Ichat screen all white when screen sharing

My boss and I use this nearly everyday...
Today all he can see is WHITE
Anything to do with Mountain Lion?
What do we do?

Hi,
Strangely I am not seeing an update being offered.
Having been with iChat since version 2 (the so called iChatAV) I have seen some very odd things at times particularly at Upgrade time when new versions are about.
I don't use Safari every day but mine is at Version 6 The App Store is still saying no update. (Actually I can't see Safari as an App that is listed).
Speed on connections change all the time
People get upgrades because they pay for them. Others get them as the service gets updated anyway.
I am not aware yet that the Mountain Lion Screen Sharing takes any less or more speed that the iChat versions did (Around 128kbps min)
I would open th Connection Doctor during a Video chat (From the Video menu) and then convert it to a Screen Share and see what speeds and Frame rates are shown
Screen Sharing is regarded as a Audio Chat+, the Plus bit being the VNC connection that does the desktop feed.
11:14 PM Tuesday; July 31, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Similar Messages

IChat Screen Sharing: Audio works but video is a white screen.

I am having a problem using iChat screen sharing with a specific computer. We are both running OS 10.7.4. I have a Mac Book Pro (fall 2011) and he has a iMac one to two years old. We have tried contacting apple support but no luck yet. We tried setting up a test user to see if the problem was user specific but encountered the same problem. Again, video and text chat work fine. He can share my screen with no issues. Only when I ask to share his screen do I get a blank white screen. Audio works and I can manipulate his curser but all I have is a white screen. I have tried changing the resolution on his iMac but this has not helped. Also we are both using Google Talk as the chat server.

Hi,
Historically iChat Updates came in OS updates.
Not every OS update had an iChat update but that was the way they were delivered.
Only twice during the lifetime of iChat 3 have there ever been standalone Updates outside of this.
Most Updates are now through the App Store but Software Update can still be used (I have mine set on Daily despite Apple's Updates normally coming on Tuesdays)
One person stated he thought there had been a change with OS 10.8.1 saying the Build number of Messages had changed.
In my experience it has not and when Apple do update something the build Number and Version number change.
It is widely know that Apple send Developers and others advance copies of the OS to try out.
Those people sign NDAs (Non Disclosure Agreements) so you will not see any discussion of any up and coming stuff on this site.
8:55 PM Thursday; September 6, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

IChat Screen Sharing Stops when Switching Between Displays

Hi. Have been doing iChat quite nicely with my Dad for years and now I have a problem. Running current Snow Leopard 10.6.2 on both Macs, iChat 5.0.1. I usually hop onto his screen to help him solve problems, answer questions, do updates, etc. Until very recently, I have been able to switch between his desktop and mine by clicking on the small alternate display window. I could work on his computer and mine by simply switching between them in this manner. Now, suddenly, iChat screen sharing stops when I click on my display in the small window. This action returns me to my display, but the screen sharing session ends and I need to request it again. Any idea what might be going on here? I'm stumped. Thanks.

Hi,
Is there any chance you are clicking on the top left hand corner (where the red blob would be) as this will Quit Screen Sharing ?
10:13 PM Friday; January 15, 2010
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

IChat Screen Sharing will not work when VNC will?

I am finding it impossible to get Screen Sharing working via iChat. I'm not surprised, as iChat seems extraordinarily balky at doing anything other than text chat. However, what confuses me most about this is that the Connection Doctor 'Capabilities' tab suggests that the net connection for my family members (1024/128) is "too slow" for Screen Sharing - yet I have been using OSX VNC for two years perfectly successfully to do so?
Does using Screen Sharing directly have the same limitations?

Hi,
In System Preferences > Quicktime > Streaming change the Speed to 1.5Mbps
This should change what iChat sees as being Capable off once you restart iChat.
The VNC app Screen Sharing that Opens form the Finder > Go > Go to Server VNC:// does not include a Audio component.
This uses less bandwidth than the iChat Screen Sharing which does include an Audio stream.
Also the Screen Sharing is done on a separate port to the Audio part and from testing seems to be a random choice.
For this reason we have been suggesting using UPnP in any modem or router to allow ports.
Apple have not said what ports it uses
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1507?viewlocale=en_US Tiger A/V ports and Bonjour and Jabber
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2282?viewlocale=en_US Leopard A/V ports (It should say but does not that you still need the Jabber and Bonjour ones if using them).
This doc http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2020?viewlocale=en_US says you need iChat to see at least a connection speed of 128K UP and Down for Screen Sharing.
It is known that iChat Screen Sharing is based on Apple Remote Desktop but it does not use the same ports (5900 and 5988).
2:06 PM Saturday; January 10, 2009

IChat screen sharing does not work on my Mac Pro

I have a weird iChat screen sharing problem that i can't seem to resolve on my Mac Pro. Ever since i got my Mac Pro in early 2008, using the screen sharing feature in iChat has always been flaky. I have never gotten to the point of getting it consistently working. Lately, i have not been able to get it to work at all.
Most of the time, when i choose to share my chat target's screen (or when i share my screen), i would be able to see my chat target's screen and use the mouse for several seconds before the shared screen session is ended. The errors that i am getting are:
+"Disconnected from Screen Sharing because:+
+No data has been received for the last 10 s..."+
+"There was a communication error during your chat.+
+No data has been received for the last 10 seconds. You can send+
+details about this problem to Apple to help improve future versions of+
iChat."
On other occasions (mostly when i am trying to troubleshoot this issue by testing in the same network with my Powerbook, which is on 10.5.6 as well), i get this error:
+"Disconnected from Screen Sharing because:+
+Screen sharing could not be established."+
I have tried to do screen sharing via iChat with other Macs in the same network and also on the internet but with the same problems.
Initially, i thought this may be router related. But the fact that iChat screen sharing on my Powerbook works perfectly both in intranet and internet eliminates my router as the culprit.
I have also tried disabling the OSX Firewall but the outcome was the same.
I read some posts that there may be issue with using the external iSight web cam. I unplugged it, cleaning up all the iChat-related caches and preferences and tried again but with the same result.
I have also tried connecting to iChat using several different account types (mobileme, .mac and AIM) but the end result is the same.
I run a Ubuntu VMWare fusion VM on my Mac Pro as my webserver. I thought that may be the problem. Shutting down the Ubuntu VM also does not help.
Applecare support personnel also instructed me to re-install iChat but that did not help as well.
One interesting error i noticed in the system.log (seen via the Console app) that is generated everytime iChat screen sharing fails on my Mac Pro:
+12/23/08 12:32:00 AM /Applications/iChat.app/Contents/MacOS/iChat[507] error getting server version+
I am really running out of ideas on what else i can do to get this resolved.
Thanks in advance for any suggestion.
Message was edited by: Changren Yong
The audio and video chat portions of iChat work fine.

I managed to make some headway in my attempts to troubleshoot this problem. I did a fresh Leopard install on one of the drives in my Mac Pro. I then proceeded to update it to 10.5.6. After that, i launched iChat and attempted screen sharing with my Powerbook. The first few attempts failed, with the following symptoms:
- i would be able to see and control the Powerbook's screen
- after 5 seconds, my screen sharing session is disconnected
I then unplugged my external iSight. After i relaunched iChat, i managed do screen sharing in iChat without being disconnected!!! When i connected the iSight back into the ACD, with iSight off, i attempted to screen share again. This time, it failed after about 5 seconds, just like earlier. I then turned iSight on. This time round, the screen sharing session was not disconnected!!
So in addition to the iSight issue, something in my original Leopard startup disk is causing iChat screen sharing to fail because even when screen sharing was failing on my fresh Leopard install, i do not see this error:
/Applications/iChat.app/Contents/MacOS/iChat(507) error getting server version
So if i can figure out what is causing this error to show up in system.log, then i can manage the iSight issue.

IChat Screen Sharing - I can share my screen, but Dad can't share his

Hi all,
Last week I used iChat screen sharing to help my Dad with his iMac, and although it froze and dropped out frequently, it was working.
This week, for some reason we can only share my screen, but not his. On both sides, the option to share his screen is disabled (greyed out). Also the Video > Screen Sharing Enabled menu item is also disabled on his Mac, but mine is enabled and turned on.
Both of us have Screen Sharing turned on in System Preferences > Sharing, and both have set to allow access to anyone.
He restarted his Mac a couple of times, but no luck.
Has anyone had the same problem, and is there a solution? Any idea why it would work last week but not this week?
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
Will.

Hi,
You can come back and change the marking of the answered or not so that is not a problem.
What it should help is stop other people joining in (an effectively loading you with email alerts when they do).
A good specific title like your should also help.
9:00 PM Tuesday; November 27, 2007

Ichat Screen Sharing will not work no matter what I try...

I have read all the forums and can't find an answer. Something that should be so simple such as screen sharing through iChat (as advertised) is virtually impossible. This I can not explain. Especially since video chat works!
Both computers in question here are macbooks, both have leopard, both are or wireless networks. Is the router blocking the connection and if so, why will it allow video chat but not screen sharing?
There is either something real simple that I am missing here, or this is not possible at all.
some things that i have tried:
disabling stealth mode
on the firewall, enabling incoming traffic from ichat
made sure screen sharing is enabled in ichat
made sure the settings were the same on the remote apple computer
tried unchecking everything in the sys pref "sharing"
Both of the parties involved are using the same ISP, this really is mind boggling.
Is this a bug that is being fixed or what? I am not trying to perform a miracle here, but this is getting ridiculous.
If this is a router issue, apple should release some documentation on how to configure ichat screen sharing through your router.
If anyone has had this problem and has a fix, I would love to hear it. Keep in mind I have googled this many times and tried just about every piece of advice that I could find on this.
Thanks

iChat Screen sharing does not as such for the screen bit use the Video/Audio port.
The Documentation was lacking last time I looked.
This one tells you the port changes in Leopard http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306688 compared to Tiger
Tiger is linked in the first to here http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93208 where most of the other ports are.
However Screen sharing was not part of iChat 3.
If you do a Quick Look at the .plist(s) you will see the reference to ARD which is Apple Remote Desktop which is what the screen ending part is based on.
This Doc will tell you which ports ARD is likely to use
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106439
(It says 5900 and 5988)
This should be allowed through the use of UPnP in your routing device or specifically opened.
Now the not so good news.
I run Little Snitch, A utility that tells you ports and IPs of incoming and outgoing network connections by any app you have.
This has told me that in fact the Screen port seems almost completely random normally in the 50000 range of ports
It may not be all you wnat to hear but I hope it helps.
9:57 PM Tuesday; February 12, 2008

Does Ichat screen sharing work properly with Lion OSX?

Hello, I am planning to install the new OS Lion soon. However, I was wondering if the Ichat screen sharing works properly with Lion. I use the screen sharing quite a lot to communicate with my co-workers, so it's a deal breaker if the app crashes when using the screen sharing option. Thank you!

Hi,
I have not seen a post where it has been reported to be a problem.
9:12 PM Friday; August 12, 2011
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

IChat screen sharing problem with AIM

Hi,
I have two laptops - one is a MacBook and the other is a PowerBook. Both are running Leopard. At first, when I had tried using the screen sharing feature of iChat, it had worked flawlessly on both the Bonjour network as well as the AIM network.
Now, for some reason, I cannot get screen sharing to work using the AIM network. I am able to conduct text chats, audio chats and video chats, but no screen sharing over AIM. Screen sharing over the Bonjour network continues to work without a problem.
Any advice?

For some reason ichat does not work when internet sharing is on.
Therefore that might be the problem with your screen sharing since you seem to not be able to get it to work (audio is part of the feature and if you have recently relocated you might not realize that internet sharing is on).

Fix for iChat Screen Sharing Problem I was Having

Okay, I just thought I'd chime in and try to help some people from going through the frustration that I recently went through with iChat in Leopard. Here's my story.
iChat screen sharing used to work for me and suddenly one day it stopped working correctly... lemme explain. I would let someone share my screen, and it would start working and they would wave their mouse around and 10 seconds later, it will freeze and lose connection with a timeout.
At first I thought it was a firewall issue but, after thinking about it.... I thought, how could it be if it was working for 10 seconds and suddenly stopped? If it was a firewall issue, it wouldn't work at all. Then I thought maybe my iChat app got corrupted, so I used Time Machine (yay!) to restore iChat from one of the first days I got Leopard. That didn't work. So then I figured my preferences got corrupt, so I deleted my com.apple.ichat.plist file and still didn't work. I was so mad that Apple made this feature basically useless for me until I had a crazy hunch.
After an hour if pulling out my hair, I finally had an idea of what might be causing the crash... I noticed I had my old iSight plugged in (the external firewire iSight) into my Apple Cinema Display. I unplugged it and iChat screen sharing worked PERFECTLY. You should also know that I don't have problems with my iSight, it works well on Video Chat and Audio Chat and even presentation mode but, it screwed up screen sharing.
In conclusion, if you're experiencing sudden connection losses with iChat screen sharing, check to see if you have an iSight plugged into your Mac and unplug it.
Also, you're welcome.

Thomson-Alcatel 780 modem.
Unfortunately this is going to needs a new modem (or Bridge this one and have a router)
Read this section http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/page4a.html#_text
Although the SIP Binding to port 5060 in this device could be UnBound in Version 4 firmware it has not been fully Unbound in Version 5 or 6 (Despite the version 5/6 instructions further down that section).
The problem can make the iChat issue look intermittent with it working with some Buddies and not others.
Getting a new modem that does not have SIP binding is the only realistic way around the issue (Or setting the device to Bridge and having another router)
11:00 PM Friday; April 25, 2008

IChat Screen Sharing mouse problems

I just bought a new iMac 20" for my mom for xmas with the thought that the iChat screen sharing will help me to remotely configure her system.
I am finding that once I have initiated the screen share I am have erratic mouse behavior. When I am sharing her screen and moving the mouse the cursor will jump around the screen. this happens even worse if I am click-dragging a window around.
Is there any way to improve this performance? At work I use Windows remote desktop with no issues such as this, and I would expect the same performance from OSX.
Thanks

My first thought is that your mother is also trying to control the mouse.
I presume though you have exclude this.
iChat Screen Sharing does include an Audio component so the computer is doing an Audio chat at the same time effectively. This will have a impact on the processor usage particularly over the way iChat A/V chats use the processor. (they tend to dip in and out to spread the load and not hog the processor).
10:11 PM Friday; January 9, 2009

A refinement for iChat screen sharing

Leopard's iChat screen sharing is a great feature, and I'm teaching various of my relatives how to use it so I can help them more readily. However, there is one refinement that could be added to it that would increase its already great utility: the ability to rapidly switch from sharing one screen to sharing the other, in a two-participant session. To do this now, as far as I know, the session must be terminated and restarted, and this is inconvenient.
One way I can imagine this working is to have a third option: share both screens; the initiator is thereafter allowed to switch back and forth between the two screens, making the chosen one visible to both parties.
And while I'm posting, I'd like to say that the continuing interference by Comcast in iChat Video Chatting that I and many others have reported on over the past year or two seems not to arise in screen sharing. Let us count our blessings in that regard, and hope for a resolution of the overall problem.
Tom DeBoni
Oakland, CA

Hi,
Change the resolution on the Older OS.
It is the only workaround we have found at the moment.
9:05 PM Wednesday; October 17, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
 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
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Double-NAT when iChat "Screen Sharing"

I have a weird situation, wondering if all you super-network geniuses could offer an opinion...
My current setup:
-DSL Modem hooked up to a Time Capsule.
-Time Capsule in Ethernet Mode & "Share Public IP Address: NAT & DHCP Enabled."
-Time Capsule has a wireless 5Gz "N-Only" network.
-2PC's, and an Airport Express connected to N Network wirelessly.
-Airport Express "Extends network" via ethernet cable to Slingbox & TiVo (via switch.)
-Airport Extreme wired to Time Capsule.
-Airport Extreme in Bridge Mode.
-Airport Extreme has a wireless "G" network & USB Printer.
-Airport Extreme network for "iPhones & G computer."
-Only Port Mapping is for slingbox, ports 5001,5001.
O.k. Everything works PERFECTLY! Except when I start a "Screen Sharing" session in iChat AV.
When I click "Ask to share xxx's screen" It says "Waiting on xxx" and then Airport Utility pops up, saying that the Time Capsule has an error - "Double NAT" and I'm off the internet. All I have to do is select "Restart Time Capsule" and after a reboot, I'm back in business, and all is well again. I can screen share, chat, etc. However, if I try and start "Screen Sharing" again, same thing - Double NAT.
Do I need to enable a Port Mapping for iChat?
Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. I thought I finally had the network thing down, but this one little thing keeps making me reset my router. (Doesn't seem like the Apple way.)
Thanks.

I have the Time Capsule set up as the DHCP server, distributing a shared IP address.
The Express is set up to "Join and existing network."
I only have 1 Extreme and it is set to "Bridge Mode."
The Time Capsule is the router hooked directly to the DSL modem. It is in "Ethernet" mode, and I'm not quite sure how to check the little DSL modem's settings.
It's so strange, that only this one little request, "Ask to share xxx's screen" does this error occur.
Looking at more settings on the Time Capsule, under NAT settings, I do NOT have the "Enable default host at:" option checked, and the "Enable NAT Port Mapping Protocol" IS checked. Under Port Mappings, 5001,5001 is the only item for Slingbox.

My iPad screen went all white when I was trying to close an app. I cant turn it off and iTune cant sync with it either. Does anyone know what I should do to fix this.

I have an iPad 2 that is about 2 years old and is in good shape. I was trying to swipe off an app when the screen went all white. I held down the power button to shut it down but it wont do any thing but go black. When I press the power button it come back all white with no icons and no passcode pad. Does anyone know how to fix this or what it is?
Thanks

TThanks for the suggestion but it turns out that you have to hold down the Home button, the Power button AND the Volume UP button at the same time for several seconds until,the Apple appears To fix the white screen of death. Found that on another help site. It works and boy an I glad. Pass it on.

BT broadband drops iChat screen sharing when voice call initiated

Just a question, and a warning if anyone out there in the UK is contemplating BT (British Telecom) broadband, you might get this issue.
I can share a screen with someone on BT braodband, but using voice at the same time makes the video very slow and jumpy. So, my solution used to be to phone on a normal phone line and just use the iChat for screen sharing.
Now, my mother has switched to BT broadband + BT phone (was Metronet broadband + BT phone), now, every time I start a voice call at the same time as screen sharing it crashes the iChat app.
BT tell me it is porbably a fault with the applicaiton, and the fact that it worked for over 3 years whilst on Metronet is pure coincidence. The whole reson she switched to them was to try to save a little money, they want to charge £50/hr to diagnose what the issue might be.
Does anyone else have this problem? If so, has anyone discovered the cause?
Thanks
Stephen

HI,
Describe in more detail please what you mean by "Crash"
Can you Video Chat ?
Can You Audio Only chat ?
These both use the same ports when making a connection and during the actual Chat
A Screen Share is an Audio Chat+ and uses a random port for the Screen Sharing side.
As this port is random you cannot set up Port Forwarding or Port triggering (If the router part does that) and you need to use UPnP (Universal Plug and Play).
UPnP is normally On by default in the later Home Hubs (2 and 3)
Early versions
If she happens to be using iChat 3 or earlier though there can be issues as the Hub is capable of VoIP and using the phone over the Internet.
VoIP uses a protocol over the internet called SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)
This has internationally agreed ports of 5060-5063 (it uses one and will try one at time if not available)
Early version of iChat also used port 5060 to make connections.
However some ISPs started to Block these ports and then charge extra for this "extra" service (sometimes without notification)
Some Modems that can "route' the Phone over the internet also need to have setting changed to allow iChat to work, (Basically the device has a SIP filter regardless of the addresses on the data packages meaning they don't get to the computer and get "lost" as they are not addressed to the Phone either).
Later versions of iChat moved away from the 5060 port(s) and used 16402 as the first choice.
Skype that also uses SIP to make connection have never used the 5060 range.
If there is a error message about Unexpectedly Quit we could do with seeing the "Crash Log" from her Home Folder/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/iChat.
11:15 PM Friday; April 6, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.3)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Ichat screen all white when screen sharing

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for