How to Fix iMessage

[jaymonkey]

updated smbios w/random uuid to fix and now imessage debug doesn't fail, but still no persistence with ROM/MLB values. I've been keeping it offline with the same paranoia of racking up different MLB/ROM/UUID values.

@johnny37v,

Thanks for the positive feedback, sound like your making progress and have identified that the issue is now with keeping MLB & ROM values persistent. All the fixes that I know for this issue are listed in the suggestions in Part-1, Step-5d of the guide. All i can say is to keep trying - if your using OSX earlier than 10.9.x try updating to Mavericks and using Chimera 3.0.1 and FileNVRAM 1.1.3. If that doesn't work you could try using Clover as your boot-loader which has far superior support for building the NVRAM cache at boot-time and allows direct (persistent) injection of MLB & ROM values.

Let me know how you get on, if you find a solution that is not listed in the guide please let me know so i can add it to help others.

Good Luck
Cheers
Jay

 

[jaymonkey]

The nvram plist file is now: nvram.00020003-0004-0005-0006-000700080009.plist

With Chimera 3.0.1 and FineNVRAM 1.1.3, the nvram plist file was named correctly with system-id but with non-presistent MLB and ROM values.

Any ideas why this is? Everything that I see in imessage_debug and IORegistryExplorer seems to be OK. iMessage is still working (for now).

@miramar,

Thanks for your feedback, I have seen this before, no real explanation other than some combinations (Hardware -> BIOS -> Boot-Loader -> FileNVRAM) just don't like to play together. This issue was much more common with OSX 10.8.x, as you can imagine there a lot going on at Boot-Time to get OSX run.

If your Running OSX 10.8.x you could try updating to Mavericks & FileNVRAM 1.1.3, Chimera 3.0.1, if you still cant get things to work you could take a look at Clover - its the future for all of us and has far superior support for building the nvram cache at boot-time.

Please re-read Step-5d, i've amended that step a few times over the last few days, let me know how you get on.

Good-Luck
Cheers
Jay

 

[jaymonkey]

My MLB is coming up as a number that doesn't match my serial and my ROM is coming up as all zeros.

If I then reboot, my MLB goes back to the same number that doesn't match my serial and the ROM goes back to all zeros.

Any suggestions? I have the latest FileNVRAM.h.

@ellissitzky,

The values are displayed in base 64, use the link at the start of Step 5d to convert the values to hexadecimal.

If MLB & ROM values are not persistent then it usually down to the Boot-Loader and FileNVRAM versions and the Version of OSX your using (see the post above).

You say your using FileNVRAM.h - you should not be using this file at all, it's the header file required when working on the sources. You should be using FileNVRAM.dylib - please check your using the correct version - Read Step 5c - there is a Archive with both versions of FileNVRAM attached to the main post.

Good Luck
Cheers
Jay

 

[ellissitzky]

Problem:

Can't log into iMessage. Error: "An error occurred during activation. Try again."

Specs:

• Motherboard: GA-Z68XP-UD3
• OS: 10.9.4 (clean install to formatted drive)

What I've done:

1. Set up a fresh 10.9.4 install on a formatted drive with the latest Multibeast

2. SID looked improper. I generated a new one, applied it to my smbios.plist, and generated a new as well as proper device for the smbios.plist. Trashed any old nvram plists. SID appears to be right in all locations.

3. Tried manually injecting ROM and MLB values but I'm not sure what they are supposed to look like. After the injection of my ROM as my en0 MAC address (xxxxxxxxxxxx), it shows up in imessage_debug like "<3x3x3x3x 3x3x3x3x 3x3x3x3x 3x3x3x3x>".

The MLB is exactly the serial+alpha numerics that add up to 17 (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) that I injected.

After I reboot the imessage_debug values are always all zero's for the ROM and another correct looking string for the MLB but not matching the original one I put in. With ever successive reboot, those values remain the same.

4. Made sure I have the latest stable firmware for my BIOS.

5. Confirmed I'm using Chimera 3.0.1 with FileNVRAM.dylib 1.1.3 as suggested

6. Tried downgrading to Chimera 2.2.1 and FileNVRAM.dylb 1.1.2 as suggested but imessage_debug yields same imessage_debug values as 3.0.1

7. My ethernet ports are certainly en0 and en1.

I'm a little confused Jay because you don't describe precisely what an invalid MLB and ROM string looks like and what a valid one does, other than being all 0s. That being said, it looks like my MLB and ROM values are invalid in imessage_debug, my injections are always reset though I'm not sure if returned values are correct.

I'm pretty sure I've done everything that is mentioned in this thread so I give up.

*Update 1*:

I've managed to install Clover and get the "call..." error prompt but that seems like it might be more troubleshooting because I have no audio, the processor isn't at turbo speed, and potentially other things aren't working as I haven't checked everything.

*Update 2*:

Verifying my credit card info in the App Store has made it so logging in now yields a "call..." error. Should I call or do I need to fix my ROM and MLB?

*Update 3*:

I did something, I'm not sure what but now the call error is reverted to the activation error.

@ellissitzky,

The values are displayed in base 64, use the link at the start of Step 5d to convert the values to hexadecimal.

If MLB & ROM values are not persistent then it usually down to the Boot-Loader and FileNVRAM versions and the Version of OSX your using (see the post above).

You say your using FileNVRAM.h - you should not be using this file at all, it's the header file required when working on the sources. You should be using FileNVRAM.dylib - please check your using the correct version - Read Step 5c - there is a Archive with both versions of FileNVRAM attached to the main post.

Good Luck
Cheers
Jay

 

[dysphasi]

Thanks jmonkey!!

After months of iMessages playing up / not letting me in (and FaceTime...don't know if this was connected), I decided to give your guide a go. After every step, I finally got through to the rather 'official looking' apple customer services message.

As per your advice, I got them to give me a call back, and the lovely folks in Ireland sorted everything out for me.

I used the serial number created by Chameleon Wizard and put into my SMBios, which they asked for over and over...to find that it didn't appear to be a real serial.

However, even with the serial number being invalid, they passed me on to someone in the technical department who got me up and running no worries. I just needed to go through my security details with them, give the error code and hey-presto, I was able to log in!

As noted, FaceTime had also stopped working, but now is a-ok, thrilled!

 

[jaymonkey]

Can't log into iMessage. Error: "An error occurred during activation. Try again."

3. Tried manually injecting ROM and MLB values but I'm not sure what they are supposed to look like. After the injection of my ROM as my en0 MAC address (xxxxxxxxxxxx), it shows up in imessage_debug like "<3x3x3x3x 3x3x3x3x 3x3x3x3x 3x3x3x3x>".

The MLB is exactly the serial+alpha numerics that add up to 17 (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) that I injected.

@ellissitzky,

It would seem that some of you are not injecting the ROM value correctly, i guess its my fault as I just assumed everyone understood the differences between string and data values in plists and the various syntax required for specifying different types of values.

You need to add '%' when injecting Hex values as a data value, I've amend Step-5d again to clarify this for those users who were un-aware, note this is not needed for MLB as its a string value.

Please take another look at Step 5d and try again.

Cheers
Jay

 

[ellissitzky]

Thanks!

I tried to get everything working in Clover but couldn't figure out how to get the Sandy Bridge max speed. I called into Apple and got my Apple ID unblocked while in Clover but when I rebooted to Chimera I got knocked off.

Anyway, now that I'm back in Chimera.

I'm still getting these values after I reboot, it's these same numbers every time. That is not my serial I injected either:

4D1EDE05-38C7-4A6A-9CC6-4BCCA8B38C14:ROM: <00000000 00000000 00000000 00>
4D1EDE05-38C7-4A6A-9CC6-4BCCA8B38C14:MLB: G89266254PC2VDAD

 

[ellissitzky]

Pt. 2

I did a fresh install on a spare drive and followed all of the crucial fixes out of the gate. I also removed an extra NIC and WIFI card I had in the system. Now I am getting valid looking numbers from imessage_debug but they're changing every reboot. I tried to sign in and I got the message to call but I already called today and had them unlock me. Probably not to smart to call again?

 

[afster97]

I've followed the guide but I can't get my ROM values to stay after a reboot, they always revert back to zeroes and I made sure I put % in front of every byte value. Any Ideas?

 

[jaymonkey]

I've followed the guide but I can't get my ROM values to stay after a reboot, they always revert back to zeroes and I made sure I put % in front of every byte value. Any Ideas?

@afster97 & @ellissitzky,

Try switching to Chameleon instated of Chimera, its easy to switch using Chameleon Wizard, I've updated the first suggestion in step 5d with more info on this, links and versions ...

Since it seems quite a few users are suffering from this issue i'll look into a bit further and try and find a proven method .. i got a few ideas but i need to test them.

Chimera is based on Chameleon so its safe and easy to switch between them, however you may have to change some of your boot options in com.chameleon.Boot.org ...

Cheers
Jay