Try Safe Boot.

Delete com.apple.imagent.plist whilst Messages is shut down.

Then restart Messages.

Delete com.apple.imservice.imessage.plist

Restart Messages.

I haven't suggested it before but a good old "Repair Permissions" might do it.

8:39 PM Monday; August 13, 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

Sorry for the late reply.

I did create a new user profile on my macbook and voila messages works. Now how do I get it to work on my account?

Jake

Ok,

Did you set up Messages in the new Mac User Account with the same info ?

IF so in the new Mac User Account make the Finder the "Front" app

Use to Go Menu > Go to Folder

Type in ~/Library/Preferences

Open a second Finder Window opened at Users/(The main Account)/Public so you can see the Drop box

Drag all the items that have com.apple.ichat in the name to the Drop box (Hold and then let go and confirm placing them in there)

Do the same with com.apple.imagent.plist

And the same with any com.apple.imservice.... .plist ones (most likely iMessages)

Now login to the regular Mac User Account

Drag the items in the Drop Box to the same ~/Library/Preferences (However this path will now be for the regular account)

Confirm Replacement.

10:47 PM Thursday; August 23, 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

I did as you said, but didn't restart the computer. Still "server encountered error". Any other ideas?

HI,

Lets try removing them then.

With Messages Quit....

Enter the Preferences Folder via the Finder > Go Menu > Hold ALT Button > Select Library method.

Drag the following to the Trash:-

com.apple.ichat.plist

com.apple.ichat.AIM.plist

com.apple.ichat.Jabber.plist

com.apple.ichat.Subnet.plist

com.apple.ichat.Yahoo.plist

com.apple.imagent.plist

com.apple.imessage.bag.plist

com.apple.imservice.iMessage.plist

Leave:

com.apple.iChat.LSSharedFileList.plist as this deals with the Recents List of recent past chats.

com.apple.iChat.StatusMessages.plist as this deals with the Custom Saved Status Messages.

In the Preferences find the "By Host" folder

Drag any item with com.apple.ichat.... .plist (And a Hexidecimal number) to the Trash

Restart Messages.

9:16 PM Friday; August 24, 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

Ralph I actually finally solved it. I did the plist copy over, rebooted. I also created a gmail acct and a new apple id...signed in under that id. signed out. rebooted. signed in under my id and it worked...*** (excuse my french) but it worked. no idea why. just glad to be up and running now

Thanks for all your help!

Glad to hear of your success.

10:44 PM Friday; August 24, 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

Hi,

I know this is an oldish thread but I have been struggling with signing into Messages for a couple of days now.

I tried all the ideas helpfully put forward in this thread. The thing that FINALLY got it working for me was editing my hosts file back to it's standard, original form with all extra entries removed.

It signed in first time after this.

I hope this helps someone.

I am still having issues where my new iMac still shows iChat and not messages. And it's the iChat without the three dots so it's definitely not the Messages version via an updated iChat.

Anyone have any idea how I can get Messages to work? I'm even now running OS X 10.7.5.

Hi,

If you are running OS X 10.7.5 then you are running Lion.

Lion has iChat 6 and not Messages

(There was a Download of a Messages Beta for a while that is no longer available).

To get Messages you would need to upgrade the Mountain Lion.

9:18 PM Saturday; September 22, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and and iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Thanks Ralph for taking the time to answer my and everyone elses questions.

Here's my dilema:

I just bought my iMac a little over a month ago - Mid August. $1,100 for it, plus tax, and I was under the impression it had Mountain Lion. It displayed it on the advertisement, listed it within the documentation, it even showed it on the About My Mac area. Based on what you wrote, this doesn't appear to be true.

Since my last post - basically earlier today - I ended up spending the $20 in the Mac App Store to download OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2.

Now that it's been downloaded and installed, it appears to be integrating and running as advertised. I even now have Messages - which now explains why I previously was still showing iChat.

I am just really surprised that I had to spend additional money for the upgrade, especially with such a new computer.

So, that brings me to the question: Should I have had to pay for the update to 10.8.2 or should I demand my $20 back from Apple? The iOS 6 upgrade was free, it seems ludicrous that an OS X upgrade would have a fee. I thought these upgrades were to improve functionality and were to help us, not make us dig into our wallets multiple times a year.