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I've got an Automator workflow that is supposed to backup the contents of my USB stick whenever I plug it in (after asking for a confirmation). It works if I trigger it manually within the Automator GUI. When I save it as a folder action, the workflow is triggered as expected (I get the confirmation prompt) but then gets stuck somewhere.

What options do I have to find out what is going wrong? In what does the environment of the workflow differ when it's called as a folder action?

annotated workflow

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  • Does it work when not run as folder action, but e.g. started as a Service?
    – Daniel Beck
    Nov 12, 2011 at 21:19
  • @DanielBeck How would I do this?
    – vwegert
    Nov 13, 2011 at 9:55
  • @slhck see linked file
    – vwegert
    Nov 13, 2011 at 10:11
  • Use File » Duplicate To… in Automator, then select Service. It'll then show up in the Services sub-menu of the application menu (the menu whose label is the active application's name). Click to launch.
    – Daniel Beck
    Nov 13, 2011 at 10:21
  • Consider uploading the workflow as a screenshot image to imgur via this site's upload functionality, and annotating it within your question. There's no lasting value in linking a file automatically deleted within a month.
    – Daniel Beck
    Nov 13, 2011 at 10:26

1 Answer 1

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Your script is only checking whether the encrypted volume exists, not the USB stick.

Make sure the folder action isn't triggered because of something else by adding a check for the destination volume to the workflow.

In general, if something's not working when automatically triggered, it's best to replicate as much as possible in a manually started process. In that case, executing within Automator or making it a service or application instead proved to be useful for finding the issue.

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