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Blank placeholders in iMessage attachments

After upgrading to Yosemite my iMessage doesn't show the attachments just blank placeholders.

/See previous thread here:No pictures are shown in Message om Mac/

I tried to reinstall the OS, no success. Then I tried to rename the Messages folder in ~/Library, restarted the Mac and iMessage app, this created a new Messages folder for iMessage, the problem persists for new messages, too.

May it be some issue with iMessage or perhaps with Preview?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Posted on Oct 24, 2014 9:20 AM

Reply
18 replies

Oct 24, 2014 1:00 PM in response to gadgetmania

Hi,


In ~/Library/Messages/ Attachments are there any contents in any of them ?

They tend to be apparently randomly numbered folders with further folder inside until you get to a Pic.


User uploaded file

User uploaded file

9:00 pm Friday; October 24, 2014


 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 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

Oct 24, 2014 1:32 PM in response to gadgetmania

Hi,


In Addition do they appear in the File Transfer window ? See Window Menu.

Are any marked as Failing/Failed ?


Just discovered Yosemite wipes the history on this window meaning I can't show you some old ones that Failed.



User uploaded file

9:32 pm Friday; October 24, 2014


 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 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

Oct 24, 2014 2:05 PM in response to gadgetmania

Hi,


Have I got his straight ?

The File Transfer window is not showing the "history" to this (even since the Yosemite upgrade) ?

However the Attachments are showing ? (or is this just old ones ?)

The Place holder you are seeing does not allow you to open the item in Preview ?


It is late here and it will be a while before I come back.


I will try and investigate where the File Transfer window listings ware kept as it is possible it is a file you have "lost" permissions to Write to.



User uploaded file

10:05 pm Friday; October 24, 2014


 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 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

Oct 25, 2014 4:44 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph,


In the File transfer window I can see the last received files, no more from previous ones. From there clicking on the find icon it would lead to the ~/Library/Messages/Attachments/... folder and I can open the file. From the messages app with double-clicking on the attachments I get blank placeholders with file name and type in quick preview, but with one click they would blur out and rigth-clicking on it I can open the files normally using open command, although quick preview leads to the same blank placeholder result. In the details window from the placeholder nothing would happen either.

I suppose we've narrowed the issue to the quick preview function, but I don't know, how to go further to solve this disfunction. Thanks for caring.

Oct 25, 2014 12:49 PM in response to gadgetmania

Hi,


In Mavericks I have seen this issue with a Bonjour Transfer.

it seems to be linked to my iChat 5 in Snow Leopard on the other computer.


Mostly I get "failed" items in the File Transfer window.


On the other hand I have had some like yours where the icon opens up the Quick Look window but this sometimes does not show the item properly (It looks like it will show and then does not).


I have found that this seems to relate to the size of the window/slide that appears and that dragging this larger does allow the pic to appear.


This Pic that did appear In-Line can be resized in the Quick Look window which in this case works.

User uploaded file


But as I have said ,sometimes the pic does not appear In line as it should and the Quick Look window does not seem to "fit" the pic an needs Resizing.


As you can see by the button it can be opened in Preview.


If you resize the whole Main Chat/Interface Messages window does the issue change in any way ?

Normally pics automatically resize but I am wondering whether this is holding true at the moment.






User uploaded file

8:49 pm Saturday; October 25, 2014


 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 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

Oct 25, 2014 1:34 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi, I'm sending you a screenshot about the message window.

As you can see, I don't have Preview button in Quick Look window.

User uploaded file

Resizing didn't help, either.


Maybe I have to Fresh Install Yosemite? I 'd like to avoid it, but I'm afraid this is the last chance to make my MacBook Pro work properly, isn't it?


Update: clicking on the Share button shows: No service...

User uploaded file

Oct 25, 2014 1:56 PM in response to gadgetmania

Hi,


Lets see if I have understood this correctly as that does not look anything like mine (or anything I have seen)


The "Hello Dubaj" pic show all the time ?

I don't get the Dismiss cross top right like you show. Is it part of the picture ?


I see you are showing the Details window expanded that normally shows which pics have been sent.


The floating window that lists img_0622.PNG I cannot work out which item it belongs to.

Is it the grey speech bubble from your contact (under the Dubaj pic) with the dot in it or your blue Speech bubble ?


My Pic appears in Line (In this one I am showing you I selected the incoming pic to then Quick Look as well as having the Details open)

User uploaded file


It's looking more like a Quick Look issue if that pic is showing in the Chat


User uploaded file

9:56 pm Saturday; October 25, 2014


 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 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

Oct 25, 2014 2:20 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I normally can see pics In Line every time, but if want to open them, or other type of attachments, like PDFs, or doc, etc. , and I double-click on them, I always get a Quick Look window with a blank placeholder and no Preview button on it. In Details window nothing is accessible just blank placeholders that grey out when I click on them, nothing else happens.

Sorry for being confusing with the chat window's screenshot, the X (Dismiss) in the top right was part of the original picture, and the dots in both the grey and in the blue bubble are also valid parts of the conversation.

Oct 25, 2014 6:26 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi,

I've made one more new discovery: I tried out to create a new account on my Mac, and sign in to my iCloud to see what happens there with messages. Guess what, the Quick Look and Details in iMessages work as they should.

So the conclusion is that the issue isn't because of the OS but my account on the Mac is corrupt. Something is missing, but what? 😕

Oct 26, 2014 11:35 AM in response to gadgetmania

Hi,


That's interesting.

However tracking down which bit is responsible in your original Mac User account could be time consuming.


At this stage I think that for some reason Quick Look is not working in that Mac User account.


Can you Open a Finder Window.

IN the View Menu choose the "Customise Tool Bar" item.

Drag the Quick Look item to the active Tool Bar (like putting things on the DOCK you can place it anywhere on the Tool Bar and other things will move to accommodate it).

Next close the choice slide and choose an item in the Window and then use the Quick Look Button.

Does this work ?

If you also Right-Click the item in the window does it work ?


IF it does not work it might be because an important Font is turned Off or is damaged.

Use the Font Book app to check that all Font validate (File Menu)

Also check there are no Duplicates.




User uploaded file

6:35 pm Sunday; October 26, 2014


 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 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

Oct 26, 2014 2:40 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph,


It's hard to explain how much I appreciate your contribution to resolve this issue.

I followed all of your instructions, I've learnt a lot from you in this process, but unfortunately the final solution hasn't been found yet.


Probably the "fastest" way to solve the issue is a fresh install of the OS, my main concern is how I could keep my messages, and what if the issue would come back using the messages backup?


C.

Oct 26, 2014 3:19 PM in response to gadgetmania

Hi,


Reinstalling the OS using the Restore Process only reinstall the OS and the Apps and not the User Data although we would always advise to have a Backup.


In this case you User Data includes Saved Chats and the iMessages "History".


You could of course Erase the Drive and Reinstalls (Fresh Install) and this would clear the User as well which you could migrate back from Time Machine Back up.


At this point I do believe the issue is something on the System Side not allowing Quick Look to work properly.


I would be tempted by the Restore of the OS as a speedier option.



User uploaded file

10:19 pm Sunday; October 26, 2014


 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 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

Blank placeholders in iMessage attachments

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