SD, Spotlight, and "Open With"

[donstrack]

Something is happening with my backups, and I don't know if it is related to SuperDuper or not.

I back up my system every day to two external drives using SuperDuper. Recently, I have noticed that when I use Spotlight, it only shows two copies of each file, showing only the two backed up copies. But when I use Finder to check the internal system drive, the file is there. I panicked at first, but I now realize that it is some quirk of either Spotlight, or the system's knowledge of the backups made by SuperDuper. Can someone point me to an info source that would explain this?

This kinda-sorta leads me to another problem that really bugs me. When I do an "Open With", or mistakenly pass over it on the menu, I have to wait while the external drives spin up, then I get three selections of each application. And of course, this usually happens by mistake as I mouse over the menu headed down-menu for something else. Is there something I can exclude in SuperDuper for my backups that will block OS X from knowing that there are two additional copies of applications. I understand the need to have the applications backed up, but I'll never want to use one of the external applications.

I sent a support request, but I now realize this is a better place for such questions.

Don Strack
Intel, 20-inch iMac, with 3Gig memory, OS X 10.4.11

[dnanian]

Actually, Don, support is probably a better place. I've answered your question there, but to repeat it here:

This is basically just due to the fact that the system is looking for applications on all connected drives, which means it looks on the backup drive, too.

What I'd suggest is:

- Add the startup and backup drives to the Spotlight preference pane's "Privacy" tab. Then quit System Preferences, and start it again. Remove the startup drive from the tab. That'll force it to reindex your internal drive, but will prevent the external from being indexed.

- Use Onyx or Cocktail to rebuild your "Launch Services" database. That'll stop the multiple entries in "Open With..."

- Finally, *eject* the backup drive (but leave it powered on and connected). SuperDuper! will automatically mount, copy and re-eject on scheduled copies, and this'll prevent the spin-up.

Hope that helps!

[donstrack]

That was incredibly easy. Spotlight is considerably faster now (and I mean considerably!).

Onyx told me to repair the drive, which I did with the Install DVD --> Utilities --> Disk Utilities. I then cleared the "LaunchServices" cache. I use a System Preferences plug-in for "Default Apps", and it apparently kept all the file associations.

While I truly do trust SuperDuper!, I'll check tomorrow to see if in my (usually unique) circumstances, the backups were indeed made to unmounted external drives, as Dave says they will. As they say in my business, "Trust, but verify." I'll let you know.

By the way, although Dave was an incredible help, this really is not a SD issue. Is there a better place to ask these types of questions (i.e. tips and tricks for OS X, in this case for Spotlight), without reading all the whining about Leopard. Applecare is plugged up tight with Leopard issues, usually with a 20 minute hold time.

Don Strack

[dnanian]

There are a lot of forums around for OSX, so it's hard to point you at anywhere in particular, but this is as good a place as any if it's interacting with SuperDuper...