Deleting iChat logs.
October 15, 2008 5:16 PM Subscribe
How do I delete iChat logs?
I want to make sure any possible trace of an iChat conversation that took place is deleted off an Apple computer running Leopard - caches, autosave logs, whatever. Please advise.
I want to make sure any possible trace of an iChat conversation that took place is deleted off an Apple computer running Leopard - caches, autosave logs, whatever. Please advise.
iChat does not save conversations by default. If you happen to have turned on the preference to save conversations, you can find all the files in /Documents/iChats in your home directory. I don't believe iChat caches conversations anywhere else.
posted by jjg at 5:29 PM on October 15, 2008
posted by jjg at 5:29 PM on October 15, 2008
Well, unfortunately the other computer probably logged the conversation too. But here's how to do it:
1. Open a Finder window.
2. Navigate to your home directory.
3. Open "Documents."
4. Open "iChats."
5. Find the offending conversation (the files are named according to the screenname, or, if the person is in your Address Book, by their name there, plus the date and time)
6. Delete the file.
7. Don't forget to take out the trash!
posted by Electrius at 5:30 PM on October 15, 2008
1. Open a Finder window.
2. Navigate to your home directory.
3. Open "Documents."
4. Open "iChats."
5. Find the offending conversation (the files are named according to the screenname, or, if the person is in your Address Book, by their name there, plus the date and time)
6. Delete the file.
7. Don't forget to take out the trash!
posted by Electrius at 5:30 PM on October 15, 2008
Note that if you are using your Gmail account to iChat, Gmail also stores copies of your chat transcripts in the 'Chats' folder (by default, if i remember correctly)
posted by mebibyte at 5:36 PM on October 15, 2008
posted by mebibyte at 5:36 PM on October 15, 2008
As someone who's logged gigs and gigs of iChats and never once needed to look something up... you may just want to disable logging altogether, too. (iChat Prefs.)
Assuming it's your own Mac, of course.
posted by rokusan at 6:16 PM on October 15, 2008
Assuming it's your own Mac, of course.
posted by rokusan at 6:16 PM on October 15, 2008
You can easily erase ichat logs or any other history files with mac cleanse.
It is nice Mac OS X System cleaner just like cc cleaner for windows.
posted by closebeauty at 12:37 AM on October 16, 2008
It is nice Mac OS X System cleaner just like cc cleaner for windows.
posted by closebeauty at 12:37 AM on October 16, 2008
As someone who's logged gigs and gigs of iChats and never once needed to look something up... you may just want to disable logging altogether, too.
I look stuff up in chat logs all the time. Your mileage may vary.
posted by Caviar at 8:12 PM on October 17, 2008
I look stuff up in chat logs all the time. Your mileage may vary.
posted by Caviar at 8:12 PM on October 17, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
Open the iChats folder
Quit iChat
Drag the conversation you are worried about to the trash
Pull down the Finder Menu and select Secure Empty Trash
posted by gog at 5:27 PM on October 15, 2008