[Koralatov]

Damn. As part of my plan to use iChat AV with my little brother, I just realised that I deleted it way back when I first got my iMac, thinking I wouldn't need it as Adium was the better choice. I now realise the error of my ways.

Is there any way to get it back, or reinstall it? I have my Tiger disc lying around, if I can dig it off that? Or am I going to have to reinstall everything from scratch?

[angelmb]

I guess Pacifist would let you to get the iChat package from the installer… never have tried it really, anyway, someone could upload it for you… kind of this

MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery service

* sorry about the icon, it is from Jaguar's iChat, I like to have the AOL Running Man there…

[Koralatov]

Thanks for that, angelmb. Your kindness is very much appreciated!

[Koralatov]

Damn. For some reason, it's not working. I get a message saying:

The application iChat quit unexpectedly.

Mac OS X and other applications are not affected.

Click Reopen to open the application again. Click Report to see more details or send a report to Apple.

Reopening does nothing; it just crashes again. Any ideas what's gone wrong?

[CharlesS]

It might be the wrong version of iChat for your OS version.

If you use Pacifist (link in my sig), you can open up the OS X install packages and extract any individual app that you want, including iChat.

[frdmfghtr]

You could also insert the original recovery disc and select the "install optional software only" package (or some name to that effect). From in there you can pick and choose what apps to recover; iChat should be one of them.

[Person Man]

If you had Leopard, you could run the "optional install" package. It contains standalone installers for most of the included apps. Perfect for restoring an accidentally deleted Safari, or iChat, for example.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by frdmfghtr 

You could also insert the original recovery disc and select the "install optional software only" package (or some name to that effect). From in there you can pick and choose what apps to recover; iChat should be one of them.

Leopard only. The OP is on Tiger.

[Art Vandelay]

Tiger has it too.

[Art Vandelay]

Also, whether you use Pacifist or the Optional Install option, you will need to run the latest combo updater to get iChat in sync with the current version of the OS.

[angelmb]

Sorry about it not being useful at all, it is a PowerPC iChat 3.1.8 from OS X 10.4.10… which OS X are you running there?

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

It might be the wrong version of iChat for your OS version.

If you use Pacifist (link in my sig), you can open up the OS X install packages and extract any individual app that you want, including iChat.

Honestly this is the best/safest option. Charles has really done a wonderful job on this application. I've been using it since the early days of OS X.

[Art Vandelay]

Actually, Pacifist is unnecessary for this. Just use the Optional Installs installer on your Tiger disc and select iChat from there. Then grab the latest combo update from Apple to get iChat updated to match the rest of the OS.

Pacifist is a great app but it is not needed when Apple has provided a tool for this.

[Kevin]

And it takes twice as long to do it with Apple's "tool"

Believe me I tried. Pacifists way is MUCH faster and less bothersome.

I also just used Pacifist the other day to grab a fresh copy of the Extras.rsrc. Which BTW Apple doesn't give you an option to do unless you want to reinstall the whole OS. With Pacifist I didn't need to.

[Art Vandelay]

I'm not sure how having to go download a 3rd party utility and using it is faster than inserting a disc and running the Optional Installs package. It took 30 seconds to install iChat on a test I just did. It took over a minute to just download Pacifist.

I never said Pacifist is unnecessary in general. For getting pieces of the OS that aren't covered by the Optional Install package, it is a great utility. I was just saying it is is unnecessary to tell people to go download something when Apple provides a utility to do it quite easily. I also don't get why you quoted "tool."

[Art Vandelay]

I just did a timed test for both options.

Optional Installs from Tiger disc:
Insert disc and wait for mount = 12 seconds
Open Optional Installs.mpkg at root of disc, navigate through Installer and select iChat = 11 seconds
Authenticate and install = 28 seconds
Done.
Total time = 51 seconds

Pacifist:
Download it once you've found it = 24 seconds (8 Mb/s cable)
Insert disc and wait for mount = 12 seconds
Open Pacifist and wait for shareware timer = 15 seconds
Select Apple Install Discs and wait for package scan = 134 seconds
Do search for iChat package = 3 seconds
Install iChat = 129 seconds
Done.
Total time = 317 seconds (293 seconds if you already have Pacifist)

Pacifist took over 6 times longer. The longest delays were scanning the disc for packages and verifying the files for the install. Plus it isn't as intuitive for a novice user to pick out a specific app to reinstall. It's not inconceivable for a user to get confused and not know what to select to get iChat or whatever specific application they want.

[Koralatov]

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay 

Also, whether you use Pacifist or the Optional Install option, you will need to run the latest combo updater to get iChat in sync with the current version of the OS.

Well, I managed to reinstall it from the Tiger disk, and still nada. I tried running software update, but it didn't find anything for it. It still isn't working. I'm getting very confused here...

Originally Posted by angelmb 

Sorry about it not being useful at all, it is a PowerPC iChat 3.1.8 from OS X 10.4.10… which OS X are you running there?

It's exactly the right version, which is the weird thing. I'm on 10.4.10 on a G4 iMac, but it doesn't appear to be working. I genuinely can't understand what's wrong...

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay 

I'm not sure how having to go download a 3rd party utility and using it is faster than inserting a disc and running the Optional Installs package. It took 30 seconds to install iChat on a test I just did. It took over a minute to just download Pacifist.

At this stage, Pacifist is the only thing I haven't tried that may work. I've had no success with the other methods suggested, so I think I'll have to give it a go.

Worse still, I think my meddling with iChat may have busted up my system good and proper--I can't open iTunes any more...

[Art Vandelay]

You need to manually run the combo updater. Since you already have 10.4.10 on your Mac, Software Update isn't going to get it for you again.

Apple - Support - Downloads - Mac OS X 10.4.10 Combo Update (PPC)

[Koralatov]

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay 

Also, whether you use Pacifist or the Optional Install option, you will need to run the latest combo updater to get iChat in sync with the current version of the OS.

Ah! Fantastic, thanks. I'll give that a go and see what happens.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay 

I'm not sure how having to go download a 3rd party utility and using it is faster than inserting a disc and running the Optional Installs package. It took 30 seconds to install iChat on a test I just did. It took over a minute to just download Pacifist.

And your test is bogus. You counted in downloading and installing Pacifist which we know was bogus Art. When you have revert to such shenanigans, you've already lost. Not only that, your advice didn't work. I don't have Pacifist on my computer at work but *I* will time how long it takes *me* to do it

And, I have yet to do such a thing form the optional installs to only have Apple install something I didn't request.

Don't even get into it with me about the no localization installs not working correctly.

I also don't get why you quoted "tool."

Because it's not so much of a tool as it is a feature of that installation disk. And even then it's limited as to what you can get from it.