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What the... iChat starting up on its own?

A

alphaone

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Ok this is been happening for some time... its really weird.

iChat will just start up by itself when i'm on another aim client, for example on my pc which is connected over ethernet to my mac, or if i'm trying to use a different aim client on my mac, like adium, and someone i/m's me. Why is it doing that and how do i make it stop? Its quite annoying lol

the mac's running 10.3.8
 
alphaone said:
Ok this is been happening for some time... its really weird.

iChat will just start up by itself when i'm on another aim client, for example on my pc which is connected over ethernet to my mac, or if i'm trying to use a different aim client on my mac, like adium, and someone i/m's me. Why is it doing that and how do i make it stop? Its quite annoying lol

the mac's running 10.3.8
Click to expand...

Do you mean iChat will launch even if it isn't running in the background, i.e. does it happen even if you have quit iChat completely?
 
Yes, ie iChat isn't running at all.

the thing is, it doesn't always happen. There must be some unknown factor i'm missing...
 
alphaone said:
Yes, ie iChat isn't running at all.

the thing is, it doesn't always happen. There must be some unknown factor i'm missing...
Click to expand...

That's freaky. I know you can launch programs using Applescript so it may be that something is telling iChat to activate.

Or, do any of your ornaments or furniture move around by themselves?

🙂
 
Do you mean messages appear, or iChat starts bouncing in the dock and launches?

If messages appear in the bubble thingy, then iChat just isn't quit all the way. (No windows DOES NOT EQUAL quit) If it bounces in the dock and starts launching, tie your furniture down. 😉
 
Mechcozmo said:
Do you mean messages appear, or iChat starts bouncing in the dock and launches?

If messages appear in the bubble thingy, then iChat just isn't quit all the way. (No windows DOES NOT EQUAL quit) If it bounces in the dock and starts launching, tie your furniture down. 😉
Click to expand...
Nope, its totally quit, and it launches itself...
 
Does it happen when you connect an iSight? iChat can be set to open when an iSight is either turned on or connected. Actually, this could happen with any camera. I've actually had iChat mistake a photo camera for a webcam before, so... This might be the problem. It's the best I can come up with.
 
No, I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with any cameras. I don't have an iSight and it doesn't seem to be related to my digi cam being connected at all.
 
Try going to iChat preferences. I'm willing to bet that your "When I quit iChat, set my status to Offline" is unchecked. Check this one and when you quit iChat, it will log you off. Otherwise, when you quit iChat, you're still available and when someone sends you a msg, iChat will start up to intercept it.
 
Blackheart said:
Try going to iChat preferences. I'm willing to bet that your "When I quit iChat, set my status to Offline" is unchecked. Check this one and when you quit iChat, it will log you off. Otherwise, when you quit iChat, you're still available and when someone sends you a msg, iChat will start up to intercept it.
Click to expand...
Nope its checked
ichatpref.jpg
 
Blackheart said:
Might try checking your com.apple.iChat.plist and make sure that the key OfflineOnQuit has a value of true/yes.
Click to expand...
I can't find any string with that name in that plist, but it does go offline when it quits.
 
Try jumping on MRChat real quick if you want, it'd probably be easier to solve the problem than posting on the forum.

MRChat

my AIM is wBlackheartw if that's easier
 
Eh its not really that big of a deal. I'll probably just do a full reinstall of the os and everything when tiger comes out. So that'll probably fix it.

I was just wondering if anyone else had the same problem.
 
alphaone said:
Eh its not really that big of a deal. I'll probably just do a full reinstall of the os and everything when tiger comes out. So that'll probably fix it.

I was just wondering if anyone else had the same problem.
Click to expand...

Yeah; sorry I couldn't have been of more help. I haven't had that problem before.
 
alphaone said:
Eh its not really that big of a deal. I'll probably just do a full reinstall of the os and everything when tiger comes out. So that'll probably fix it.

I was just wondering if anyone else had the same problem.
Click to expand...

Have you checked your Account prefs to make sure that iChat didn't install some kind of activity agent as autostart? Also type ichat in the Activity Monitor processes tab after you've quit, and see if there's anything running. It's been a long time since I used iChat (in lieu of Adium), but over the past year, iTunes, iCal and a number of other apps have been adding agents....
 
alphaone said:
Well whadya know...
agent.jpg

Now what do I do?
Click to expand...

Look in your system preferences, accounts pane. Click on your user, and then Startup Items (the last one over). If it is in the list, uncheck it. It should not start again on reboot. But...hmmm...even if you kill it, does starting iChat start it again? That is, if you kill it or delete it from the startup items, reboot, and run and quit iChat, will it be back? I'm not sure.

EDIT: I checked to see if I, who never really run iChat, have this agent. I didn't have it on startup, with v2.1 (153), but it was running after I quit iChat. Interestingly...the option that was discussed earlier, about staying available after quit, is GREYED OUT on my machine! 😱
 
alphaone said:
Nope its checked
ichatpref.jpg
Click to expand...

Show Status in Menu Bar is what runs the iChatAgent (daemon?). Depending on how you exit, this will auto-launch iChat. Ive seen it happen many times on my machine. e.g. coming out of sleep.

Explicitly going offline before doing a quit seems the most reliable way of preventing this.
 
There is no iChatAgent in my startup items.

Will removing the menu bar thing get rid of the agent?
 
I've had a similar experience, but only a couple of times. I haven't run iChat at all, and then while I'm usng Mail (of all things) it will suddenly appear - and I'll only find out when somebody IMs me and I both adium and ichat both inform me of the message. So, my point is, alphaone, are you using Mail when this happens and does anybody know if there might be alink between the two?
 
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