Messages App Not Showing Conversation List

Thanks! Just wanted to chime in that I had the exact same problem with the exact same upgrade path as OP (skipping straight from Lion to Mavericks), and "defaults delete com.apple.iChat" fixed everything.

Hi guys,

I tried the terminal fix mentioned above but still no luck. All chats are individual windows and on top of that I can not close the windows (no red close icon). My buddies are not listed to the left as they shouldbe in a normal working Messages setup. Maddening. Is there anything else I can try?

Hi,

Open a Finder window.

Use the View Menu > Show View option and select the Modified column.

Again in the same Menu select "Show Path bar"

When you have done these the route to the folder of file at the top of the current folder will show across the bottom of the window.

The window, if you are using Cover Flow for instance, will also show a Column lists as Modified.

Now use the Go Menu in the Finder whilst holding down the ALT key

Select the Library.

Navigate to Preferences

Find the com.apple ichat.plist and highlight.

1) Does the Modified column change if you change any setting in the General Section of the Messages preferences ?

It should show a time rather than Date if it is being refreshed on changes.

Now with the item highlight do a Get Info (CMD + i keys together)

2) Does this show your Name in the list (it will be your Short name) ?

3) If you highlight your Name and then use the cogwheel type icon below the names list does this then read "make your Name (Me) the owner" ?

If it is greyed out as if already done then you Own it.

4) Do you have Read and Write permissions to the file itself ?

I.e. in this Pic I am the owner and I have Read And Write permissions for it.

Now in the Finder Window right click the Preferences Folder itself

Select Get Info and check your Own and have Read and Write permission to the Folder.

Repeat for the Library item as well.

Pic showing me right clicking the Library in the Path Bar.

I will let you post back with that info first.

It may not be the end of checking as in Mavericks the app uses a Sandboxed path to write to the .plist and the issue may be with that.

8:38 pm Friday; January 3, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

Thanks for the tips Ralph, but everything looks right as you laid it out.

I enabled "Show Path" and checked the Modified date in the list as I changed a preference setting on Messages. It updated to the current time showing it was modified as I changed. I did the "Get Info" command and I was already the owner of the .plist and the Preferences folder. All looks correct.

I will say that when I start up Messges it gives me the start and available sound as usual as if it's connecting and ready to go. Then never shows a window or buddy list as it should. I have to switch to another program and then back to Messages to be able to see any windows or Buddy lists.

I I just can't fingure this out.

Hi,

Every single window in Messages can be hidden.

Lets say that the default state is only the main Messages window.

If you open the Preferences and then quit the app the next time you open the app the Preferences should also be displayed.

This is true of the Messages window itself and the Buddy list and even the File Transfer window.

The reverse is also true.

If you hide the Buddy List or the main Messages window then it will be hidden on restart.

Using the Dock icon will reveal some windows - but - only for that session.

Check the Window Menu and use the item or listed keystrokes to display windows not on view before using the Dock icon.

7:18 pm Saturday; January 4, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

Hi,

Nope, doesn't remember window placement (open or closed) at all. I have left windows open using the menu (I never use the dock icons for this) and quit Messages. When I restart Messages no windows come up. Just the messages menu bar. When I select "Messages" (command-0) or "Buddies" (command-1) from the menu... nothing. I have to switch to another pagram and then back to Messages to se the window I previously opened via the menu.

Interesting note, even though the messages chat window has no way to close it (red close button) I can open and close with the menu command of "command-0.

Hi,

Do these two things.

Go to the Applications/Utilities and launch Disk Utility

Use the First Aid option (possibly after selecting a Disk)

Repair Permissions.

This compares the Permission and Ownership of the files on your computer using the most up-to-date database it has on this. (Sometimes the status can be changed with OS updates).

It is different from running it from starting the computer with CMD + r and using the Menu item there.

What this does not do is correct the Permissions and Ownership of files within your Home Folder as these tend to show they are owned by a User even if that is not you.

The .plists can also vary as to whether you have Read or Write permissions on them.

Also restart the computer holding down the CMD+ALT+P+R keys together.

This clears out various caches and some settings such as System Sound.

7:51 pm Saturday; January 4, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

HI,

Thanks again for helping and the great tips but still not fixed. I have run Disk Utility and repaired the permissions and I have also zapped the Pram with the CMD+ALT+P+R keys. Same problem persists.

I did try loggin in as another user and Messages works fine that way. So it must be something in the user files???

Yep.

It will be something about the user files.

Most likely it will be the .plist for the app.

More specifically it will be the one that holds the windowing info.

At this point we are back to the com.apple.ichat.plist which I believe you used Terminal and a Manual method to delete.

Earlier I described where the info was held.

You reported that the Modified column showed this got changed and that you Owned the file.

However Messages is a Sandboxed app meaning that certain details are Written via another path.

Using the ALT key in the Go menu of the Finder you can navigate to the Containers folder.

In here is com.apple.ichat/Data/Library/Preferences

This then contains Aliases to the originals in ~/Library/Preferences.

As you said the Modified time changed this seems to be working.

I would try closing the Messages app.

Deleting com.apple.ichat.plist AND com.apple.imagent.plist and (Anything with these file names in the By Host folder which may have numbers attached) then restarting the computer (IMAgent starts up when the computer does).

8:54 pm Saturday; January 4, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

HI,

Thanks, No luck. I think I followed your instructions, here's what I did.

I used ALT in the Go menu to select the hidden Library option. Found the Containers folder, found the com.apple.ichat folder, inside was the Container/plist and Data folder. Inside the Data folder found the Library folder then found Preferences folder. Opened the Preferences folder and found alias files and a ByHost folder as you said. I deleted the com.apple.ichat.plist here BUT I didn't see a com.apple.imagent.plist file here. I then opened the ByHost folder and deleted all files with the com.apple.ichat in the file name. Restarted.... same problem, that didn't help.

Actually Messages started and quit when I asked it to show me a new messages window. I had to restart Messages again and then it responded tothe menu commands but the problem is still there.

Opps,

I should have been a bit more clear on that.

Whilst the info is stored in ~/Library/Preferences in everyday use the .plists are written to by the ~/Library/Containers/Data/Library/Preferences/(relevant alias)

As the the real (storage) version is actually being changed this works (and we don't have to go though checking the Ownership and Permissions on all of the containing folders (pun intended).

I was then meaning to say return to ~/Library/Preferences and try deleting the com.apple.imagent.plist and any .plist in the By Host sub folder that pertains to com.apple.ichat... which are likely to to have hexidecimal type numbers in the names as well.

7:26 pm Sunday; January 5, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

I'm having this problem too and it's driving me insane! Plus, on top of the vanished sidebar, I'm not receiving messages from people on my desktop. They show up just fine on my phone and even play the sound on my desktop - but no reply message. My message to other people go through just fine. Argh!

I have Mountain Lion on my laptop and Messages works fine, but on my iMac which is running Mavericks, I have this problem. I've tried all the solutions listed in this thread to no avail. Has anyone figured this out yet?

THANK YOU!

As directed, I closed out of the Messages.app, opened a terminal session & ran the following command as the current user:

defaults delete com.apple.iChat

Upon re-opening messages, all my previous conversations were re-consolidated in the same window & once again accessible! I truly felt handicapped, since having lost this functionality, last week...

...Now, if I could only restore my ability to send attachments, again!!!

-Jadik

Hi,

Attachments of which service ?

If AIM make sure port 5190 on the UDP Protocol is opened in your router.

This is above the threshold figure of 1024.

Below this port the ports are open "out-of-the-box" which allow web browsing and mail apps to work.

The Logins to AIM and Yahoo and iMessages tend to be on port 443.

AIM switches to Direct IM on port 5190 when sending Pics-in-Chats (or files).

With Jabber it can depend on the server that is used.

Sometimes the server is making a proxy connection on port 7777 (instead of the normal 1080).

Yahoo connections don't do File transfers.

You may need to check your router is using something like UPnP to allow ports to be used by the apps that use higher numbered ports.

7:26 pm Monday; February 10, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 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

Hi all - FYI - I had the same problem and tried all the fixes in this thread to no avail. I did finally get Messages working again - but only by losing all my messages and Conversation history (which I didn't really care about). This is what finally worked for me:

Quit Messages - check in Activity Monitor to make sure it really quit

Deleted all message data by trashing ~/Library/ Messages folder

Running the defaults delete com.apple.iChat command in Terminal

Deleting all other com.apple.ichat.* files from the ~/Library/Preferences and ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost folder

Restart

I'm not sure all these steps are necessary, but that allowed get Messages working again with a blank slate.