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I tried to fix iChat but made it worse, I deleted the wrong files - please help!

A

AdventurousJosh

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 11, 2008
300
19
Hey guys -
So basically, every time I added a buddy in iChat (AIM) they would flash fro a couple of seconds and then disappear. I googled my problem and found this site here ( http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=7134801#7134801 )

He recommended I did this:
"Delete com.apple.ichat.AIM.plist this is a file in Users/(your account)/Library/Preferences that holds the login info. (Note: I also deleted com.apple.iChat.plist .) This fixed my disappearing Buddy that wouldn't stay added."

I did the first step, but then I kept getting some kind of error, so I deleted the next thing he deleted incase that was the problem, and now iChat won't even launch! I click it, it has that little blue dot and it shows I have it selected, but no buddy list what so ever - can anyone help me get my iChat back?

Thank you so much! I owe you a new car.


Josh
 
iLog.Genius said:
If you deleted all the .plist files related to iChat, I believe you're going to have to add your contacts again.
Click to expand...

Well I can't even get iChat to open right now. Any advise on that? I open it and it shows that it responds with that little blue dot, but the list never pops up.
 
Seeing how it has the blue dot, are you sure it's not running but just not showing a buddy list?

Can you go File-->Preference and that sort of thing from iChat? What if you tel it to show a buddy list from the drop down menus in the menu bar?
 
Hey guys -
So i got the list up finally thank you so much, but some things do seem off. All of my buddies are gone and I had to re add my ME name into my account, that was semi expected I guess.
On the top of my iChat window right beside the green little ball, it says, "AIM Buddy List" was that there before?


Thank you again!


Josh
 
Also, one last thing, did you any of you guys click my link above? What the deletion of those files have done anything else...weird, to my iChat?

Thanks you so much,


Josh
 
NewMacbookPlz said:
For what it's worth, mine's always said "AIM Buddy List"
Click to expand...

Well guys, I have no idea why that dude recommended I did what I did - yes now that I have my buddy list back the AIM usernames don't keep disappearing, but now I have all kinds of errors. When I send a message to someone, it sends, then about a minute later it gives me some kind of timeout error.

Frustrating. Do you guys know of anyway I can like, delete iChat, and then re download it? Maybe it'll fix everything...doubt it, but maybe? OR does anyone else have any recommendations? Thanks a lot! I owe everyone.


Josh
 
Basically by deleting those files, you're "refreshing" iChat. You remove potentially corrupted files and by running iChat again, OS X recreates those files as new ones. Deleting .plist files in any application, not just iChat, solves a lot of problems. If .plist deletion doesn't solve the problem, you can go ahead and delete the iChat.app and reinstall it from your OS X restore discs.
 
iLog.Genius said:
Basically by deleting those files, you're "refreshing" iChat. You remove potentially corrupted files and by running iChat again, OS X recreates those files as new ones. Deleting .plist files in any application, not just iChat, solves a lot of problems. If .plist deletion doesn't solve the problem, you can go ahead and delete the iChat.app and reinstall it from your OS X restore discs.
Click to expand...

Oh okay thanks that makes since now.
 
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