Automator not converting all pdf's

Hello, I'm getting quite desperate and hope someone can find the solution.

I just to have an Automator setup to convert pdf's to jpg's in bulk. This always worked. Unfortunately I had to reset my laptop and since then the same setup causes me problems and only converts a few pdf's but not all of them. I have no idea why.


Normal setup:

  • Render PDF to images
  • Copy Finder items
  • Scale images


If I try to find out in the log it says it's not given the required data.


It used to work - it works perfectly on someone else's laptop but not on mine anymore. Can someone help me please?


Kind Regards,

Hannelore

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 13.4

Posted on Sep 15, 2023 1:39 AM

Reply
8 replies

Sep 15, 2023 2:20 AM in response to hannelore162

The Log will be the Automator log. In Automator go to View and Show Log. It should appear in the bottom RHS pane.


The only things I can think of that might possibly make it work on some files but others are:

  • file protections
  • filename issues - characters, length, extension


If Automator is using Preview to do the conversion then check how Preview is opening files. If it opens them as groups of files in the same window then you might end up with lots of windows and Automator might only be working on one of them (I hope you understand what I mean). There's a setting in Preview to change how it opens them.


If that doesn't help and you're at the deperately-clutching-at-straws stage then the only thing I can think of is that Automator is sort of unofficially deprecated in more recent Mac OS's, so convert your Automator to a Shortcut and see if that works. I can't see that this would fix it, but as I said, if you're desperate it might be worth a try.

Sep 15, 2023 2:45 AM in response to Zurarczurx

Sorry - ignore Log info - I misread your original post.


Before you convert to Shortcuts put some error checking into the Automator script. Simple stuff like a dialog at the start and finish of each file conversion with the source file name and folder and then converted file name and folder - so you can check if it skips files, or thinks it’s converted and hasn’t or is writing somewhere unexpectedly. Maybe make it get a file attribute before and after, like size or creation date so if there’s an access problem it won’t be able to and might throw an error. It will help you get to the bottom of it.

Sep 15, 2023 6:14 AM in response to hannelore162

Take a screenshot of your entire Automator workflow and post it back here using the Image Insertion tool on this editor's toolbar. It's the second from the right.


Did you copy this Automator workflow from an older release of macOS (e.g. someone else's laptop), and if so, you may need to recreate it on Ventura so that it is built from current Automator content. Then try it again to see if it succeeds or fails to generate images from all of your PDF pages.


If you have not updated Ventura to the current version (13.5.2), consider doing so for security and general code updates. This may have some bearing on your Automator results (or not).



Sep 15, 2023 10:28 AM in response to VikingOSX

As an addendum, I just put together an Automator application on Ventura 13.5.2 that asks for a PDF, and then Renders PDF Pages as Images, and then copies those images to a Desktop folder. I have thrown 4-page and 12-page PDF (with and without images) at it and it has successfully generated a per-page .jpeg image for either of the PDF.


As Keith Barkley has pointed out, there may be something about the PDFs that you are providing your Automator solution that the relevant Render PDF Pages as Images action is not handling well in Ventura.

Automator not converting all pdf's

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