Cannot log into iMessage in 10.8 Messages.app

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Level 1

20 points

Cannot log into iMessage in 10.8 Messages.app

Hi folks,

Messages.app 7.0.1 (3314) on OS X 10.8.2 refuses to sign into my iMessage account. iMessage works fine on my iOS devices, and worked on this Mac with Messages.app until a couple months ago (more on that evolution below the step-by-step).

Here's the play-by-play:

1. Launch Messages. All IM accounts sign on normally, except iMessage. Under Messages > Accounts… iMessage is unchecked.

2. Messages > Preferences > Accounts > iMessage (inactive)

3. Enter Apple ID: user name prefilled, password field blank. Enter the password correctly, press Sign In.

4. The pane switches to the next state, as if the password was accepted, but is grayed out. Just as the spinner starts, below the heading "Apple ID: [user name]", next to "Enable this account" a dialog box appears…

5. The box reads "iMessage Password" "Please enter your password for [Apple user ID here] Password field is blank. Remember this password in my keychain is checked.

6. Enter the password, click Log In, and enter an endless loop of failure, where this box just reappears, time after time—though the delay is long, like 7-8 seconds. The only way out is to click cancel.

7. Click cancel. "Could not sign in to iMessage. Registration was cancelled." [OK]

The long story:

At some point after upgrading my MacBook Air to Mountain Lion, probably a few months ago, Messages.app stopped being able to log into the iMessage service.

I suspect it has to do with stored credentials or encryption keys. I say this because I have two keychains on this system. One from a previous MBP, that I migrated *manually* to this system. So I have the MBA's keychain, and then I have one which comes from the prior system. This all worked fine for months. Then I wanted to combine them because I got sick of Messages requiring me to unlock the MBP's keychain at start up, when the system keychain was already open. I did a little research and could not find a way to merge the two keychains. I wanted to do it manually, but that's a lot of work. At this point, I suspect I nuked something from the keychain unwittingly, and that Messages is *still* looking for it and I am somehow unable to recreate, perhaps because it thinks it's there when it's not (or maybe corrupt?) I ran a keychain first aid on all my keychains, and they report back healthy.

I've done the usual suspects, nuking plists, preferences, keychain entries for all accounts in hopes they get rebuilt. They do, but the problem remains. Permission repairs and Disk First Aid, too, of course.

I searched on this across the forums before, but came up empty handed? Anyone have any fresh ideas?

Thanks,

~brian

Posted on Mar 27, 2013 5:58 PM

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Answer 1

briandigital Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 27, 2013 6:00 PM in response to briandigital

A new search shows my symptoms match these almost identically:

<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4136679>

…but there has to be a better answer than OS reinstall… please?

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Answer 2

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,541 points

Mar 27, 2013 7:55 PM in response to briandigital

FaceTime, Game Center, Messages: Troubleshooting sign in issues

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Answer 3

Mar 28, 2013 1:24 PM in response to briandigital

Hi,

Of all the things you list that you have checked you have not said you have checked the Serial Number is present on your Mac.

At OS X 10.8.2 it seems that the iMessages "registration" Process from the Mac involves the Serial Number of the Mac and this is normally stored on the Mother/logic Board.

It can be missing if the board has been replaced in Repair or Refurbishment and not "flashed" back to the new board.

Go to the Apple Icon Menu top left > About this Mac

Now clock twice on the line that reads the OS X version number at the moment (it will show the Build Number for the OS and then the Serial Number of th Mac).

Is It Present ?

If not, you will have to visit an Apple Store or an Apple Authorised Service Provider.

8:24 PM Thursday; March 28, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.3)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

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Answer 4

briandigital Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 28, 2013 1:32 PM in response to Linc Davis

Linc, appreciate the link. However, none of the items mentioned apply in my situation. Thank you, though!

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Answer 5

briandigital Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 28, 2013 1:34 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Ralph, thanks for the efforts. However, this Mac has never been serviced, and its serial is properly associated with the MLB.

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Answer 6

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,541 points

Mar 28, 2013 1:37 PM in response to briandigital

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

Step 1

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.

Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. For instructions, launch the System Preferences application, select Help from the menu bar, and enter “Set up guest users” (without the quotes) in the search box. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”

While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.

Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?

After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.

Step 2

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, or by a peripheral device.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode* and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:

Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.

Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs. The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.

The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of steps 1 and 2.

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Answer 7

Mar 28, 2013 1:55 PM in response to briandigital

Hi,

Did you check the Hosts file ?

In the Finder > Go Menu > GO to Folder and type /etc/hosts

This will take you to the etc folder which is hidden via a folder by folder navigation and highlight the Hosts file.

You can open it with TextEdit.

A vanilla one (unalterted) should look like this.

It may have extra lines.

These may block Versign and possibly Apple.

These will need "Commentating out" by placing a # symbol at the start of those lines.

It is best to edit it if required in Terminal.

Open the Terminal utility located in Applications > Utilities.
When Terminal opens, open the hosts file by typing entering the following command and pressing Enter:
sudo nano /private/etc/hosts

You will be asked for your User Account Password providing you are an Admin User and the password is not Blank.

Add the required # where necessary.

Use Control and O together to Save the edit.

8:47 PM Thursday; March 28, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.3)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Message (Spelling) was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)

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Answer 8

briandigital Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 28, 2013 7:07 PM in response to Linc Davis

Linc, thanks for kicking my memory into gear and getting me to test if it was a user-based or system-wide issue. It was user-based, as I was able to sign into iMessage from a new user.

That lead me to the new user's keychain, which was virgin other than I had enabled Messages.app, and it had written all the requisite keys and application passwords to the otherwise blank keychain. I took a screenshot of the keychain items, threw it in my Shared directory, then popped back into my main user to compare.

In my main user keychain(s), the iMessage Encryption Key, Signing Key and AuthToken were all missing. If this were normally the case, signing in would retrieve new copies from Apple, but this had not been happening. I suspected this was where my trouble with having the old keychain around was coming in. So I locked it up, and when I signed into iMessage, Messages.app kept asking to unlock my old keychain. I said no about six times in a row. Then it stopped asking. Then it logged in. It had finally given up, and written the new items into the new Mac's unlocked keychain.

Problem solved!

I should add that this behavior was identical in Facetime.app, as well. Just so happens the fix was the same as well. This time I counted and it was exactly 6 times I had to say not to unlocking my old keychain.

For anyone searching, this is the list of items I found on a new user's virgin keychain after signing into only iMessage (no other IM services) with Messages.app:

<key> public key

<key> private key

Apple Persistent State Encryption - application password

com.apple.facetime: registrationV1 - application password

ids: identity-rsa-key-pair-signature-v1 - application password

ids: identity-rsa-private-key application - password

ids: identity-rsa-public-key application - password

iMessage Encryption Key - private key

iMessage Signing Key - private key

iMessage: [your-Apple-ID-here]-AuthToken - application password

*Note, Facetime.app had not been launched on this system, yet there's an item with "Facetime" in its title.

If you have the troubles I've had, I'd look at these items as ones to possibly remove and rebuild by signing in. (Your mileage may vary. Don't blame me if you make your problem worse. Worked for me.)

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Answer 9

briandigital Author

Level 1

20 points

Mar 28, 2013 7:09 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Just for posterity, Ralph, nothing had messed with my hosts file. There are non-standard entries in there, but they're there intentionally (for my web development needs). Thanks again for the efforts.

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Answer 10

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,541 points

Mar 28, 2013 7:30 PM in response to briandigital

Excellent work.

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Answer 11

Mar 29, 2013 12:31 PM in response to briandigital

Hi,

Brilliant.

Two Keychains.

Lock one and tell me 6 times to tell it to use the correct one.

Thanks for the info on the Hosts file.

7:31 PM Friday; March 29, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.3)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Reply

Answer 12

Apr 30, 2014 4:46 AM in response to briandigital

Had the same problem with facetime and imessages app password dialogs coming up in a repetetive cycle and refusing to accept the known good login in os X 10.8. I worked out a similar solution independant of this thread, which is simple to operate - involving the keychain :>

Make sure you have the email address and password associated with the apple ID that works the imessages and facetime account, this will usually be the same email login and password as your appleID / appstore account on ios etc.

click the go menu from the finder and select > utlities > when the utilities window opens up, double click the 'Keychain Access' application to launch it.

in the 'keychain access' window search slot - search for anything with facetime in the title and delete those specific items

in the 'keychain access' window search slot - search for anything with imessages in the title and delete those specific items

ie with them selected hit the delete key or right click and select delete, dont worry if they dont appear to dissappear, they will once you refresh the search in the search slot(a little keychain access bug there)

what we deleted are mainly digital signing signatures security certs / password and encryption keys related tat for the two pieces of software in question and can be easily recreated by the software again when logging in, once the facetime and imessages items have been deleted from keychain access.

within imessages and facetime application preferences sign out if your logged in still in either program and then log back in once more to facetime and imessages apps with your original login you have tested elsewhere and know to be correct, and all should now be good.

ancient

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Answer 13

Sep 20, 2015 4:57 PM in response to briandigital

Fix the iMessage key problem through Keychain Access

This method seems to have worked for me:

1. Click on the Spotlight icon at the top-right of your screen and type "Keychain Access".

2. At the top-left, under "Keychains," select "login" item.

3. In the "Category," below "Keychains," select "Keys".

4. Double-click on the entry "iMessage Signing Key".

5. Under the "Access Control" tab, there is a big white field entitled "Always allow access by these applications:". If "imagent" is not listed there, click on the plus button on bottom-left to add it. In the finder window that should slide out, find your "Macintosh HD" (could be at the bottom of the left pane) and from there navigate to "/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/IMCore.framework".

6. Choose the "imagent.app" and click add. Type in your password, if prompted.

7. When you close the Keychain Access window, do not lock the login keychain

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