Q: Messages/FaceTime broken in 10.8.5

Nice!  I've been running 10.8.5 with iMessage perfectly for over a year and just randomly yesterday no workie!

i did get a new iphone on Tuesday... Then Wednesday it crapped out in my iMac after I fired her up!  Thoughts?

Hi,

That is very little info to go on.

In what way does it not work ?

What have you tried so far ?

Is it working on the iPhone ?

7:44 pm      Friday; October 3, 2014

Someone who actually cares to listen!  You rock!

Okay -

Twas working for ever since I upgraded to Mountain Lion and have been running 10.8.5 for some time now! (Over a year)  No problems.  Then just yesterday or the day before "The server encountered an error processing registration.  Please try again later".  Doesn't work on OSX imessage or facetime.

Everything does work just fine on my iphone.

Some thoughts:

Bought a new phone on Tuesday - updated old one to ios8, made a backup on the imac, restored it to the new iphone, updated itunes, turned on key chain on my new phone, didn't like it, turned it off at once.  imessage was working on all 3 that night.  Turned icloud, imessage, facetime off on old phone.  New phone works great.

What I've tried:

Resetting my password

Removing all associated devices

Adding them back

Removing all authorized computers

Adding back

Reboot

Tried signing in on a different imessage account that works on another phone - same error

changing my /etc host file to suggested in this post? (or another)

Thinking of doing:

Upgrading to Mavericks

Re-install OS... but don't wanna

Seems to be quite the common problem, yet Apple seems mute about it!

Thoughts?  Thanks Ralph!!!

Hi,

For some time Apple have had this Doc FaceTime, Game Center, Messages: Troubleshooting sign in issues

Your Error Messages is similar but not exact and that may turn out to be crucial.

Un-Authorising and Re-Authorising the computers only effects the iTunes/App Store side of things (mainly as you can only have 5 computers Authorised for iTunes)

If you meant you removed the Apple ID from all computers using it in the iMessages account  and then re-adding them that is fine.  (it pays sometime  to Restart the computer in between.).

You shouldn't need to make changes to the /etc/Hosts file unless it does not look right.

It should look like this:-

Make sure the AppleGothic.ttf Font is present, validates and is On (use the Font Book app, where it will appear near the bottom of the list).

It may pay to turn it Off (disable) and restart the computer and then reset it as On and repeat Restarting the computer.

9:36 pm      Friday; October 3, 2014

So - some weirdness.

I've tried your AppleGothic hack... didn't work.  I DID, however, find that my icloud account, when signed on through a browser had the incorrect time zone.  Fixed that - still no go.

Though, my error message is different now.  The can not connect, check your network settings etc ruckus.  Host file is good.  But here's something interesting::

My password is correct - I use it to sign in, then I get a pop-up window asking again.  I put it in correctly, it pops up again... and over and over and over and over.  If I hit "Cancel" it tells me Registration was canceled.  Is this JUST for Keychain?  And if so, why doesn't it just store the password I type in!  If I leave it blank and uncheck Remember this password... then it says incorrect.  Once I finally try enough combinations where that extra popup doesn't happen, I type my user and and an INTENTIONALLY wrong password... still takes a while, seems to time out, then same error: Could not sign in...check network connections blah blah...

Could it be I already have a keychain for that e-mail?  It's my personal, but i also use it for icloud...

Thanks for following up again!

GAH!  I think that was it... fortunately, I had an ALTERNATE e-mail for icloud log in.  I used that... money.

Thanks for pointing me in some directions to look!

Silly apple.  I thought this was supposed to be the easy streamlined product...;)

PS - I did try removing all the user keychains and starting fresh... but that didn't work either.  Luckily I had the alternate id!

Hi,

The Keychain  does or should have an IDS: AppleID-Auth Token  that relates to iMessages rather than a standalone item.

There can be issues  if you have lost the Read and Write permissions you are supposed to have on the Keychain.

The Keychain is in ~/Library/Keychain  (it's the Login item)

You can open the folder by tying in ~/Library/Keychain into the dialogue box that appears when you use a Finder window > Go Menu > Go to Folder.

If you also go to the View Menu > Show Path Bar  you will see the route from the Hard Drive name through the Users folder, your account and then the Library and Keychain folders.

Start with the Login item itself and right click the file and select Get Info (or use the CMD + i Keystrokes after highlighting the file).

Near the Bottom are the Ownership and Permissions settings.

Your Shortname (as appears next to the Little House iCon in the Path Bar) should appear in the list and you should have Read and Write Permissions.

If you highlight that line and then use the little Cogwheel type iCon  you should see the text "Make "yourShortName (Me)" the Owner".

If you already own this file it should be greyed out.

If that is correct them click on the iCon from the Keychain folder and choose get info.

Repeat the Process there.

Repeat for the Library itself.

Example pic

The reasons I suggest checking the folder Permissions as well is because you stated you removed the Keychains and the new ones did not work either.

If they check out then the only other thing to do is Contact Apple Support and explain you have an account issue that effects iMessages.

You need to be very clear it is an account issue as they will try to pass you to Apple Care and charge you for the call suggesting it is hardware or Software related.

If the person does not seem to get it ask to the speak to the Level 2 person.

7:57 pm      Saturday; October 4, 2014

So should I buy you a beer now?  Or later?;)

Permissions didn't even have ME (user) added at all… only system with read write.  I added myself, read/write… so far only entered my password for keychain once……………. fingers crossed.

Thanks!

Hmm….

Should all of these have my user with read write permissions?  AND be the owner?

Does this look correct within Keychain?

Hi,

This last looks OK.

My Keychain folder looks like this

Not all of those items appear in the Keychain Access App.

You can see I am in /Users/my account/Library/Keychains in the Path Bar across the bottom.

The ones you are looking at are in the system side of things but in the /Library/Keychains and should be owned by the System itself.

8:01 pm      Wednesday; October 15, 2014