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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Yahoo Chat

snoroo - Aug 14, 2005 - 10:09 pm

i downloaded chit chat so i could use yahoo, except i did not know what program to use to open it with. I took a stab at it and somehow ended up with the script editor trying to open it, please dont laugh. Now i cant open it and the script editor always comes up and of course it cant open it. how do i fix this and what do i use to open the chitchat with?

macbri - Aug 16, 2005 - 8:39 pm

Hi Kristie -

You probably need to install Stuffit Expander which is a utility to uncompress the file you have. Often times files are compressed to allow them to be downloaded faster, and of course they need to be uncompressed once you get them. Stuffit Expander is one program designed to do this - and it used to be included with OS X but no longer as of Tiger (10.4). So, grab the program from Version Tracker (you can click here to get it) and once installed, when you double-click on your chit chat file again it should work.

Let me know if I can be of further assistance, and thanks for using macosx.com!

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Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Aug 21, 2005 - 10:03 pm

Thanks that was very helpful, however i seem to have another issue,,,,now that i have stuff it and used it i can log into yahoo chat but where is the chat window?? how do i open it ?

macbri - Aug 21, 2005 - 10:19 pm

Hi Kristie -

Well, when you login with ChitChat X, you send yor username and password, and then click "Login" right? What happens then? I downloaded the same applications and ran t, and after I logged in I saw a main window which listed everyone's comments, with a text field at the bottom for chatting. What do you see whan you run it?

- Brian
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Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Aug 21, 2005 - 11:27 pm

i see the log in window...and that is it...the little world icon is on the tool bar at the bottom ...the log window says connecting and then that is it.....no window no chat no nothing...kristie

macbri - Aug 22, 2005 - 12:48 am

Hi Kristie -

When you click on that little world icon in the dock at the bottom of the screen (to make sure it's running in the foreground), do you see the "ChitChat X" application menu in your men bar at the top of the screen? Can you tell me what menu options are availble under the following menus:

View, Chat and Window?

- Brian

--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Aug 22, 2005 - 7:10 pm

to answer an earlier question better about what happens when i log in, i see the box, hit log in and then it tells me i am connected, it switches but it says jcs.1(or 2, 3, 0r 4) chat.dcn.yahoo.com . it is normal to switch so often?



under view there is nothing that i can high light but the options are: tool bars, access drawer, emote list, user list, status bar, reload( i cannot acess any of these options) chat menu has log in, join room (cant acess this one) recent room, new instant message, user info, away message; the window list has close window, min window, bring all to front, user info.....could this problem, having no chat room window, have something to do with what happened when i first loaded chit chat and tried using the script editor to open it...and that the script editor still is the defualt opener when i click on the desktop chit chat program...even though i have opened it with stuff it and can log on...???? sorry to be so damn ignorant this is the first mac i have owned.
kristie

macbri - Aug 23, 2005 - 1:38 am

Hi Kristie -

Don't apologise, you're not ignorant at all. I still get bitten with stuff not working right -- I'll install something new that everyone says is a must have, and of course it doesn't work for me. I remember trying to install a toy USB microscope one time.... but that's another story And by the way congrats on getting your first Mac!!

So when you hit login, you get connected to jcs.1[2,3,4]chat.dcn.yahoo.com... yes it's normal (as far as I know) for it to switch as you've noticed, when you login you'll get connected to whatever server responds first. This is a way for the software to avoid congestion out on the net.

From the menu options you listed for me, and thanks for checking that for me, it looks like I'm running a different version to you. In the ChitChat X menu, if you select "About ChitChat X", what version of the software does it report? Mine says 1.2 beta 2. So You might try deleting the version you installed, and download this version from their project website, http://chit.sourceforge.net/, (if you have a different version, that is).

Also, you made a good point about things getting a bit mixed up when Script Editor got involved in the equation... So here's another thing to try -- delete the ChitChat preferences (make sure the ChitChat program isn't running) and then launch the program again and see what happens. To find these files, open up (double-click) your hard drive, and go to your Home Folder. From here look for Library/Preferences and in here delete the following file and folder:

ChitChat X.plist
ChitChat

Let me know if either of these suggestions helps, if not we'll try a few other things.

- Brian

--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Aug 23, 2005 - 9:38 am

ok so i downloaded the beta version because i couldnt find the .plist file so i just got rid of the entire thing and downloaded the beta version ....the other sort of problem i had was i dont actually have a home folder so I searched for the chit chat file and was not there....anyhow i downloaded the beta version and still no window. i dont actually think i am getting connected it just keeps cycling thru the servers and never settles on any of them......ahh the frustration ....sooo now what? thanks for the help too i really appreciate it.

kristie

macbri - Aug 24, 2005 - 4:08 am

Hi Kristie -

Well, youshould have a home directory of some kind. When you double-click your hard drive icon on your desktop, do you see your name in the left-hand column alongside a little "house" icon. That's your home directory. In there you should find a Library folder, and inside that, your Preferences folder. That would be where the plist file and "Chit Chat X" preferences folder would be.

- Brian
--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Aug 24, 2005 - 11:42 pm

hi brian,
duhhh thanks i found it...the one that looks like a house....so i did that and i got a chat window but no connection, it just kept cycling thru the rooms for about ten minutes..is that a yahoo issue or my issue?
and thanks so much for the help
kristie

macbri - Aug 25, 2005 - 12:53 am

Hi Kristie -

Well I just launched Chit Chat X now and it worked fine, so their network seems to be accepting connections ok. I apologise for the time it's taking to sort this out, but there's a lot of possible reasons and we need to eliminate them one by one.

So if you're willing to continue being my "eyes and ears" can you tell me a bit about your computer? What version of OS X are you running (you can select "About this Mac" from the Apple menu at the top left, and in the window that pops up, under the big "Mac OS X" it should tell you the versions number.

Next of all how are you connecting to the internet? Do you have dialup, broadband (DSL or cable)? I'm assuming since we're exchanging information here you can get to this site from your mac so your network setup seems ok. Is this true?

Can you go to your System Preferences, (again you'll find that under your "Apple menu"), and click on the "Sharing" icon. Now click on the "Firewall" tab (you should see three tabs "Sharing" "Firewall" and "Internet" just under the computer name in the window that's open). Is the firewall on or off? If it's on try turning it off long enough to run Chit Chat X and see if that helps.

Finally, in your "System Preferences", click on the "Network" icon, and from the drop-down menu near at the top of the window labelled "Show", select "Network Status". Displayed underneath there will be one or more connection types listed, with a description, and a little red or yellow or green light next to each one. Can you tell me what you see here?

Thanks, and stick with us, we'll try everything we can to get you chatting away on Yahoo!

--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Aug 25, 2005 - 10:57 pm

Brian,
Thanks for you help again ...so here goes question number one...i am using osx 10.4.2 second I am connecting from a dsl connection ..wireless, no problem with that with the exception of needing to do a power cycle about once a week....my network preferences state that i am connected via airport with a green light next to it and a red light next to the internal modem and it is not set up my firewall was not on...hope that this is helpful info....i cant believe i am doing all this just to chat... thanks again


Kristie

snoroo - Aug 25, 2005 - 11:35 pm

grrrr...no chat window at all again...

macbri - Aug 26, 2005 - 6:14 am

Hi Kristie -

Thanks for all that information. Everything looks absolutely fine, so the mystery deepens! I went back to the ChitChat X website and noticed the author's comments about technical problems. Pretty vague, but he *did* suggest a different program called Charla. Would it be bad form for me to ask if you'd be willing to try this one instead? Admittedly it doesn't answer the question why ChitChat doesn't work, but if it works you'd at least have access to the Yahoo chat system.

http://charla.sourceforge.net/pgs/download.html

I downloaded version 1.6.6m and it worked like a charm. When you launch the program, select "Connect" from the "Chat" menu. After you see the "Logged in" message, it will look like no-one's online. Simply select "Change Room" option from the "Chat" menu, find the room you want, and chat away!

Not an ideal solution, but maybe this will work? Give it a try and let me know what happens!

- Brian
--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Aug 26, 2005 - 12:07 pm

i connect to a server but dont get anywhere after "attempting to log in" and it never asks for a user name or password .....so, i am a bit farther than with chit chat but not much ....thanks
Kristie

macbri - Aug 29, 2005 - 1:59 am

Hi Kristie -

Well everything you've tested for me indicates the problem lies somewhere other than your computer settings. It may be that your network connection is at some point blocked for using this chat service, whether intentional or not. I don't suppose you have another computer you can test, perhaps a Windows system?

It might be worth while for you to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to see if they are aware of a problem for their customers using the Yahoo! Chat service. However, your DSL modem might also have settings which block this activity. Many DSL modems have built-in security measures to prevent unauthorised access to your computer. Can you identify the make and model of your DSL modem?

- Brian
--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Sep 9, 2005 - 11:00 pm

brian
i contacted my isp, and they had me hook up to the modem direct instead of using the wireless, i asked about security settings
and they said that that there werent settings that would keep me from accessing yahoo chat.....my modem is an actiontec 54mbps, i am not exactly sure that the tech understood my question.
kristie

snoroo - Sep 13, 2005 - 11:30 pm

can i get some more help and or suggestions? chit chat is still not working and the internet guys werent very helpful. thanks kristie

macbri - Sep 14, 2005 - 3:05 pm

Hi Kristie -

I apologise for the late reply - I'm travelling at the moment and 'net access is limited. I must admit also to be running out of ideas. But tell me, when you connected directly to the actiontec modem instead of via wireless, did the chat programs work properly then?

- Brian
--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Sep 15, 2005 - 9:22 pm

no problem Brian, I needed to take a break from problem solving any how. to answer the question it did not work when i was directly connected to the modem
kristie

macbri - Sep 19, 2005 - 8:00 am

Hi Kristie -

Ok so nothing has shown up on the web searching I did about this problem. So I played around with ChitChat X some more and have another thing you might try:

Launch ChitChat X, and when you see the login window, don't login but instead select "Preferences" from the "ChitChat X" menu at the top left of your screen. Then click on the "advanced" icon, it looks like a little cog-wheel. Near the bottom of the screen, select the country you're in from the "Room Server" section, and then turn off the "SmartConnect" by making sure the box isn't checked. This might prevent the cycling through servers you're seeing. Now click OK and try and login as usual, and see what happens.

- Brian
--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Sep 20, 2005 - 7:03 pm

Hi Brian,
nothing new happens it never connects...what exactly should i say to my isp as i think i am going to call them, again. i also tried charla again and it did not connect either. i dont think the guy really understood what i was asking or maybe he did i dont know......thanks again for you help

Kristie

macbri - Sep 22, 2005 - 10:46 am

Hi Kristie -

I think the question you should ask the ISP is if they block access to Yahoo! Chat servers for any reason, and if not, do they have any record of another customer with a similar problem. You might also check your ISP support website to see if they have a Frequently Asked Questions section (FAQ) section - perhaps someone else has had this problem (although all my efforts to find something like that with Google etc. failed miserably).

I'd also be happy to search through your ISP's support site if you wish, just let me know which ISP you use.

By the way, I also tried the Yahoo! chat web interface at chat.yahoo.com but that doesn't seem to work properly in either Safari, Firefox or Internet Explorer for mac.

Beyond that, I must admit I'm stumped. I'm very sorry about that. If you still continue to have the problem I'll be happy to resubmit your question back to the open pool and another tech here might have better insights into it. Let me know what you think.

- Brian

--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Sep 23, 2005 - 8:56 pm

thanks Brain, TDS metrocom is my isp if u can find anything on their site of value it would be helpful my eyes cross miserably when i have to deal with them .....i will be calling them to ask about blocking the chat servers ...i really do appreciate your help....thank you
Kristie

macbri - Sep 28, 2005 - 11:27 pm

Hi Kristie -

I checked their site for you - the only mention about Messenger/chat programs is a note to the effect that support requests should be directed to the company which provides said programs. Sorry about that.

I'm going to confer with a few other techs here and see if anyone has any ideas. So bear with me a little longer

- Brian
--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Sep 29, 2005 - 5:28 pm

Brian
thank you I really appreciate your help I know it must be something I am doing, I wish I was more mac literate. thanks again
Kristie

macbri - Oct 1, 2005 - 12:53 am

Hi Kristie -

I don't think this is anything you're doing wrong. It's a toughie though, and one tech did suggest the following: He mentioned that some Yahoo! users have had problems with specific accounts, there are some mentions of Yahoo! IDs getting banned without explanation, and also that changes to the Yahoo! chat system have caused problems for some accounts also. So he suggests you create a brand new Yahoo! ID, and then try logging into the chat service with it, to see if the problem is somehow related to your account.

Now if that doesn't help, there is one more thing we can do if you're willing. Macosx.com now has a system called "Help!" which is an application you would download to your machine and install. When you run it, wou would give me the relevant information and I could then see your machine and operate mouse and keyboard by remote control. I know this sounds a bit scary, if you are interested in this I'd recommend you read the very informative description of it:

http://www.macosx.com/apps/help.htm

The most obvious thing here is that we arrange a time that we are both available to try it since you'd need to be sitting at your screen as we work. That way you can see everything I do. I should also add that this method is very transparent. In other words you can see everything the support tech (i.e. me!) is doing -- I think this is described well on the link I gave you above.

Let me know what you think!

- Brian
--------
Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com

snoroo - Oct 5, 2005 - 2:07 pm

Brian,
Id be willing to try the help thing....i will try the yahoo id thing first though ...i will try to get to it this evening and then write back to let you know if it worked or not, i am getting ready to go to a big conference so i may not get to it this evening but as soon as i do i ll let you know how it worked either way ...thanks again for your help
kristie

snoroo - Oct 10, 2005 - 11:30 pm

it worked it worked !!!!!! I tied a new yahoo id and it worked !! thank you so much for your help!! Kristie

macbri - Oct 11, 2005 - 1:21 am

Excellent!!!! I'll have to thank the tech who made the suggestion. In retrospect I should have tried this a lot sooner. I apologise it took so long to get your question sorted out, but I'm so glad you're now able to chat away online! Enjoy it, and if you ever need help in the future please do consider coming back to macosx.com!

- Brian
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Brian S.
MacOSX.com Technical Support
brian@macosx.com