Ichat wont launch

Question

Iv never used ichat before in my life..... my girlfriend got a mac so i decided to try out ichat to chat with her while im in class.... well i tried to open ichat and it bounced once and then nothing... iv tried everything i could think of to fix this problem and nothing... iv tried repairing permissions, tried restarting/shutdown, tried deleting various preference files, reinstalling iChat, and much more.... if any one has any ideas in how to fix this it will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi,
Welcome to the    Discussions
Starting up iChat for the First time should have got you the Start Up Screens.
This would normally ask you to enter an AIM (with a drop down Option for Apple @mac.com or @me.com names) valid Screen Name.
It also has spaces for your Real Name (Which may be pre-filled with your Address Book My Card entry details).
You can click through this screen (Manage without an AIM name).
There is a further Screen to enter a Jabber or Googlemail ID (GoogleMail IDs work with GoogleTalk and th Google Talk server is a Jabber server)
The Next screen Allows you to Enable Bonjour.
This will let you find other Macs on the Network (Local Area) if they have iChat Bonjour Option Enabled.
They will appear in a Bonjour titled Buddy List as their Address Book Entry.
Alternatives.
You can click through all the Screens and then set up iChat by going to the App Menu > Preferences > Accounts
Bonjour can be Enables/Disabled here and (other) Screen Names added.
At this point if you clicked through the Start Up Screens and Bonjour is Not Enabled then there will be no Buddy List to Display and apart from iChat being listed as the Current Front App it will look inactive.
Notes.
iChat can remember where a window was left the last time it was started up.
The Red Button/blob at the top of any iChat windows does not close the App
The ones on Text Chats or Video/Audio chats close the Chat only.
The ones on the Buddy Lists can "Hide" the Buddy List but do Not log you out.
To Re-display a window in this state you should go to the Window Menu and click on the Buddy List name (or use the Keystrokes listed)
At this point your posts tells us nothing about the processes or options you used listed above.
It is difficult to say if iChat was acting properly or not.
As you reinstalled and have not said what Level the Install Disk is Defcom has replied with the more Pressing problem now.
At 10.5.8 iChat has received several Updates that came as part of the OS Updates that you seem to have Installed.
If you use Software Update then these would have been Incremental from the Install Disk Level (either the 10.5 base Level or I think 10.5.5 with some new machines).
So you will need to do the COMBO Update Defcom has suggested.
For iChat at this point it should list itself as Version 4.0.8
There is a further issue in that OS 10.5.8 itself has received some major-ish updates via Security Updates to a sort of 10.5.8+ level.
In the process iChat reports in some places it is Version 4.0.9
Once you have done the basic COMBO Update can you go to the Apple Menu > About this Mac and report what Build number it lists (Click the Line that reads 10.5.8)
Do you use Time Machine ?
As this may be an easier way of getting a correct version iChat back on your Mac.
Go to the Application Folder
Click the Time Machine icon in the DOCK
Go back in time on the right to before the period when you deleted iChat and highlight it.
Click Restore.
Can you confirm that in the Applications Folder if you Highlight iChat and do a Get Info (Finder > File Menu > Get Info or the Keystrokes it lists) that iChat is at Version 4.0.8 as listed here ?
Can you confirm that if you highlight iChat in the Applications Folder and do a Quick Look that it reports it is version 4.0.9 and version 4.0.8 ?
If you now Start iChat and go to the iChat Menu > About iChat it should report it is at Version 4.0.9
If it does not we will have to point you to the Security Updates to manually Install them again. (Software Update keeps Receipts and will not find them again)
Can you also confirm how you set up iChat ? (in terms of Screen Names or Bonjour)
Sorry to go on so much.
9:01 PM Friday; August 20, 2010
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