iChat "opens" but doesn't show up...

[BugsBunny]

I have had a problem recently where I can start the iChat application, and the little indicator in the dock shows that it is open, and when I hit the dock icon I get the iChat menu in the menu bar...but no actual window pops up and nearly all of the options in the drop down menus are grayed out and unusable. Does anyone know how I might fix this?

 

[EricNau]

Have you tried checking your preferences to ensure that your account is still there, and "use this account" is checked?

 

[BugsBunny]

i would try that...

but Preferences isn't an available option! all i've got is My Status, My Accounts (with nothing coming out of the arrow), Services, Hide iChat, Hide Others, and then a few random ones in other menus like Fonts and whatnot.

i feel like maybe i have to reinstall iChat, is there some way to download iChat and do that without having to do the whole OS?

 

[aaronH]

Me too

My daughter's macbook does this same thing. She can initiate a chat/video if it's in her "Recent Items...", and receive chats/video but the iChat window does not show up anywhere. Everything is up-to-date as well.

Help...

 

[phday]

Me Too

I'm having this EXACT same problem. I'm new to Macs as well and this is pretty frustrating.

 

[TheKnifeFight]

select the window tab at the top and bring all the windows to front.