Installation Issues

I know a lot of people are having issues installing the Chess.com iPhone application. Please read through this post and perform the steps listed below (in order).  It should solve a vast majority of the problems.

I had originally posted this in the Bugs section, but it would be better to start a new topic, as this is not a bug, and will just clutter that forum topic.

Try these steps (in this order):

Section 1

1.  Download and unzip the Chess.com files.

2.  Fire up iTunes.

3.  Drag the files (.ipa and .mobileprovision) into iTunes.

4.  Sync

Note:  If that does not work, move on to section 2.

Section 2

1.  Delete Chess.ipa from your Itunes directory.

2.  Deauthorize iTunes from your computer from Menu

3.  Authorize iTunes for your computer.

4.  Sync

Note:  Sometimes this will fix application sync and installation problems.  If the application still hasn't installed properly, move onto section 3.

Section 3

If sections 1 and 2 haven't worked, this could mean that your UUID sent to Erik and the Chess.com team was wrong.

1.  Find your UUID that you sent to Erik and the Chess.com team.

2.  Verify that the UUID you sent is the correct UUID for your device (compare it to what iTunes says).

Note:  if it is not the same, you won't be able to install the application.  Send it to the Chess.com team again and have them resend a new .mobileprovision certificate.  If it is the same, move onto section 4.

Section 4

If you have made it to section 4, this could mean that your UUID didn't make it into the list of provisioned devices.  Here is how to verify:

1.  Open up the .mobileprovision file using a text editor (TextEdit for Mac and WordPad for Windows - NotePad will not work)

2.  Scroll down to the section that looks like this...

<key>ExpirationDate</key>
    <date>2009-10-28T15:07:50Z</date>
    <key>Name</key>
    <string>ChessDotCom Dev</string>
    <key>ProvisionedDevices</key>
    <array>
        <string>123456abcdefg1234837282717acc7bdd923a18</string>
        <string>123456abcdefg1234837282717acc7bdd923a18</string>
        <string>123456abcdefg1234837282717acc7bdd923a18</string>
        <string>123456abcdefg1234837282717acc7bdd923a18</string>
        <string>123456abcdefg1234837282717acc7bdd923a18</string>
        <string>123456abcdefg1234837282717acc7bdd923a18</string>
        <string>123456abcdefg1234837282717acc7bdd923a18</string>
        <string>123456abcdefg1234837282717acc7bdd923a18</string>
        <string>123456abcdefg1234837282717acc7bdd923a18</string>
    </array>
    <key>TimeToLive</key>
    <integer>90</integer>
    <key>UUID</key>
    <string>11111111-2222-3333-4444-555555555555</string>
    <key>Version</key>
    <integer>1</integer>

3.  In the highlighted blue section above, you should be able to find your UUID that you submitted (you have to open yours up, as I changed the values in this post to protect the innocent :) ).  Please note that a lot of XML looks the same to the untrained eye.  Verify that you are looking at the same section!  You will see a key of ProvisionedDevices.  If you don't see it, verify that it is not there by doing a text search of the document with your UUID.

4.  If you UUID is not there, send a note to the Chess.com team to have it added.  You can't add it manually, as the certificate has checks in it to verify that it hasn't been comprimised.

Hope this helps!

Great post.  FWIW, the "unzip the files" part is pretty important... it took me 15 minutes to figure out that I had to actually *extract* the files from the ZIP before dragging them into iTunes.

<-- not smart

thanks!!

A couple of dumb questions, I think.

1.  What do you mean "drag the files into iTunes"?  I don't get how you drag a file into an open program - I must be missing something pretty basic here.  I was able to add a file to the iTunes library from within iTunes via the menu, but unless it is a Mac thing (!) then I'm confused about dragging a file into a program...

2.  Same question with 'deauthorizing' and 'authorizing'?  I'm not a computer whizz at a all, but I've been around PCs for 25+ years and I'm just not familiar with that terminology.  Any simple explanation?

Thanks!

Please see my comments in below in red...

A couple of dumb questions, I think.

1.  What do you mean "drag the files into iTunes"?  I don't get how you drag a file into an open program - I must be missing something pretty basic here.  I was able to add a file to the iTunes library from within iTunes via the menu, but unless it is a Mac thing (!) then I'm confused about dragging a file into a program...

I run both on both Mac and Windows machines, and the iTunes functionality is similar in both environments.

In Windows, take the following steps:

1. Open iTunes.

2. Click on "Applications" from the left menu.

3. Drag both files into the Content Area (area with black background that has "iPhone and iPod touch Apps" as heading).  It should add the files to the library. 

By dragging, I mean highlight the .ipa  and .mobileprovision files and drag and drop them into the application as though you were dropping them into a new directory.  Typically, this is done with a non-maximized appliction, or by dragging the files onto the task bar where the application resides.

4. Sync.

On the Mac, take the following steps:

1. Open iTunes

2. Drag files into left menu area.  It should add the files to the library.

3. Sync.

2.  Same question with 'deauthorizing' and 'authorizing'?  I'm not a computer whizz at a all, but I've been around PCs for 25+ years and I'm just not familiar with that terminology.  Any simple explanation?

In the Mac and Windows environment, take the following steps:

1.  Open iTunes.

2.  On the Top Menu, Click the Store option.  You should see "Authorize Computer" and "Deauthorize Computer" as menu option at the top of the screen.  Click on the "Deauthorize Computer" option to deauthorize and "Authorize Computer" option to authorize.

Thanks!

Great,  mb405297, I'll give it a try as you suggested.  I appreciate the detailed response!

One more detail - what does 'authorizing' and 'deauthorizing' mean?
I.e. what does it do?  Does it cause the program to recognize the machine or device or something?

No problem!  I am happy to help out :)

In order to cover their behinds for legal purposes and prevent misuse and theft of digital media, Apple has implemented checks to only allow your iPhone or iPod to be used on 5 computers at one time.

Authorizing and deauthorizing an iPhone or an iPod merely tells the computer that you are allowed to sync with that device.

Hmmm...you are right.  It will open, however, in MS WordPad.  Sorry about that, I will edit the post!

Sorry for asking, it looks like a dumb question, but what is a UUID and where I see my?

.. go into iTUnes, click on your iphone / ipod under devices, then click on the bold 'serial number' title - the serial number itself will then change into your udid.  Good luck - my udid is not on the list in the software so I can't load it up  ... and, by the way, it was not a dumb question... 

 Thanks a lot, Barnie. Already sent to Erik mail. :)