Can you post the content of the plist of how it should be? That'll help, thanks.

Hi

Many thanks for the response. Here it is :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>AccountSortOrder</key>
<array>
<string>2E84EBF6-41B0-43DC-84E2-19B6A7FF8FED</string>
<string>Default</string>
</array>
<key>AutosaveChats</key>
<true/>
<key>CustomAvailableMessages</key>
<array>
<string>Surfing the web</string>
<string>Reading email</string>
<string>At home</string>
</array>
<key>CustomAwayMessages</key>
<array>
<string>Out to lunch</string>
<string>On the phone</string>
<string>In a meeting</string>
</array>
<key>CustomInBalloonColor</key>
<true/>
<key>CustomOutBalloonColor</key>
<false/>
<key>MessageInTextStyle</key>
<dict>
<key>bgcolor</key>
<integer>16514547</integer>
<key>fgcolor</key>
<integer>0</integer>
<key>font</key>
<string>Helvetica</string>
<key>size</key>
<real>18</real>
</dict>
<key>MessageTextStyle</key>
<dict>
<key>bgcolor</key>
<integer>16047647</integer>
<key>fgcolor</key>
<integer>0</integer>
<key>font</key>
<string>Helvetica</string>
<key>size</key>
<real>18</real>
</dict>
<key>NSPreferencesContentSize</key>
<string>{554, 403}</string>
<key>NSPreferencesSelectedIndex3</key>
<integer>0</integer>
<key>NSToolbar Configuration NSPreferences</key>
<dict>
<key>TB Display Mode</key>
<integer>1</integer>
<key>TB Icon Size Mode</key>
<integer>1</integer>
<key>TB Is Shown</key>
<integer>0</integer>
<key>TB Item Identifiers</key>
<array>
<string>General</string>
<string>Accounts</string>
<string>Messages</string>
<string>Alerts</string>
<string>Audio/Video</string>
</array>
<key>TB Size Mode</key>
<integer>1</integer>
<key>TB Visibility Priority Values</key>
<dict/>
</dict>
<key>NSWindow Frame Preferences</key>
<string>26 129 593 390 0 0 1024 746 </string>
<key>OverrideIncomingStyle</key>
<true/>
<key>RecentAvailableList</key>
<dict>
<key>At home</key>
<string>2012-04-10 11:07:57 +0100</string>
<key>Reading email</key>
<string>2012-04-10 11:07:57 +0100</string>
<key>Surfing the web</key>
<string>2012-04-10 11:07:56 +0100</string>
</dict>
<key>RecentAwayList</key>
<dict>
<key>In a meeting</key>
<string>2012-04-10 11:07:57 +0100</string>
<key>On the phone</key>
<string>2012-04-10 11:07:57 +0100</string>
<key>Out to lunch</key>
<string>2012-04-10 11:07:57 +0100</string>
</dict>
<key>UseSingleChatWindow</key>
<true/>
<key>VCDefaultCamera</key>
<string></string>
<key>WebIconDatabaseEnabled</key>
<false/>
<key>WebKitDeveloperExtras</key>
<false/>
<key>WebKitJavaEnabled</key>
<false/>
<key>WebKitJavaScriptCanOpenWindowsAutomatically</key>
<false/>
<key>WebKitJavaScriptEnabled</key>
<false/>
<key>WebKitShouldPrintBackgroundsPreferenceKey</key>
<true/>
<key>WelcomeBackMode</key>
<integer>1</integer>
<key>bwd</key>
<dict>
<key>ip</key>
<string>snatmap.mac.com</string>
<key>portCount</key>
<integer>1</integer>
<key>startPort</key>
<integer>16384</integer>
</dict>
<key>bwddown</key>
<integer>81346423</integer>
<key>bwdid</key>
<string>[178.20.200.10:0.255.255.255]</string>
<key>bwdlast</key>
<real>1334053951.0526171</real>
<key>bwdup</key>
<integer>85672082</integer>
key>danielmintz@ichat.squaregroup.co.uk:Jabber.Visible</key
<true/>
key>danielmintz@ichat.squaregroup.co.uk:Jabber.WindowSize</key
<string>{{600, 723}, {230, 400}}</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Ok so it looks like for the custom balloon color you're looking to set

<key>CustomInBalloonColor</key>

<true/>

and

<key>bgcolor</key>

<integer>16514547</integer>

<key>fgcolor</key>

<integer>0</integer>

I assume this plist came from ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.ichat.plist ?

Hi,

Yes we are trying to set the custom balloon colour and font for both sending and receiving along with saving ichat transcripts, collect chats in a single window, in new chat show last chat.

There are also a few others from the general tab like when I return to my computer if my status is away set it to Available, confirm before sending files, set status to away if machine becomes inactive and use same status for all accounts.

Yes it came from ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.ichat.plist

Thanks

Daniel

This should get you on the right track:
external image link

external image link

external image link

external image link

external image link

external image link

Note: I haven't tested these

Also note that you'll have to move to the definition tab first before you can actually fill in your preference values. Hopefully you'll be able to correlate where the values in the plist end up in the managed preference. Also, I opted for the "Next login only" option for when to apply the setting to give the user the option to change it. If you strictly want to enforce it, use the "At every login" option instead.

Thanks Jared,

The images don't seem to show up in my browser.

Is there any chance you could post again or send them to my email.

daniel.mintz@squaregroup.co.uk

Thanks

Daniel

On their way. Hopefully my mail server doesn't strip the attachments. (It likes to.)

Many thanks Jared, I just received the email and the attachments are present. I will give it a go and see how I get on .

I will let you know .

Thanks

Daniel