Automator Folder Action: won't move files

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Level 1

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Automator Folder Action: won't move files

I set up a Folder Action so that it would grab the Photo Stream image files that are on my Mac, and move them to a different folder (which will then be imported into Lightroom).

The target folder is the Masters folder within Photos Library (you have to Ctrl-click and select Show Package Contents to see it).

This worked previously for a few years, but has recently stopped working. I'm not able to make it work again. The logs keep saying the actions were "not supplied with the required data".

(By the way I don't think this is due to the fact that Masters is hidden within the Photos app package, because I tested the same actions on a normal test folder and it didn't work either. And yes, I have done the "Folder Actions Set-up" on each folder.)

Is anyone able to help?

MacBook Pro 15", macOS 10.14

Posted on Feb 23, 2020 7:30 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,420 points

Feb 24, 2020 5:21 PM in response to soujo

The Folder Action already gets the files added to the folder. You don't have to get them again with a Get Folder Contents.

Since it is already getting the files that were added, and then you are getting them again (and anything else in the folder), it will attempt to move it from one source, but fail in the second attempt to move the file.

However, the error is because the Get Folder Contents is expecting to receive a folder from the previous action. The workflow isn't passing the folder. It is passing the files that were added.

What are you trying to accomplish?

A Folder Action will act on files added to the folder. If you then Move those files, it will break the Photos library.

Is this a one-time move, or are you wanting to move newly added files?

If the latter, remove the Get Folder Contents action and let it work as it was intended.

If it is failing to move all of the newly added files and you want to get all of the files each time it runs, then disconnect the link from the folder action to the Get Folder Contents action by ctrl-clicking on the joint (down arrow linked to half circle) and choose Disable.

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Answer 2

soujo Author

Level 1

30 points

Feb 25, 2020 3:39 AM in response to Barney-15E

Barney-15E thank you for replying.

"What are you trying to accomplish?"

I never use Photos so I'm not concerned about breaking it. I want to move all the images to another folder as they come in from Photostream, so that they can be imported to Lightroom.

"The Folder Action already gets the files added to the folder. You don't have to get them again with a Get Folder Contents."

What I was hoping to achieve here is that all the files within subfolders will also get processed, because Photostream puts the images into multiple layers of folders.

"If the latter, remove the Get Folder Contents action and let it work as it was intended."

Sadly, it still wouldn't work.

I think the main problem is that my source folder is a hidden folder within the Photos package contents, not a normal folder. I arrived at the following Folder Action which does everything I want: select and move all the files within subfolders, but doesn't move the subfolders themselves. Unfortunately, it works only if the source folder is a normal folder, but doesn't work with the Masters folder with the Photos package.

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Answer 3

soujo Author

Level 1

30 points

Feb 25, 2020 3:53 AM in response to Barney-15E

In the end, after digging more around the net, the best I could do is the following.

Unfortunately, I have to press the Run button in the Automator app for it to work. The Folder Action is not triggered automatically when new files are added to the folder (it is triggered as normal in a 'normal' folder, but not in the Masters folder within the Photos package contents).

If anyone can solve this problem, please let me know.

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Automator Folder Action: won't move files

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