macos sierra 'chess' covered by incomplete message

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Level 1

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macos sierra 'chess' covered by incomplete message

Following a clean installation of macos sierra I fiddled around with some of the preinstalled programs. Some seconds after starting a new game of chess the app 'opens' (better: starts to open) a message window but doesn't display any content - and freezes. I can open new games in new tabs but can not close the game I started first and can not close chess as well other than killing the process. The issue persists after deleting the prefs-file in the library folder, after various reboots and even after a reinstallation of sierra. As a 'system app' chess can't be deleted / de- and reinstalled...

Any hints are very welcome...

slowjogg

MacBook Pro, iOS 10.3.1

Posted on Apr 17, 2017 11:46 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

tygb

Level 9

64,708 points

Apr 18, 2017 11:23 AM in response to slowjogg

Opened system preferences > internet accounts > clicked on add other accounts .

Just scrolled down and clicked on game centre account and filled up apple id and password and clicked on sign in .

Filled up the real name and last name , user name and nick name and clicked on edit .

Waited for a while a small circle started rotating , a window appeared .

Clicked on save and was able to play chess game .

Followed this article : macOS Sierra: Play games on your Mac

And , if you used the same method and still it is freezing enter into user library : macOS Sierra: Library folder

Find a folder > Preferences > right click on com.apple.gamed.plist and drag and drop to the desktop . Restart the machine and then try to play chess game see if it works , don't delete the plist into the trash and empty it , keep it on the desktop .

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Answer 2

tygb

Level 9

64,708 points

Apr 18, 2017 4:09 AM in response to slowjogg

When chess application is opened via spotlight a pop - up window appears .

And another one to enter Apple ID and password .

And you also wrote : The issue persists after deleting the prefs-file in the library folder .

Please tell that which plist you tried to delete from system library or user library and from which folder , where is that plist in trash or have you emptied it .

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

210,419 points

Apr 18, 2017 10:11 AM in response to slowjogg

Boot into Safe Mode, Mac OS X: Starting up in Safe Mode, and try the game from there. Any success?

If no download and apply the macOS Sierra 10.12.4 Combo Update. It will reinstall a new copy of Chess.

Lastly have you run any "cleaning" or "optimizing" apps on your Mac?

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Answer 4

dialabrain

Level 10

124,649 points

Apr 18, 2017 8:19 AM in response to slowjogg

You're welcome. A couple things you can try…

Create a new user account and see if you have the same problem. If not, it's a corrupt .plist file.

Start in Safe Mode and check. If it works in Safe Mode you have something installed that is causing the problem.

macOS Sierra: Start up in safe mode

If it doesn't work in either case, you may have to reinstall Sierra.

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Answer 5

dialabrain

Level 10

124,649 points

Apr 18, 2017 9:51 AM in response to slowjogg

You're welcome.

For what's it's worth I have five Macs running Sierra 10.12.4 and I have no problem with Chess.

You can always send Apple feedback if you are unhappy with their pricing or their policies.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Answer 6

Drew Reece

Level 6

10,666 points

Apr 18, 2017 12:24 AM in response to slowjogg

What do you mean by 'fiddled around with preinstalled programs' - did you edit, delete, move or try to change anything or are you just trying them out?

As far as I know Game Center likes to rear it's ugly little face over the top of many games so perhaps that is an incomplete dialog from that app?

You could try opening Game Center manually to see if that runs OK.

I would take the Mac offline to see if that causes the dialog on not to appear (Game Center is partly an online feature). You could try using another user account as a comparison, create it in System Preferences > Users & groups & see if it any different.

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Answer 7

slowjogg Author

Level 1

30 points

Apr 18, 2017 8:08 AM in response to Drew Reece

@Drew Reece, dialabrain, tygb:

First of all: thank you very much for your quick replies!

a) With 'fiddled around with' I just meant I tried them. I didn't do anything an average / default user isn't expected to. Especially chess I just opened, moved two pawns and then the non-message appeared and the app freezed.

b) Taking the Mac offline made an iCloud / Game Center dialog appear that asked me to login with Apple ID and password. After activating an internet connection and transmissing the inserted data a chess board with a new game appeard (beforehand any boot of chess made the frozen game appear). Five seconds later the non-message-dialog reappeared the 'waiting timer' showed up for two or three seconds and chess froze again.

c) @ tygb: "When chess application is opened via spotlight a pop - up window appears ." - Not on my Mac, sorry.

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Answer 8

slowjogg Author

Level 1

30 points

Apr 18, 2017 8:50 AM in response to dialabrain

I already reinstalled Sierra - and the issue persists (see above). 😢

With respect to the phenomena described in my answer I conceive that it is an iCloud / Game Center sync-'thing'. But I'll try the procedures you suggested and post again...

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Answer 9

slowjogg Author

Level 1

30 points

Apr 18, 2017 9:48 AM in response to dialabrain

Here I am again 😉

a) Created a new user - and the problem persists.

b) Deleted the /Library/Preferences/com.apple.chess.plist file - and the problem persists.

c) Started in safe mode, tried my account, the account I just created and the guest account - and the problem persists (with each of the accounts).

d) Searched my iCloud settings and files but didn't find anything I could 'adjust'.

e) 'Clean install' of Sierra. - Mmmhh 😟: My attitude towards Apple is ambivalent in the meantime. I really acknowledge and appreciate their promotional skills and the technological ingenuity they had a long, long time ago. But making 'chess' a system app (!?) and - I'm living in Germany - selling laptops for ca. 1.440.- EUR and above (equals 1.550.- USD and up) with a VERY restrictive software policy and a VERY, VERY limited set of preinstalled apps that 'work' like chess, 'geniusses' hiding behind bars and a rather non-existing online-support seems pretty sketchy / borderline to me. I therefore will probably rather install some Linux distro on my MacBook Pro than doing a fresh install...

Anyway: thank you VERY MUCH for your efforts and have a nice day!

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Answer 10

slowjogg Author

Level 1

30 points

Apr 18, 2017 10:08 AM in response to dialabrain

"five Macs running Sierra 10.12.4 and I have no problem..." => consider yourself a LUCKY GUY 😉

I know that I can send feedback (and actually did so in the past - but never got an answer or the impression that anybody read what I wrote; the only time I was able to contact the support team - or the team was willing to contact me - was when the two factor authentication failed). Don't want to bore but: if someone sells pricy products and restricts what customers can do with non-working but unnecessary 'parts' of it I'd prefer to be able to contact the vendor instead of helpful peers and make him fix it (or tell me how I can do it).

But things are as they are and Apple didn't force me to buy the MacBook, so: once again: thanks!

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Answer 11

dialabrain

Level 10

124,649 points

Apr 18, 2017 10:17 AM in response to slowjogg

Luck has nothing to do with it.

Apple reads all feedback. However, they don't normally respond to it.

I'm actually not here to "quibble". As far as Chess goes it has been included with OS X since at least as far back as Snow Leopard, 7 years ago.

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Answer 12

slowjogg Author

Level 1

30 points

Apr 18, 2017 10:34 AM in response to Old Toad

I've already tried booting into safe mode and tried several accounts within this mode (see my 'Here I am again' posting above) but without any effect.

No third party optimizing, no third party cleaning.

I'm downloading the Combo Update right know and I'm pretty curious if it can be installed over an OS with the same release number - and I'll tell after I've tried.

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Answer 13

slowjogg Author

Level 1

30 points

Apr 18, 2017 10:39 AM in response to dialabrain

Be enthusiastic if you like to and please don't feel offended - that was not my intention.

Even if chess were a part of macOS for 70 years - that would not explain why a game ⚠ should be a system app that can't be removed or reinstalled by the user...

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Answer 14

slowjogg Author

Level 1

30 points

Apr 18, 2017 11:04 AM in response to Old Toad

I've downloaded and installed the combo update and - not a big surprise - the problem persists. Shortly after starting the app with a new game the pictured window appears, the hour glass shows up for some seconds - and the first game as well as chess in total freezes. I can start and end new games, save them or save them not, but I can't close the tab with the first game and the nonsense window or the app itself other than forcing quit... 😟

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Answer 15

slowjogg Author

Level 1

30 points

Apr 18, 2017 11:23 AM in response to tygb

THANK YOU!!!

Don't know why but hitting the "This solved my question" button had no effect. I'll wait for the mail that announces your answer and try to hit the button there. 😉

When trying to add a game center account the way you suggested I was advised that my Apple ID had already been used to create an account and that only one account can exist at a time. At least I had the option to have a look at the existing game center account (I didn't create deliberately afaik) and was asked to add a nickname which didn't exist. After adding a nickname and saving the account, 'killing' chess and restarting it the pictured message window appeared and immediately shrank to a "Welcome back, 'nickname'!" message which disappeared some seconds later. Now I'm able to close single instances of chess or the app itself... GREAT!

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