Big Automator Issues . . OCD is killing me :(

[TattooedMac]

Well a long story short, i followed a tutorial somewhere to get a Automator workflow that everytime i downloaded a .dmg or .jpeg/.pdf/.tiff/.gif/.psd/.png they would be saved to a DMG Folder and Images Folder.
I went through everything correctly and double checked as i do because i just finished a .workflow to Batch Re-Size photo's to 800x600 and missed something but anyways i knew it was all correct.
Then i went to save it as i said to on the Tutorial, and clicked 'save' then got a the little animation of a file coming towards me 3Dish and then vanishing.

Well i tried this workflow out by downloading a .dmg file only small and i checked the Folder and nothing. Then i get a Animation of a little Cog going Round and Round Round and Round Round and Round Round and Round Round and Round and never stopping. I clicked on it and came up with a progress Wheel 1/3 full and the obligatory x to close it. So i clicked the x and i got nothing at all.

I then tried them all ⌘click drag, nadda, ⇧⌘click drag, nadda, Everything i tried it wouldnt go. At one time it just kept going for the whole day, until i got that infuriated and restarted . .
Woo bloody hoo it got rid of it. Then low and behold it started again. Then i went to Activity Monitor and searched there and found the AppleScript Runner going so i Force Quit that and it disappeared. This then kept coming up, so i trashed every Automator file i could find, and the App itself and then did a Repair Permissions and a restart.
I thought i had won, and didnt need to worry, but i needed to do a Batch Resize of images and needed to get Automator back on, so i put it back on, and now this little bloddy cog pops up every time something downloads now.

What gets me, is it didnt seem to save, or didnt as a "Clean Downloads Folder.workflow" like my Batch resize did ?? So where in the world can this be hiding, remembering it quits when i force quit the Applescript Runner in Activity Monitor and i deleted the whole App and any file i could find.
See attached video for i idea looking in the Menu Bar Next to the ? Key

Any help please as it is sending me crazy Arrggghhhh

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5083282/AppleScript.mov

 

[cradom]

You have a link to this tutorial? And your .workflow?
For what you want to do you might consider Hazel.
Noodlesoft | Hazel

 

[Slydude]

Good idea Craig.

I suspect that it has some looping functions in there to let it fun multiple times if there is more than one file in the folder. Something must be causing it to go into an infinite loop. Seems like it is missing something that basically says stop if this folder is empty.

 

[TattooedMac]

You have a link to this tutorial? And your .workflow?
For what you want to do you might consider Hazel.
Noodlesoft | Hazel

Hi Craig. It took some doing, but here is the Tutorial Automator workflow of the month: automatically file downloaded items - Macworld Australia - Macworld Australia and now i remember i tried to save it a couple of times, because of that silly animation of a file coming towards you then disappearing. The big problem is, i CANT find the .workflow that is meant to be saved. It usually asks me where to save and this one didn't . . . I tried to then search for .workflow and the only ones that came up where the ones i have saved in my Automator App/Workflow folder . . .

Ill have a look at your link Cheers

Good idea Craig.

I suspect that it has some looping functions in there to let it fun multiple times if there is more than one file in the folder. Something must be causing it to go into an infinite loop. Seems like it is missing something that basically says stop if this folder is empty.

Sly, thats exactly what if feels like, and every time it comes up,( i now have Activity Monitor open all the time now) i quit the AppleScript Runner to get rid of it.
I got rid of anything to do with Automator before i Trashed it, so im not sure where its hiding

 

[cradom]

Try looking in /Library/Application Support/Apple/Automator/Workflows

Never seen the animation of a file attacking but then don't use Automator that much.
The instructions on the site look ok at a quick glance. Do you remember what you named the workflow?

 

[TattooedMac]

Try looking in /Library/Application Support/Apple/Automator/Workflows

Never seen the animation of a file attacking but then don't use Automator that much.
The instructions on the site look ok at a quick glance. Do you remember what you named the workflow?

Have looked there and trashed everything.
I named it Cleanup Downloads.workflow but i cant find it. I just downloaded a .dmg and it happened again and this is the thing in the Menubar

And what it is running under in Activity Monitor . .

Soo confused

 

[cradom]

Ok, I need to hit the sack (3am comes early) but will try creating a workflow tomorrow and trying it out.
I cant remember where folder actions are saved (and I have some running) or I would direct you there.
I doubt it'll be there but try all the usual places, Launchdeamons, Launchagents, StartupItems etc. Cant hurt.

 

[TattooedMac]

EDIT : Craig i think you got it. I actually didnt look in that folder, but has me stuffed why they didmt come up in a search. It saved as Sorting Images.workflow, no idea why as i used downloads Folder in the saving procedure ??

Anyways thanks as its always good with another set of eye's

 

[cradom]

Perhaps you don't have any System related folders in Spotlight?
Hope this resolves your problem. Still going to play around with this tomorrow.

 

[Slydude]

The default location for folder actions is ~/Library/Workflows/Applications/Folder Actions. Have a look there and see if you find anything. I'll try to take a look at this tomorrow as well.

If you don't mind stopping access to all folder actions temporarily till this gets sorted out go to /System/Library/CoreServices and launch the Folder Actions Setup,app. Uncheck the Enable Folder Actions box in the window that appears.

 

[TattooedMac]

The default location for folder actions is ~/Library/Workflows/Applications/Folder Actions. Have a look there and see if you find anything. I'll try to take a look at this tomorrow as well.

Thanks Sly, but Craig nailed it with his path, but im not sure why it was in there as where you suggested, i did look when i trashed everything (.workflow and .app) that i could find, and you are right, thats where is should of been being a Folder Action Hmmmm
Im happy now though as i dont have to go and Force Quit it with Activity Monitor anymore

Ill sleep easier tonight lol

 

[cradom]

Ok, tried this this morning. The ONLY thing I did different is instead of dragging the desktop or download folder onto the popup, I actually clicked on the popup and selected Other and then selected the folder.

Dropping a .jpeg file onto Downloads does not work. The screen blinks but the file doesn't move. Haven't looked into why but suspect it's because it's looking for an image file instead of a specific extension.

Dropping/downloading a .dmg file works. After a few seconds the screen blinks and the file is moved.

Also, when I saved the workflow, it did indeed save to ~/Library/Workflows/Applications/Folder Actions. Don't know why yours went to where I sent you. Blind guess there. I was just looking for folder actions and came across that.

Beginning to think this was part glitch and part user error. If you can make this work terrific! I personally would still use Hazel. (but then I'm a lazy old fart)

Edit: I stand corrected. The images did move, it just took quite a bit longer than I expected. Found them this morning (tues) when I tried to delete the folders.