help! please anyone I can't access preferences from messages on MacBook Pro

Hi,

Open any Finder window (Make the Finder the "front" app).

Use the Go Menu whilst holding down the ALT Key.

Select the Library that appears in the Menu.

Navigate to Preferences.

Find com.apple.ichat.plist (Messages still uses this)

Drag it to the Trash and restart Messages.

For many years this has given access back in iChat and Messages 7.x.x in Mountain Lion.

However it is not the instant "Cure" in Mavericks and Messages 8 that it used to be. (it may not work).

7:53 pm Sunday; March 16, 2014

Ralph,

I had the same issue and tried your suggestion. It worked with one exception. OS Yosemite on iMac wouldn't allow the "com.apple.ichat.plist" file to be emptied from the Trash. What DID work was to drag the file to the Trash as you instructed and then reboot. Everything back to normal then.

Thanks for your suggestion which resolved 2 weeks of iMessage problems!

Melanie

Ummm,

You should be able to delete it from the Trash once Messages is not using it (i.e. it is Quit)

Restarting Messages recreates it in the Preferences.

However, glad to hear it helped you find an answer.

9:31 pm Tuesday; September 27, 2016