astfgl

Q: iMessage: "An error occurred during authentication"

Hi,

 

I have problem connecting the iMessage account on my iMac running El Capitain. I have this error every time I try to sign in:

Screen Shot 2015-10-12 at 21.14.40 copy.png

 

FaceTime connects without problems.

 

How can I diagnose this problem? What "error" this could be?

 

Thanks for any help,

Posted on Oct 12, 2015 12:21 PM

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Q: iMessage: "An error occurred during authentication"

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  • Helpful answers

  • by astfgl,

    astfgl astfgl Oct 12, 2015 12:24 PM in response to astfgl
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    Oct 12, 2015 12:24 PM in response to astfgl

    Oh yeah, forgot to add: same iMessage account works fine on a MacBook Air (Yosemite), and on iOS devices.

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Oct 13, 2015 8:47 AM in response to astfgl
    Level 9 (73,783 points)
    iTunes
    Oct 13, 2015 8:47 AM in response to astfgl
  • by astfgl,

    astfgl astfgl Oct 13, 2015 10:34 AM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    Oct 13, 2015 10:34 AM in response to Eric Root

    Thanks Eric,

    Believed for a second that the /etc/hosts might be my problem Unfortunately no, nothing looking like apple or verisign in that file...

     

    I don't have two-step authentication, so the advice concerning it doesn't apply to me. I don't have a firewall. Other points are useless (like check your internet connection or AppleID spelling :)

     

    I noticed one strange thing. The first time after I restart the computer, iMessage actually connects successfully, but couple of seconds later shows an error message, and then keeps showing it each time I try to reconnect. Weird.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),Helpful

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Oct 13, 2015 1:45 PM in response to astfgl
    Level 9 (73,348 points)
    Applications
    Oct 13, 2015 1:45 PM in response to astfgl

    Hi,

     

    Each device you have registered with iMessages has it's own Login.

    On the Mac this is a combo of the password for the Apple ID and the Serial Number which in turn places an Auth Token item in the Keychain (Login).

     

    It also looks like this Apple ID is also your Google ID and that appears to login to the GoogleTalk Jabber server OK from the pic

     

    I would open the About this Mac pane from the Apple Icon Menu first and check the panel shows the Serial Number.

    You will need to click on the OS X version number line twice.

    It will change to the Build Number (Another way to count the OS version) and then to the Serial Number.

     

    If it is missing go to a Apple Store and have it put back.

     

    If it is not missing open Keychain Access in Applications/Utilities.

    Have Login set top left.

    Have Passwords set lower left.

    On the right find the item that reads IDS: (yourName)@gmail.com-Auth Token and delete it.

    Restart Messages.

     

     

    If this does not work you will have to contact Apple Support and explain you have an Apple ID issue with the iMessages servers.

    Apple ID issues are free to fix but the Level one people who answer the phones are script led.

    You are likely to have to ask at some point to speak to a Level 2 person.

    Even then they might not reset your Apple ID on the server for that particular Mac.  (even if they are going to you will have to prove you are you).

    Recent posts suggest that this also gets the Engineers involved - it seems it is a security feature that is over zealous but you cannot reset it yourself - the engineers want to know why it trips out..

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:45 p.m.      Tuesday; October 13, 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
  • by astfgl,

    astfgl astfgl Oct 13, 2015 2:30 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    Oct 13, 2015 2:30 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Thanks Ralph for the detailed explanation. Concerning Google ID, that's right - jabber account functions well in iMessage.

     

    About the serial number, I believe your instruction is outdated: in El Capitain and Yosemite (at least) the serial number is always shown when you open About this Mac..., on the last line (see pic), and only build number appears when I click on the version line (no matter how many times).

    Screen Shot 2015-10-13 at 23.19.33.png

    So I tried to delete the IDS:<...> line from the Keychain, but it did not help. The line appeared again when I tried to login in iMessage, and I got the same error. I also deleted a bunch of expired certificates, without success (obviously).

     

    I guess I'll have to contact the support...

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Oct 14, 2015 11:22 AM in response to astfgl
    Level 9 (73,348 points)
    Applications
    Oct 14, 2015 11:22 AM in response to astfgl

    Yep,

     

    But posting in Mavericks will fool anyone.

     

    Good luck with contacting Apple Support.

    Be polite and be persistent  and I would also say ask for it to be done "today".

     

     

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    7:22 p.m.      Wednesday; October 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
  • by astfgl,

    astfgl astfgl Oct 15, 2015 12:45 PM in response to astfgl
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iPhone
    Oct 15, 2015 12:45 PM in response to astfgl

    Called support this morning, spent an hour... First the guy wanted to charge me 30€ for the support (because the software support is not free once the 2 warranty wears off), but when I said I was on El Capitan he made it for free (as an issue happened during 30 days after the installation of the new OS version).

     

    It turned out it wasn't the problem with the security - the guy did nothing on his side. After several other unhelpful manipulations, he made me reinitialize the NVRAM (or PRAM) by holding Alt+⌘+P+R during restart, and that worked.

     

    So yeah Ralph I suggest you add this to the list of solutions

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Oct 15, 2015 1:15 PM in response to astfgl
    Level 9 (73,348 points)
    Applications
    Oct 15, 2015 1:15 PM in response to astfgl

    Hi,

     

    In Yosemite  that had seemed to stop working but I will add it back for New Upgrade Installs of the New OS.

     

     

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:15 p.m.      Thursday; October 15, 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
  • by Bill Edwards,

    Bill Edwards Bill Edwards Mar 24, 2016 11:45 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (19 points)
    Mar 24, 2016 11:45 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Deleting the IDS Auth Token and deleting a bunch of iMessage certificates from my keychain seemed to fix the problem for me.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 24, 2016 12:44 PM in response to Bill Edwards
    Level 9 (73,348 points)
    Applications
    Mar 24, 2016 12:44 PM in response to Bill Edwards

    Thanks for letting us know.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    7:44 pm      Thursday; March 24, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     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
  • by Jmshiloh,

    Jmshiloh Jmshiloh Apr 10, 2016 7:31 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 10, 2016 7:31 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Your way helped me out a lot man. Thank you so much for all your help

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Apr 10, 2016 12:22 PM in response to Jmshiloh
    Level 9 (73,348 points)
    Applications
    Apr 10, 2016 12:22 PM in response to Jmshiloh

    You're welcome.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:22 pm      Sunday; April 10, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     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
  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Oct 12, 2016 11:39 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 9 (73,348 points)
    Applications
    Oct 12, 2016 11:39 AM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    4thanx.gif for the 1helpful.png   Points

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    7:39 pm      Wednesday; October 12, 2016

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     iPhone and an iPad (2)