why am I getting note to upgrade to latest system on my mac in order to use ichat when I am already on 10.9.2

Hi,

It is unclear to be precise.

Since MobileMe went off line of the 30th June 2012 my understanding was that all non converted @me.com accounts/IDs "died".

They can't be used for Apple IDs or email or even as AIM valid Screen Names (or so I thought).

On the other hand if you had an @mac.com name at any time this has always worked as an AIM valid Screen name, whether it was original a Trial account, a Paid for one or a Lapsed Paid for one including any that were linked to MobileMe accounts. (this last bit may have given you two AIM valid names at that point)

Then we move to iCloud.

Initially Accounts were linked or given @me.com IDs

There seemed to be evidence that these were on the iCloud server.

This mean that iCloud issued @me.com and later @icloud .com ID would not work as Valid AIM names in iChat 5 or earlier.

This is because iChat 6 and Messages use a double Login to Apple and AIM to verify the password as an extra security check.

You will notice that the article states this at the beginning:-

Symptoms

To ensure a secure and reliable experience, customers using a mac.com or me.com ID to login to the AIM service via iChat must upgrade their Mac to OS X version 10.7.2 or later by June 30, 2014 to continue using the AIM service.

However the bottom part that tells more about how to resolve the issue pushes you to abondon the @mac.com names in favour of an AIM name if you are keeping you current version of iChat - OR

Upgrade to Messages.

This leaves the implication that the @mac.com names will work in Messages 7 and 8 plus the later version of iChat 6.

It also seems to imply that MobileMe IDs might still work as AIM valid Screen Names (I never had one to try this).

Having said that, twice in the last two day my Mavericks Messages 8 login using @mac.com IDs has had AIMSysMessages from AIM saying the names need to be changed.

Strangely this have not been Saved despite me having Save on Close set. (other chats today have saved)

Quitting the app and restarting also does not get the message to repeat (I think that is cause by the IMAgent Listening function rather than the app itself).

I think the support.apple.com/kb/TS5224 article is misleading.

9:34 pm Thursday; April 24, 2014

Hi,

You have until the 30th June, so there is no real rush at this precise moment.

As a starter for 10 as it were, go to the Apple ID siteor the iForgot one and make sure all the accounts you have with Apple have recovery emails linked to them and that you have full access.

1) Decide if you are going to Upgrade to Mountain Lion or Mavericks.

If so, get a @icloud ID to use as an AIM valid Screen Name

Note 1.

I did this with my original Apple ID which is based on a dial up email account.

This gave me an @me.com ID in addition and later I also got an @icloud.com which then gave me two AIM valid IDs.

If you had an @mac.com and did it at the start of iCloud then you may potentially have three current valid IDs (although as I said the iCloud issued ones already don't work in iChat 5 or lower) - or you might have linked it since the .Mac days.

2) If you are not going to upgrade your OS (and therefore iChat to the later version of Version 6 or Messages) then get a new AIM registered name.

Note 2

Last time I checked AIM still needed a Recovery email that worked (much like registering with iCloud or any of the earlier services)

Potentially as your @Mac.com name may still work as an Apple email you may be able to use that. (or any iCloud Issued @me.com or @icloud.com).

3) Once you have done either 1) or 2) then you have to create a New Buddy List in the app you are in.

4) You then have to transfer all your Buddies to the new list.

(Select All and Drag them across to the new list (I have done a move of 264 in the past).

5) Inform your Buddies that your Screen Name is about to change.

6) Obviously at the same time you will have @Mac.com and @me.com Buddies also changing their Screen Names.

bobbybray wrote:-

Also, if some of my ichat contacts are on my @mac.com acct, how do I transfer them as at the moment, I am using messages but it has my @me AIM acct, my @mac AIM acct and my @me iMessage acct. I would prefer to just log in with one for all!!

At this point you will be able to move somewhat towards this.

Lets say you end up using just the @iCloud ID part of your Apple ID.

This can be used to Login to iMessages.

It can also be used to Login to AIM.

What they will not do is one Login to both services.

(neither will a Google Mail ID as an Apple ID which can be used as an iMessages and Google login)

I have @mac.com names that were originally Trials during the .Mac service.

I have some that were registered on the "iChat Registration page" which was a revamped @mac.com registration page during MobileMe (they never worked as email accounts).

10:10 pm Thursday; April 24, 2014

Hi,

More background info along with the info you ask for.

In Messages > Preferences > Accounts you can obviously have more than just the default iMessages and Bonjour Accounts.

At present we are talking about AIM valid ones.

The Names you place in the Description line is the Title of the Buddy List window when Displayed.

Also when the Buddy lists are separated out (needed for the move) then Descriptions show in the Window Menu, each with their own CMD + #.

Before they are separated they show in a combined list which gets the default CMD+1 keystrokes.

To Separate them you have to go to the General section of the Preferences and untick the line about "gathering all accounts". (or "show all accounts in one list" in Mavericks)

If you have lots of Buddy Lists like I do displaying them all at once can take up a lot of real estate on your screen.

However having them displayed is crucial for moving the Buddies.

8:59 pm Monday; April 28, 2014

Hi,

Buddy Lists.

Can be moved AIM to AIM or Jabber to Jabber (if you are creating new ones.)

Whilst AIM allows emails IDs from Apple (and in fact other places) or it could be and AIM or AOL email address as well AND Jabber servers create names and the full ID includes "@serverName.com" they tend to look like they can be added.

Very few Jabber ID are also emails. Google Talk (based on your Google Mail ID)

Well actually then can but they don't work and appear as Off Line Buddies

To be clear.

If you have iChat 6 or Messages you could have a Yahoo account.

This will need to use Yahoo IDs which are in fact email accounts.

They will not work in an AIM Account or a Jabber account. *See AIM below.

Jabber IDs, like a Google Mail ID are based on the format of username@ServerName.coom which makes them look like emails but they rarely are. *Also see AIM below

AIM.

As I said they allow any for of email ID to be used as a AIM name.

This does mean that you could have an Google ID as that AIM Screen Name and the same fro Yahoo IDs.

AND...

Although it seems that the web sites for the major services will allow you to add "buddies" from another service this cannot be done in iChat or Messages itself. (with the exception of using Transports with a Jabber account).

for the Points.

7:15 pm Tuesday; May 13, 2014

Message was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)