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Messages not working (automatically quits on opening)

Messages (7.0.1) is not working (automatically quits on opening) on my desktop 2 x 3.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Mac running OSX 10.8.5. I get notifications of new messages (via Notifications app I assume) but every time I try to open Messages, it quits on launch with the Problem Report dialogue window

Mac Pro, OS X Server

Posted on Apr 28, 2015 12:21 PM

Reply
15 replies

Apr 29, 2015 8:58 AM in response to dubtastic

Do a backup.

Quit the application.

Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.iChat.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.


Restart the computer, open the application and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.

If the application is the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.

Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.


If that doesn't work:


Console post see first post by Linc Davis


Kernel Panic Log


If the log won’t post, try posting it here and provide a link in a reply Pastebin

Apr 30, 2015 3:21 AM in response to Eric Root

Thanks, I tried removing the reference file, but it still has the same problem. If it helps, this is from the problem report message;


Process: Messages [345]

Path: /Applications/Messages.app/Contents/MacOS/Messages

Identifier: com.apple.iChat

Version: 7.0.1 (3322)

Build Info: iChat-3321000000000000~4

Code Type: X86-64 (Native)

Parent Process: launchd [153]

User ID: 501



Date/Time: 2015-04-30 11:17:49.104 +0100

OS Version: Mac OS X 10.8.5 (12F2518)

Report Version: 10



Interval Since Last Report: 21831 sec

Crashes Since Last Report: 8

Per-App Interval Since Last Report: 18 sec

Per-App Crashes Since Last Report: 8

Anonymous UUID: 4983EF0A-B0CE-6531-B7E4-BDB84F77E769



Crashed Thread: 0 Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread



Exception Type: EXC_CRASH (SIGABRT)

Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000



Application Specific Information:

*** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: 'NSConcreteMutableAttributedString addAttribute:value:range:: nil value'

terminate called throwing an exception

abort() called

May 2, 2015 1:56 PM in response to dubtastic

Hi,


Check the Contacts app.

Use the Card Menu > Show the My Card and check this is your details.


If it does not appear to be the Contacts App (Formerly the Address Book) then open the Font Book app and check that the AppleGothic font (it is all one word) is present, Enabled, Validates (File Menu) and not Duplicated (The Font is near the bottom of the list when using Font Book).





User uploaded file

9:56 pm Saturday; May 2, 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

May 11, 2015 11:50 AM in response to dubtastic

Hi,


How long ago did you update to OS X 10.8.2 or later (it lists 10.8.5 above)

If this was from OS X 10.8.1 or lower then is the Serial Number present ?

Use the Apple Icon Menu > About this Mac.

In the new panel click twice on the line that tell you the current OS level. It will change to the Build number (another way apple counts the versions) and the second click should reveal the Serial Number.


If the Number is not present then the app cannot create the Auth key that is kept in the Keychain and then cannot login.


If it is missing you have to visit and Apple Store and have them put it back.

It can get missed if the mother/Logic board had been replaced during repair or refurbishment.

User uploaded file

7:50 pm Monday; May 11, 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

May 12, 2015 12:09 PM in response to dubtastic

Hi,


This bit is the key


Application Specific Information:

*** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: 'NSConcreteMutableAttributedString addAttribute:value:range:: nil value'

terminate called throwing an exception

abort() called


It is looking for some info but the result is nil when it should not be.


Missing or incorrect My card info from the Contacts app is favourite with the missing or inactive Font (AppleGothic) being a close second in Messages (as compared to iChat).


From my website on iChat there is this section http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/page13.html#fonts

To Quote


...NSInvalidArgumentException: NSConcreteMutableAttributedString addAttribute:value:range:: nil value


So we will have to look at other Fonts that Messages uses.


Open Font Book again and check you have Helvetica Neue as the Active, Validated version of the Helvetica type fonts.

This trends to the the System Font that HAS to be there for many apps to actually function. (AppleGothic is involved in the iMessages Registration and Login process).

Also check Lucida Grande. This is used to display the names of Groups in the Buddy list and is needed even if you don't display Buddy Lists.



I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.


User uploaded file

8:09 pm Tuesday; May 12, 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

May 14, 2015 4:24 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

My Card and fonts seem OK? Can I rebuild My Card in any way? I’m running a minimal set of system fonts as recommended by Suitcase, so maybe this is the issue? I’m running;


AppleGothic.ttf

AppleSDGothicNeo-Bold.otf

AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular.otf

Geneva.dfont

Helvetica.dfont

HelveticaNeue.dfont

HelveticaNeueDeskUI.ttc

Keyboard.ttf

LastResort.ttf

LucidaGrande.ttc

Monaco.dfont


Thanks for all your help/advice BTW Ralp! 🙂

May 14, 2015 12:46 PM in response to dubtastic

Humm,


The list of Fonts I have in the System/Library/Fonts folder is a lot more extensive than that.

User uploaded file

I had to more the DOCK to get the whole lot in one window.

Some of them are for Chinese and other languages (AppleGothic is used for it's Korean characters)


Using Suitcase might be ignoring Fonts that are not in the System folder but are used by various Apps (AppleGothic is in this group).

Technically they should be so called "System Fonts" but they are not in the "Correct" place.


The Contacts app does not tend to loose a Card.

What it does do in some cases is change the My Card to another card's details and not yours. (I.e. your card should still be in there and the when you find it and have it selected the Card Menu allow you to change it with "Make this My Card"



User uploaded file

8:46 pm Thursday; May 14, 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

May 16, 2015 5:51 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I kept a back up of the original system folder fonts, and have restored that and it seems to have done the trick at the moment, so many thanks for your help Ralph 🙂 Not sure which of the extra fonts was the one needed, but it’s in there somewhere!


original system folder fonts…


Apple Braille Outline 6 Dot.ttf

Apple Braille Outline 8 Dot.ttf

Apple Braille Pinpoint 6 Dot.ttf

Apple Braille Pinpoint 8 Dot.ttf

Apple Braille.ttf

Apple Color Emoji.ttf

Apple Symbols.ttf

AppleSDGothicNeo-Bold.otf

AppleSDGothicNeo-Regular.otf

AquaKana.ttc

Courier.dfont

Geeza Pro Bold.ttf

Geeza Pro.ttf

Geneva.dfont

HelveLTMM

Helvetica LT MM

Helvetica.dfont

HelveticaNeue.dfont

HelveticaNeueDeskUI.ttc

Keyboard.ttf

LastResort.ttf

LucidaGrande.ttc

MarkerFelt.ttc

Menlo.ttc

Monaco.dfont

Noteworthy.ttc

STHeiti Light.ttc

STHeiti Medium.ttc

Symbol.ttf

Thonburi.ttf

ThonburiBold.ttf

Times LT MM

Times.dfont

TimesLTMM

ZapfDingbats.ttf

ヒラギノ明朝 ProN W3.otf

ヒラギノ明朝 ProN W6.otf

ヒラギノ角ゴ ProN W3.otf

ヒラギノ角ゴ ProN W6.otf

Messages not working (automatically quits on opening)

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