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Level 1

11 points

Messages doesn't show conversations after restart

Hi there,

when i start a conversation via Bonjour with Messages on Mountain Lion 10.8.4 there is a strange behaviour (since i deleted some conversations):

The chat with a a person is just one row but without any picture or content anymore. After i double click this person in the friends menue sometimes the chat appears suddenly in the main window again, but sometimes with former content and more often woithout any content. if i now start to chat nothing will show, even the message is sent to the friend. i only can see the chat by double clicking the friends-tab in the main window, another window opens and ther ist the whole content of the conversations.

So it seems Messages is broken somehow or some prefs? But what did i try to repair it: Deleted all ichat files in my personal preferences, the saves application state and the Messages folder within ma personal Library folder.

And i reinstalled the whole OSX again! Didn't help...

So any idea what i can do? Rights to write and read are set right...

Thanx for your help!

iworks - Numbers-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jul 11, 2013 11:57 AM

22 replies

Jul 17, 2013 1:39 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Double Hummm,

Restarting the computer does not recreate the com.apple.imagent.plist nor the com.apple.ichat.Subnet.plist (I even checked the By Hosts folder).

As far as I was aware an App could not functions without a corresponding .plist.

The things imagent .plist held were wheter the Mic and Camera were ON (or Screen Sharing)

In fact toggling the camera Off and ON recreates the com.apple.imagent.plist

It does appear that the Subnet one is not longer used.

I cannot trigger it's recreation from any of the Menu items (Sort Buddy {Lists})

I am not sure this helps anything directly at the moment.

9:38 PM Wednesday; July 17, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 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

ixtract.de Author

Level 1

11 points

Jul 18, 2013 12:48 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph,

actually i'm still a little bit stuck with that curious behaviour of Messages... seems kind of Beta Status still.

Do you think the only working way would be to create a completely new account then?

Best

Jul 18, 2013 12:37 PM in response to ixtract.de

Hi,

Part of me thinks that some things about Messages have changed much further than the usual iChat upgrade at OS upgrades and that previous logic applied to issues does not always work.

A sort of situation that Messages is as different from iChat as FaceTime is.

However I do think that the part played bu the different components have changed compared to earlier versions.

It used to be that deleting com.apple.ichat.AIM.plist and the then com.apple.iChatAgent.plist would reset the whole app requiring you to fill in the Start up screens again (even when Jabber was added in iChat 3)

It seems no you cannot force the app to re-run the Start Up Screens again.

As a test you could set up a Test Mac User Account and then set up Messages there and see if the issue persists.

Other than that it will be a lot of trial and error to find out what exactly is causing this issue.

The old method for doing this is to remove have the .plists from the Preferences folder keeping them on the Desktop.

Then taking half of those and putting them back and testing again.

Then half the remainder and so one until you have tied it down.

I must admit to running out of ideas.

8:37 PM Thursday; July 18, 2013

ixtract.de Author

Level 1

11 points

Jul 19, 2013 1:10 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph,

thanx a lot! Hmm so i have to set up a new user account... that's a little bit odd.

...

All the Best

Jul 19, 2013 12:12 PM in response to ixtract.de

HI,

You could use the Sign Out button and then add a different Apple ID into the iMessages Account ---- If -- the iMessages account was the issue.

You could do the same with AIM, Jabber and Yahoo accounts to some extent, within the same User and same App set up.

However Bonjour chats in Messages (and iChat) start with your Address Book (Contacts App) > My Card details being broadcast as your Buddy name.

The Buddy list on your computer shows those details from other people's computers.

It is easier to create a new Mac User (with a different My Card details) so that you can tell or rather other people can tell you are logged in as the Test user.

This in turn will create an whole set of .plists for the Messages app that should be create afresh from defaults held within the app - but for that Mac User Account.

This will provide a fuller test as to whether it is a setting on the Original Account (although tracking it down is still going to be as hard).

8:12 PM Friday; July 19, 2013

ixtract.de Author

Level 1

11 points

Jul 20, 2013 3:23 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph,

thanx. I tried to set up a new account and in the beginning everything was quite good. As i had some other issues to selve and realiced it woulb quite a lot of work to get all adjustements from me current user i decided to stop that try and live with that odd program.

But one quite interesting thing (which should in fact not take place) happended. I tried to delete the apple.ichat.plist and reliced only sometimes it will be replaced in the preferences folder when it's missing there. Sometimes it will be recreated, but will not work! so i stored the one which worked and replaced it in my current user preferences folder and: Messages seems to work again properly with the buddys and chats! But: It only keeps one window on startup! Either friends window will be opend after restarting the problem or the main window, but never again both of them... I really do not like this app.... anymore...

Jul 20, 2013 12:06 PM in response to ixtract.de

Hi,

The App should remember which windows were open on Quit the last time it was used.

Normally opening from the Window Menu is enough to make sure they are opened the way the app likes.

That is to say that it is possible to open some windows and leave them on show at Quit but the app does not "remember" that they were on Show.

Right this second I can't remember if it using the DOCK icon to view a window or using Messages Menu > Accounts which will also bring a closed account On line that causes this to happen.

Using the Red Blob closes the window but does not Quit the app if the only window Open nor does it log that particular account Off line.

Basically there is a weirdness thing about displaying Buddy lists in particular that has been there since early iChat days.

8:06 PM Saturday; July 20, 2013

Messages doesn't show conversations after restart