iMessage problems from a newby

Hi all, my name is brian and I am a new user of this site, I have accessed it using the iPad app, which seems to work very well. I am a retired Brit living in the south of france by the sea side town of Cap Agde. I have recently had to give up my hobby of golf following a much earlier than anticipated knee replacement ( ouch). I have recently refocused my spare time to using more fully my iMac and iPad and my other hobby of photography. About a month ago after all the iTunes and ios5 updates I lost my until then very stable face time and iMessage communication with my brothers both in the UK. For both I was using my iPod touch ( front and back camera) and was very happy with it. After the updates - nothing! When I launch iMessages is takes me to set up as if I was a new user - my email address ( ID) is filled in and it just requests my password, it then comes back and says that it cannot validate my account as its already in use? I understand that since the genius at the apple store insisted a reset was the only answer followed by a restore from a back up made from the iPad not the iPod touch ? As you can imagine I explained that I had things on one device not on the other so a restore was really much help, well as I got distracted by the other shiny objects in the store, they just went ahead and did it anyway! In the ensuing mayhem when I got home many applications did not work - my online banking for instance is still not resolved. I have triple checked my apple ID and double checked email addresses for any errors on log in but all seems OK. Skype is working again and this is normally not easy after any problems. Sorry for the rambling life story I got carried away! Some ideas would be useful many thanks in advance. I'm off to play French billiards.
Brian

 

did you setup a .me account? would be better.

anyways....just log into your Apple ID online with a web browser and check things out first with your account, make sure your email account used is active...before continuing with the device re-setup.

 

I have checked my apple I'd on iTunes and it's the same .me.com email as before and the account works fine - I can still buy stuff on iTunes and I synch without problems everyday to download podcasts. Mobile me transferred over to iCloud and it seems to work ok.
Brian

 

No iTunes sign in.....I want you to view apple ID online.

 

Sorry I don't understand what you mean- view online where? On what site? I think I have missed something. Thanks for your help.
Brian

 

I'm having the same issue...."email already in use".....I have an iPhone is this why? I'm confused! Thanks for your help!

Sarah

 

sign in here, manage account....check your emails, good to verify any new ones at the same time.

let me know.

https://appleid.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MyAppleId.woa/

 

Ok thanks will be doing that later - will keep you posted. Never thought I may not have one? How could I log in to and by things on iTunes without an apple ID?
Brian