Auto shut down times out

[TSL]

On scheduled backups, SD should shutdown and turn off Mac, but I get a message like "SD failed to close, shutdown timed out". Anyone know how to correct this. Thanks.
:confused:

[dnanian]

Does this always happen? I've had a few similar reports, but nothing I can reproduce at this end.

[TSL]

Happens everyday. This is the exact message "logout has timed out because the application Super Duper failed to quit". Thanks for any help.

TSL

[dnanian]

OK. It seems to work here, not sure what the difference might be. But I'm looking at it. Might want to put the Mac to sleep instead.

[RonaldPR]

I have the very same problem, but with manually started backups.

The problem started for me after upgrading the OS from 9.4.11 to 9.5.3. I have used SD for four years on different successive machines and OSX versions and never had the problem before.

I always do a manually started backup (smart update) at the end of the day of all files on my internal HD, always to the same external FireWire disk, always with the same settings, among which the option to shut down the computer after the backup completes. Sometimes the shutdown occurs as expected, but most of the times the message "Logout has timed out because the application SuperDuper! failed to quit" appears after a while.

I have not been able to figure out if there are specific different circumstances when the shutdown occurs and when in doesn't. However, I noticed that when the shutdown does occur, it takes an unusual long time (much longer than I was used to in previous OS versions) before SD is quit and the machine is shutdown.

If the shutdown does not occur, I can easily quit SD in any way (closing the window, using the application menu, using command-Q) and subsequently shutdown manually. (While writing this, I realized that I did not try a manual shutdown while SD is still running, should try that also.)

Interestingly, when I use the option 'Quit SuperDuper!' instead of 'Shut Down Computer' there is no such problem and SD quits soon after the backup completes.

Intel Core 2 Duo iMac
Mac OS X 10.5.3
SuperDuper! 2.5
(Time Machine Off)

[dnanian]

We've had a few reports of this and I'm still trying to reproduce it in house...

[Alarik]

Hi there.

I have a MacBook Pro running 10.5.2, very standard installation. I set SD up to back up (using the Smart option) late at night and then to shut the computer down. That doesn't happen, although when I wake up the machine in the AM there is no message from SD about not shutting down, timing out. SD has quit but the Mac's still awake, though not noticably groggy.

In other words, a certain preference isn't sticking.

The Mac is connected to a wirelessly to a Netgear router to which a NAS drive is attached. However, the back up via SD goes to an OWC firewire 800 drive.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Alarik

[dnanian]

Sounds like you've changed Options to shut down the Mac, but changing Options doesn't change existing scheduled copies. You have to delete and recreate your schedule to change it...

[edblanton]

Am doing a weekly smart update manually to a fire-wire drive on a Macbook (early 2007) running Leopard 10.5.3 with SD 2.5 (v84). Being paranoid, I option to have SD reboot the machine from the backup drive when it is finished, just to be sure I have a boot-able backup.

Recently (2-3 months), it always hangs on shutdown with the message "Logout has timed out because the application SuperDuper! failed to quit". After manually shutting down SD and then the Mac, everything seems fine. But it is annoying. Could this be a OS X problem?

[dnanian]

We have a few users this is happening to, Ed, and we're trying to figure out what's going on. Haven't been able to reproduce it at this end...

[RonaldPR]

If the shutdown does not occur, I can easily quit SD in any way (closing the window, using the application menu, using command-Q) and subsequently shutdown manually. (While writing this, I realized that I did not try a manual shutdown while SD is still running, should try that also.)
I did later. After the message appeared that logout timed out because SD could not be quit, I dismissed the message and tried shutdown by pressing control-eject followed by return. Again the logout timed out.

[dnanian]

Were you able to quit SD! 'manually'? Did all the backups in this session succeed?

[RonaldPR]

Yes, the backup had completed normally and I could normally quit SD (from the application menu) and subsequently shut down the computer.

As I noted before, the problem happens usually, but not always. I succeeded in monitoring console log in both situations. There were some messages about SD and a line when the shutdown was initiated, but the log was identical for both situations.

[dnanian]

OK. Try trying to gather as much info as possible. I'm still unable to reproduce this.

[jofallon]

For whatever little it helps, I can get my Mac Pro to either sleep or shutdown automatically after an SD job completes.

[RonaldPR]

After weeks, the problem has miraculously resolved itself on my machine. For several days in succession the problem did not occur. After the backup completes, the computer does shut down as expected. I changed nothing, not to the system, not to SD, not to user settings, not to login items, no new applications. I did not do any specific maintenance. I used my computer as I always do. :confused:

[dnanian]

Yeah. This is why it's hard for us to reproduce here...

[edblanton]

Today, with the only change I can think of, the Leopard 10.5.4 update, my machine Smart-Updated to the external firewire drive and then, correctly, shut down and re-booted from the backup. Life is good again.

[sgmiller]

I just posted on this problem in the sticky thread about pre-binding issues.

I am getting the same message and refusal to shutdown as others have reported. I thought it might be related to the script but I can't say for sure if I had the problem before the script. I know it only started happening since I upgraded to Leopard.

[sgmiller]

If it helps, I deleted my schedule entry and everything shutdown fine. Don't know why I tried that but the logical next step would be to recreate an entry and then test again but I am too lazy to do that at the moment.

[dnanian]

Thanks for the additional info.

[edblanton]

Today, with the only change I can think of, the Leopard 10.5.4 update, my machine Smart-Updated to the external firewire drive and then, correctly, shut down and re-booted from the backup. Life is good again.

A week later, it's back to its old tricks - "SD failed to quit..."

[trialUser]

Hi guys,

Having made the switch to Mac in October and after some good comments about your software in both MacCast and MacBreak Tech, as well as in my web research, I wanted to try it out. Since you give no trial option, a couple of days ago I downloaded the full version from a P2P network and I will try it for a while, in case I'll continue with it I'll buy it, otherwise I will delete it.
Sorry but I never buy software before I have tried it.

Anyway, regarding this problem, I got the SuperDuper! 2.5(v84) and Mac OS X 10.5.4. The computer is a MacBook Pro 2.4Ghz, 256MB nVidia graphics, 4GB RAM and 160GB internal hard drive. I'm backing up to a G-Tech G-Drive Q with a Samsung Spinpoint F1 using Firewire 800.

Regarding the backup procedure, I've backed up twice (yesterday night and the day before) doing it exactly in the same way and having the same problem.

After finishing all of my work, I close all my applications and remove my internet USB modem. I plug the hard drive in and and Time Machine starts backing up. Since I'm using FileVault, once it finishes I need to logout to allow it to perform the backup itself. Once done I log-in again and without starting any application I run SuperDuper!. It is not running scheduled, I start it and perform a full back up to the same drive using Smart Update and selecting Restart from the back up on successful completion. I didn't change anything else.

Hope this help, if you need any further information let me know. So far after using the product twice I am happy and really considering buying it.

[dnanian]

You can't use SD! to back up a FileVault volume while you're logged into it (see the User's Guide) and expect to get a good backup in all cases.

I don't really have any solution for this "Restart" issue right now. We're unable to reproduce the problem here, but we're aware of the fact that people are having problems and we're trying to figure it out.

Please see this post (http://www.shirt-pocket.com/blog/index.php/comments/the_limited/) regarding 'trial copies' of SuperDuper.

[James]

I get the "** the application Super Duper failed to quit" message too, when I try to have SuperDuper automatically restart from the backup. I emailed Dave about it some time ago but he was unable to offer a solution. I have since managed to narrow down the problem somewhat, and it only happens when I am cloning to a buss-powered Firewire 400 HDD. It doesn't happen when I clone to a mains powered USB HDD, and it also doesn't happen when I clone from the FW or USB HDD's back to the internal HDD.

I have had this problem since I upgraded to Leopard and through all of its point updates.

Also, after I get rid of the 'logout failed' message, I am able to manually quit SuperDuper.

I hope this helps a little in tracking down the problem.

[RonaldPR]

I get the "** the application Super Duper failed to quit" message too, when I try to have SuperDuper automatically restart from the backup. I emailed Dave about it some time ago but he was unable to offer a solution. I have since managed to narrow down the problem somewhat, and it only happens when I am cloning to a buss-powered Firewire 400 HDD. It doesn't happen when I clone to a mains powered USB HDD, and it also doesn't happen when I clone from the FW or USB HDD's back to the internal HDD.
I have (or had?) the problem intermittently, always with the same setup, which is backing up from the internal HDD to a self-powered (not bus-powered) external FireWire drive.

I have had this problem since I upgraded to Leopard and through all of its point updates.
Also here the problem started after upgrading to Leopard. (Erase and install of 10.5.1 with user migration from clone and immediate updating with 10.5.3 combo-updater.) Have not had the problem (yet) since updating to 10.5.4 (again using the combo-updater).

Also, after I get rid of the 'logout failed' message, I am able to manually quit SuperDuper.
The same here.

[sgmiller]

Same problem happening again.

[edblanton]

A week later, it's back to its old tricks - "SD failed to quit..."

FYI: Last two backups went perfectly. When completed, SD restarted from the backup drive as instructed in the options.

Both of these times I manually shutdown all programs, did a restart and then ran SD. I am suspicious that Firefox (which is almost always open on my computer) may have been causing the "SD failed to quit...." problem.

[RonaldPR]

I am not sure yet if I can reproduce the problem reliably, but it is seems that this time-out happens when I run SD! shortly after I did a fresh login.

That would also explain why I had the problem often after upgrading to Leopard and now only sporadically. The first weeks after upgrading I did a fair lot of adding, replacing or deleting software, reorganizing things on my Mac, often followed by a restart or log-out and again log-in. I did that usually at the end of the day, before I finally let SD! do the backup and shutdown.

[RonaldPR]

I am not sure yet if I can reproduce the problem reliably, but it is seems that this time-out happens when I run SD! shortly after I did a fresh login.
Well, it seems I can reliably reproduce the problem, at least on my machine. In the past 8 days I have run SD! alternately after I worked at least a couple of hours after the last login and shortly after login. Twice I logged in holding the shift key to make sure no login items would interfere. When I ran SD! shortly after login, each time and only then, auto shut down timed out because SD! 'could not be quit'.

SD! is set to repair permissions, backup all files using Smart Update, and finally shut down the computer.
Intego VirusBarrier X5 Real-Time Scanner was disabled in all cases.
The target volume is included in Spotlight 'Privacy' list.
The target volume, a LaCie FireWire drive, is permanently connected to my computer, but usually not on. The drive is switched on, and the target volume mounted, shortly before SD! is launched and is switched off after the computer is shut down.

So, when I logout, again login (with or without holding the shift key), switch on the LaCie drive, launch SD! after the target volume is mounted, and start SD! to do its thing, the final shut down times out.

Intel Core 2 Duo iMac, Mac OS X 10.5.4, SD! 2.5 (v84)

[eedrac]

Hey Dave -

I thought I'd send you a little more data. I'm having the same problem. Logout is timing out b/c SD can't quit. I have a new Mac Pro w/ Leopard 10.5.4. I'm cloning my main HD to a partition of a second internal HD. The backup seems to work fine, but the issue is SD not quitting and so causing the Shut Down to time out.

I've been using SD for quite a while with my old dual G5 computer running Tiger and never had a problem, but with the upgrade to my new computer with the new OS, new drives and a new version of SD, I'm running into this glitch.

Please let me know if you need me to gather any additional info. and I'll be happy to pass that on.

thanks,

eric

[dnanian]

OK, Eric. We're still trying to reproduce this at all in the lab... no luck yet.

[eedrac]

Hey Dave - I was wondering if running a "shell script after copy completes" to shut down SuperDuper! would do the trick. I wrote a little Applescript that shuts down SuperDuper!, but I don't know how to make that a "Unix Executable Script" so I get the following error:

| Error | sh: /Applications/SuperDuper!.app/Contents/Resources/Copy Scripts/Quit SuperDuper!.scpt: Permission denied

Can you let me know how to do that and I'll give that a try? Here's the little Apple Script:

tell application "SuperDuper!"
quit
end tell



thanks,

eric

[dnanian]

Shell scripts aren't applescripts, Eric... but I don't think that's going to work at all, since it's already doing that. :)

[eedrac]

Thanks for your reply, Dave. Is there any way that SD can trigger an Applescript or another program, like Keyboard Maestro or Automator?

[dnanian]

You can use osascript, in a shell script, to run applescripts. You just can't run them 'as' shell scripts.

[eedrac]

Thanks Dave. Sorry to keep bugging you about this. I don't know what an osascript is. I've poked around the net a bit, but I have no idea how to create an osascript in a shell script that will launch an applescript that I've created. If that is easy or you can point me in the right direction, would you mind? I'd love to get this figured out, so I can launch the backup in the middle of the night and know that it'll shut down when it's finished.

thanks,

eric

[dnanian]

It's a command to do a shell script. But as I said above, it's not going to help if it's already failing, since it's exactly what SuperDuper! is already doing. Can I suggest you have it sleep instead?

[RonaldPR]

Still consistent on my machine: Shut down times out when I logged in shortly before starting the backup, only then and always then, regardless whether the login is with or without (shift key) login items.

I noted the logs, and there is always the same message in system log at the moment when SuperDuper! gives the shut down command.

SuperDuper! log:
| 11:29:38 PM | Info | PHASE: 4. And Finally...
| 11:29:38 PM | Info | ...ACTION: Shutting down computer
| 11:29:38 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Shutting computer down
| 11:29:38 PM | Info | Copy complete.

system log:
Sep 6 23:29:38 MacKanjer4 com.apple.launchd[1] (0x10baf0.nohup[1471]): Could not setup Mach task special port 9: (os/kern) no access
Sep 6 23:29:50 MacKanjer4 [0x0-0xdb0db].com.apple.systemevents[1478]: com.apple.FolderActions.enabled: Already loaded

Hope this helps.

[dnanian]

I don't think the 2nd one is related; the first is OK.

[RonaldPR]

You are right, the same lines appear in system log when subsequently shutdown occurs as expected.

I noticed something else:
Until now, I solved the situation by dismissing the error message, quitting SD! and then shutting down the computer.

This time I dismissed the error message, chose Shut Down... from the Apple menu and clicked Shut Down in the dialog. After about one minute again the error message appeared that SD! could not be quit.

Nothing at all in console and system log.