SD no longer honouring backup-on-mounting-drive

[Manu Chao]

For the last two weeks or so, SD no longer starts a backup when connecting an external drive. I have tried to set it again but it does not start.

Starting the backup manually works fine.

[dnanian]

Nothing happened about two weeks ago that preceded these failures?

[Manu Chao]

Originally Posted by dnanian

Nothing happened about two weeks ago that preceded these failures?

Apart from the year changing from 2012 to 2013, no. Maybe there was an OS crash (requiring a forced shutdown) in between, I had one recently (in the last couple of weeks) but I cannot remember exactly when that was.

So, if this is not a problem frequent enough that some possible causes are known that could suggest a course of action, I will try the usual: re-install the SuperDuper and try a new OS user account.

[dnanian]

I'd actually:

• Delete all existing schedules
• Remove the "Scheduled Copies" folder in ~/Library/Application Support/SuperDuper!
• Restart your Mac
• Recreate the schedule

[Manu Chao]

Originally Posted by dnanian

I'd actually:

• Delete all existing schedules
• Remove the "Scheduled Copies" folder in ~/Library/Application Support/SuperDuper!
• Restart your Mac
• Recreate the schedule

I've tried it in a new user account which by default starts without a folder 'Scheduled Copies' and no existing schedules and required me to re-create the schedule. I also had just restarted my Mac just two days ago, ie, well after the problem occurred. I also installed a new copy of SD into the new users's Application folder.

At first, it did not work in the new user account either but then I tried two things: (1) logged out and back into the new user account and (2) connected the external drive directly (it was the third device in FW chain before). After that (I cannot say which of the two steps did the trick), it worked, even after putting the device back again in its normal position in the FW chain.

Unfortunately, when I tried it again in my regular user account, it did not work (after following your steps). I can try to delete all SuperDuper content from ~/Library but maybe something else (non shirt-pocket stuff) is wrong with my main user account. Is SD relying on other things (eg, folder actions on /Volumes) to do the start upon connecting feature?

[dnanian]

We've simply got a LaunchAgent that is run when volumes are mounted, and then we look for the volume you scheduled with. If you've done everything I've suggested, perhaps something is preventing the launch. But that would be weird.

[Harry Cover]

Originally Posted by Manu Chao

For the last two weeks or so, SD no longer starts an automatic backup when connecting an external drive. I have tried to set it again but it does not start.

Starting the backup manually works fine.

Exactly same issue here.
Could someone help us, please ?

Thanks in advance.

[dnanian]

See my replies to Manu - that will fix it.

[Harry Cover]

Originally Posted by dnanian

See my replies to Manu - that will fix it.

I had not seen it.
I am reading it.
Thanks for quick and efficient support.

[Harry Cover]

Solved !

[dnanian]

Great! Glad you're fixed.

[Manu Chao]

Originally Posted by Manu Chao

SD no longer starts a backup when connecting an external drive.

The problem re-occurred (already some time ago but I just now came around to fix it).
In the end, it only started working again after I downloaded a fresh copy of SD and replaced the one in my /Applications folder with it. Before that I went through seven debugging rounds, always repeating all previous measures and adding one or two additional things. I cannot say that replacing SD in Applications was sufficient it but it was a necessary ingredient.

1) Deleted schedules, deleted 'Scheduled Copies' (in ~/Library/Application Support/SuperDuper!, restart computer, re-create schedule, saved SD settings, quit SD, ejected disk, re-connected disk --> nothing happened

2) Deleted schedules, deleted 'SuperDuper!' (in ~/Library/Application Support), restart computer, re-create schedule, saved SD settings, quit SD, ejected disk, re-connected disk --> nothing happened

3) Deleted schedules, deleted
- 'SuperDuper!' (in ~/Library/Application Support) and
- both 'com.shirtpocket.backuponmount' plist files (in ~/Library/LaunchAgents),
restart computer, re-create schedule, saved SD settings, quit SD, ejected disk, re-connected disk --> nothing happened

4) Deleted schedules, deleted
- 'SuperDuper!' (in ~/Library/Application Support) and
- both 'com.shirtpocket.backuponmount' plist files (in ~/Library/LaunchAgents),
- 'blacey.SuperDuper!.savedState' (in ~/Library/ Saved Application State)
- 'SuperDuper!_xxx.plist' (in ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter)
restart computer, re-create schedule, saved SD settings, quit SD, ejected disk, re-connected disk --> nothing happened

5) Deleted schedules, deleted
- 'SuperDuper!' (in ~/Library/Application Support) and
- both 'com.shirtpocket.backuponmount' plist files (in ~/Library/LaunchAgents),
- 'blacey.SuperDuper!.savedState' (in ~/Library/ Saved Application State)
(- 'SuperDuper!_xxx.plist' (in ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter))
- 'com.blacy.SuperDuper!' (in ~/Library/Caches)
restart computer, re-create schedule, saved SD settings, quit SD, ejected disk, re-connected disk --> nothing happened

6) Deleted schedules, deleted
- 'SuperDuper!' (in ~/Library/Application Support) and
- both 'com.shirtpocket.backuponmount' plist files (in ~/Library/LaunchAgents),
- 'blacey.SuperDuper!.savedState' (in ~/Library/ Saved Application State)
(- 'SuperDuper!_xxx.plist' (in ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter))
- 'com.blacey.SuperDuper!' (in ~/Library/Caches)
- 'com.blacey.SuperDuper.xxx.plist' (in ~/Library/Preferences)
- app.com.blacey.Superduper!.playlist (in ~/private/var/db/BootCaches/xxx)
restart computer, re-create schedule, saved SD settings, quit SD, ejected disk, re-connected disk --> nothing happened

7) Deleted schedules, deleted
- 'SuperDuper!' (in ~/Library/Application Support) and
- both 'com.shirtpocket.backuponmount' plist files (in ~/Library/LaunchAgents),
- 'blacey.SuperDuper!.savedState' (in ~/Library/ Saved Application State)
(- 'SuperDuper!_xxx.plist' (in ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter))
- 'com.blacey.SuperDuper!' (in ~/Library/Caches)
- 'com.blacey.SuperDuper.xxx.plist' (in ~/Library/Preferences)
- app.com.blacey.Superduper!.playlist (in ~/private/var/db/BootCaches/xxx)
- Replaced SuperDuper!.app in Applications with a newly downloaded copy
restart computer, re-create schedule, saved SD settings, quit SD, ejected disk, re-connected disk --> nothing happened

After step 6) I had to 'unlock' something (probably because I had deleted stuff in /private/var). And when it worked after step 7) I had to authorise a new application inside the SuperDuper! bundle to be run for the first time (because it was downloaded from the internet.

Next time the problem re-occurs, I'll start debugging from the other end (ie, start with replacing SuperDuper!.app and then add the boot caches and so on). If you are interested in the SuperDuper!.app bundled that needed replacing, I can retrieve it from a backup and send it to you.

[dnanian]

Sounds more like something had happened to launch services and/or your script dictionary...

[Manu Chao]

Originally Posted by dnanian

Sounds more like something had happened to launch services and/or your script dictionary...

And running a new copy of SD for the first time resets something in launch services?

[dnanian]

Yes, deleting your existing copy, then reinstalling is going to clear out Apple's cached information about the app.