Blank placeholders in iMessage attachments

Hi,

If only your regular Mac User account that is effected with the issue then you are right that it is unlikely that Restore is going to sort this out.

Finding the solution is going to take time.

This next process is time consuming more than anything else.

Create a new Folder on the Desktop and open it.

Use the Finder > File Menu to open a another "new window".

In the second one use the Go Menu > Go to folder items and enter ~/Library/Preferences in to the Dialogue Box.

Now, off the .plists in this folder we are only concerned with the ones that start com.apple.....

Move 1/2 (as in A to M in the next word in the names - com.apple.AddressBook..... is likely to be near the top of those) to the Desktop folder you created.

Next Shut Down the Mac and restart.

Many of the .plists involved in the move are likely to be recreated and in some cases App will be missing info. (which is why they are saved on the Desktop)

If the issue is resolved at this point we will know the culprit is in the moved half.

Go to the Desktop Folder and take half of those (A - F say) and move them back to the ~/Library/Preferences Folder and restart the computer (you are most likely going to have to agree to replace the .plist in the ~/Library/Preference folder with the ones you are moving back).

If the issue remains resolved put the next half back (G to I or J)

Restart the computer.

You should always have a gap between the last letter of the group moved back and the com.apple.n item that is first in the original half left behind )for Me that is com.apple.NetAuthAgent.plist)

At some point the issue with the Quick Look function is likely to be seen again.

When this happens move half of the last amount you moved back to the Desktop folder (so if it was between the G and J items then move I and J back to the Desktop folder)

If the issue is not resolved at the first move then you will have to swap the two first halfs and then work backwards from Z. (My Last .plist of the com.apple. ones is com.apple.xpc.activity2.plist so not actually Z).

To Summarise.

It is likely to be a .plist that is at fault.

The ones for Apple Apps start com.apple so you only have to concentrate on these.

The easiest way if to move half out of the way and with so many you can do this alphabetically by the third word in the name.

If the issue is resolved put half the moved ones (in the Desktop folder) back in ~/Library/Preferences.

If the issue is not resolved at the first split then swap the two halfs so that N to Z are the one in the Desktop folder.

In adding back the next half each time aim to leave a distinct gap in the names (so if A to M was the set in the Desktop folder move back A to G so that there is an obvious gap between the last g item and the original left behind N item. If N-Z ends up being the first ones on the Desktop then move back N to P)

You will need to Restart after each move.

Eventually you should come down to 10 or so .plist that it is likely to be. The name of the .plists involved may make it more clear at this point.

You may also be able to leave some out from a reducing number of .plists to say time.

AS I said this is long winded and time consuming.

Some .plist will contain license for certain apps so it is not suitable to just ditch the lot and start again.

8:29 pm Monday; October 27, 2014

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.

9:00 pm Friday; October 24, 2014

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.

9:32 pm Friday; October 24, 2014

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.

10:05 pm Friday; October 24, 2014

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.

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.

8:49 pm Saturday; October 25, 2014

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)

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

9:56 pm Saturday; October 25, 2014

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.

6:35 pm Sunday; October 26, 2014

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.

10:19 pm Sunday; October 26, 2014

for the Points.

Glad to hear you are making progress.

7:49 pm Wednesday; November 5, 2014