Koshington
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: iMessage & Facetime Wont login

Hi I have another problem that has appeared from nowhere.

 

I suddenly cannot log into iMessage or FaceTime on my MacBook Pro retina mid2012 running yosemite 10.10.1

The error I get is the same on both apps "Could not sign in. Please check your network connection and try again."

The Network is working fine and is a Virgin BB 5g service (I moved recently and it used to be a BT infinity- if that has anything to do with it)

My iCloud account using the same login details works fine.

My iPhone 5s & iPad Air running OS8 connect over the same network to theses services, using the same apple id - again, fine.

 

I've looked at the Forums on this problem and tried the following:

Made sure my 'network connection is my preferred one'

Checked to see if the date & time are on 'auto'

Tried changing the DNS to 8.8.8.8.8.8.4.4 (?? changed that back since to routers submitted one)

 

I've run out of ideas and it looks as if its another one of those apple 'bugs' that a lot of people have, Apple don't officially step up and release a workaround and a lot of confusing suggested 'solutions' flood the net.

 

Can anyone help please? or is this another feature of my £2.5k Mac Book Pro I have to do without along with the dead SD card slot?

MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)

Posted on Jan 28, 2015 4:27 AM

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Koshington

Q: iMessage & Facetime Wont login

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  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jan 28, 2015 7:41 AM in response to Koshington
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Jan 28, 2015 7:41 AM in response to Koshington

    This could be a complicated problem to solve, as there are many possible causes for it. Test after taking each of the following steps that you haven't already tried. Back up all data before making any changes.

    Before proceeding, test on another network, if possible. That could be a public Wi-Fi hotspot, if your computer is portable, or a cellular network if you have a mobile device that can share its Internet connection. If you find that iMessage works on the other network, the problem is in your network or at your ISP, not in your computer.

    Step 1

    Check the status of the service. If the service is down, wait for it to come back up. There may be a localized outage, even if the status indicator is green.

    Step 2

    Sign out of iMessage and FaceTime on all your Apple devices. Log out and log back in. Try again to sign in.

    Step 3

    Restart your router and your broadband device, if they're separate. You may have to skip this step if you don't control those devices.

    Step 4

    From the menu bar, select

               ▹ About This Mac

    Below the "OS X" legend in the window that opens, the OS version appears. Click the version line twice to display the serial number. If the number is missing or invalid according to this web form, take the machine to an Apple Store or other authorized service center to have the problem corrected.

    Step 5

    Take the steps suggested in this support article. If you don't understand some of the steps or can't carry them out, ask for guidance.

    Step 6

    From the menu bar, select

               ▹ System Preferences... ▹ Network

    If the preference pane is locked, click the lock icon in the lower left corner and enter your password to unlock it. Then click the Advanced button and select the Proxies tab. If the box marked SOCKS Proxy is checked, uncheck it. You don’t need to change any other settings in the window. Click OK and then Apply. Test.

    The result may be that you can't connect to the Internet at all. Revert the change if that happens, or if iMessage still doesn't work. Remember that you must Apply any changes you make in the preference pane before they take effect.

    Step 7

    Select from the menu bar

               ▹ System Preferences… ▹ Flash Player ▹ Storage

    and click

              Block all sites from storing information on this computer

    Close the preference pane.

    Step 8

    Make sure you know the ID and password you use with iMessage. Launch the Keychain Access application in any of the following ways:

    ☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

    ☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

    ☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.

    Use the search box in the toolbar of the Keychain Access window to find and delete all items with "iMessage" or "com.apple.idms" in the name. Log out and log back in.

    Step 9

    Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”

    While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.

    Test while logged in as Guest. After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

    *Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.

    If iMessage worked in the guest account, stop here and post your results.

    Step 10

    Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you start up, and again when you log in.

    Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a Fusion Drive or a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

    Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound outputand Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.

    The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

    Test while in safe mode. After testing, restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and test again.

    If iMessage worked in safe mode, but still doesn't work when you restart in "normal" mode, stop here and post your results.

    Step 11

    Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

    /Library/Preferences/com.apple.apsd.plist

    Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select

              Services ▹ Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)

    from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item selected. Move the selected item to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password. Restart the computer and empty the Trash.

    *If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination  command-C. In the Finder, select

              Go ▹ Go to Folder...

    from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

    Step 12

    Reset the NVRAM.

    Step 13

    Reset the System Management Controller (SMC).

    Step 14

    Reinstall OS X.

    Step 15

    If none of the above steps resolves the issue, make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or contact Apple Support. When you set up a support call, select "Apple ID" as the product you need help with, not the hardware model. That way, if you're not under AppleCare, you may be able to talk your way out of being charged for the call.