iChat hosts AIM, but...

Freelander · Post by **Freelander** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:21 pm

Hey guys, how's it going? I realize I'm a newbie here, but I'm a member of many forums so I'm no stranger to the Search button. I searched, but couldn't find an answer. Here's my question!

Before Adium, I only had MSN Messenger and iChat. iChat supports AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) contacts, so I had a few AIM contacts on there. However, my screenname I use for iChat is actually a Bonjour screenname, not an AIM one. So now when I try to set up a new AIM account on Adium so I can import my AIM contacts to Adium, I can't because I don't have a AIM username! I can set up a Bonjour account, but not AIM. So...anyway I can get around this? Or will I have to go to AOL.com, and make an entirely new username and add all my contacts back?

Does anyone know what I mean? I realize that was pretty confusing, I'll try to explain myself better or even take screenshots if I have to. Thanks!

Post by **zac** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:22 pm

I think you're confusing Bonjour and @mac.com AIM addresses.

When you created your iChat/.Mac account, you were given (or you picked) a username@mac.com AIM address, which is likely what people are contacting you on.

You can add it, in the Accounts screen, as a .Mac or a AIM account.

Post by **bgannin** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:42 pm

Fun fact: Bonjour in iChat does not actually support a login name, it's tracked as "Default" which uses your account name + device name IIRC.

Freelander · Post by **Freelander** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:48 pm

Thank you all for the very quick responses, I appreciate it.

Ok, so I went to AOL.com and finally figured out that I do, in fact, have a AOL username and password. And I'm signed into AOL.com as we speak, right now.

So I went back to Adium, go to Preferences>Accounts>+. I clicked "Add an account for ....AOL Instant Messenger". I typed in the exact same username and password as I just used to log onto AOL.com (and the same one that iChat recognizes), but it keeps telling me Invalid Password. Any ideas?

Post by **The_Tick** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:57 pm

Try putting the password in with all lowercase, if that's not what you are already doing.

Freelander · Post by **Freelander** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:09 pm

Unfortunately, I tried that

. I made sure everything was typed in exactly the same case. I've done it several times now...signed into my AOL.com account to make sure everything was right, then use that same info. to sign into AIM on Adium, but still "incorrect password".

Post by **The_Tick** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:10 pm

Is this an aol subscriber account, or an aim account?

Freelander · Post by **Freelander** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:18 am

Hm, good point. It's probably just an AOL subscriber account, I didn't know there was a difference in the two. I figured for iChat you had to use your web account, which doubled as a Messenger account.