Restore ichat history after system restore

Question

Level 1

9 points

Restore ichat history after system restore

Haven't found a usable solution to this problem yet, so help is greatly appreciated.

How do you restore all of your iMessage (iChat) conversations after retiring your Mac to an earlier point in time. Specifically, I used Time Machine to return my iMac to OS X 10.10.1. Was at 10.10.3 (beta 2). When I launch Messages, conversations are present as they were during the TM backup of 10.10.1. So from this point I wish to return all the documents, photos, music, messages, etc. to the point prior to the system restore (10.10.3 b2). Everything can be restored by use of TM for the folders, Documents, Movies, Music, Pictures. But I can not get messages to restore.

Used various methods seen on various forums, i.e. use TM and restore ~/Library/Messages; /com.apple.iChat, but to no avail.. Tried various combinations of logging out/in of massages; iCloud, restarting the computer, again with no avail. I usually end up with all of the list of those that I sent a message to but no messages.

I believe there is some magical, specific order in which to do this successfully. I haven't found it yet.

HELP!

& Thx 😟

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014), OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)

Posted on Mar 24, 2015 3:43 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Mar 25, 2015 2:18 PM in response to bogies4

Hi,

The ~/Library/Messages and the chat.db items form OS X 10.10.3 should be compatible with 10.10.1

IF you were at OS X 10.10.1 and migrated to OS X 10..10.3 beta then you should be the Owner of the files.

There navigating to the Folder and then entering Time Machine and Restoring the chat.db items should give you the latest iMessages when you reopen the app and chat to the same people (you will not see then until you chat again).

The same applies to ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iChat/Data/Library/Messages and the Archive folder in here.

If you used different User Accounts in each OS X version then you need to change the ownership of the files and Folders involved.

9:18 pm Wednesday; March 25, 2015

 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

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Answer 2

bogies4 Author

Level 1

9 points

Mar 25, 2015 2:24 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Thanks for the response. So, you're saying that I should see the list of "chat folks" but not the previous conversations, UNTIL I chat again with each one. Then I'll see all of the previous dialog?

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Answer 3

Mar 25, 2015 2:45 PM in response to bogies4

Hi,

I have not delved deep enough to say which item actually holds the list of active Chats or Conversations in the side bar.

The chat.db item itself is the one that hold the "history" that shows up when your start a chat with someone you have chatted to before in iMessages.

You need to have Saved Chats in the Archive folder for this to work with AIM, Jabber, Yahoo and Bonjour Buddies.

Apple's own documentation tends to refer to iMessages as Conversations and any other account as Chats.

The exception now being SMS/text which the app Links to iMessages.

If you just Restore the whole computer to the last day you ran OS X 10.10.1 then it should have all the Chats/Conversations you were having that day.

However changing them by effectively Importing the newer ones (those up to the last time you used OS X 10.10.3beta) will upset things.

9:45 pm Wednesday; March 25, 2015

 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

Reply