Quiting running applications
 

I'm planning on scheduling a nightly smart update of my startup drive to external drive and I read the note in the user manual about quiting running applications.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can automate quiting any running applications and then also launch certain applications after the smart update is complete?

If I leave applications running and receive no errors during the backup, do I really need to worry about it?

Thanks,
Mark

In general, no. We suggest this to make sure you get exactly the backup you expect, but it's not 100% necessary, and if your backup completes without error, you're likely to be just fine.

A possibility?
 

I have a script keyed to a keystroke that quits several specific apps I usually have open (Mail, Safari, Hogwasher, NetNewsWire). At the least I always quit mail before backing up because I have it in my head that the mailboxes are problematic in the backup process.

I now have SD! to start up, use a setting, and then quit. In another query here about Automator I get the idea that I could edit the SD! script mentioned in that thread to include the quit apps script. Shoot, I'm thinking I could also add the script (actually an Automator-made app) I have to start up those 4 apps. Curiously, I was able to use Automator to make that opening "script' but had to use AS to do the close apps.

In summary, I'm thinking I can edit a SD! script to include "quit apps" before doing anything and then to "launch apps" once SD! runs. More, I could make this a Setting, run with the "run without user action" script mentioned in yet another thread, all set to go on a keystroke.

Possible?

Sure, you could edit those scripts -- note that the script mentioned only runs when scheduled -- as long as you know enough AppleScript to do this effectively.

Duly noted.
 

Got something to play with over the holidays.

Thanks, Dave.

All the best to you and yours, Dave.

Same back at you!