Inconsistent Login Items Execution

Question

Inconsistent Login Items Execution

Here's what's I have for "Login Items":

1. iTunes

2. An Automator App that runs an Applescript that uses "Fast User Switching" to go back to the login screen

Sometimes, it appropriately fires-up iTunes and then goes to the login screen all within 10 seconds at the most. Perfect!

However, other times it fires-up iTunes and then executes the "Fast User Switch" a good 2 minutes later.

What possible things are going on during that initial login that would sometimes put such a delay between the login items being executed?

Thanks

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Dec 19, 2011 7:15 AM

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Answer 1

CT

Level 7

23,987 points

Dec 19, 2011 7:18 AM in response to Greg Robinson1

You might get a hint if you look at System.log via Console (Utility folder). To see it you will have to logged in as an administrator.

charlie

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Answer 2

Dec 19, 2011 7:26 AM in response to CT

There's a lot going on in that log. What should I be looking for / focussing on?

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Answer 3

CT

Level 7

23,987 points

Dec 19, 2011 7:30 AM in response to Greg Robinson1

It can be an information overload, that's for sure.

Well, I guess I would be looking for messages that are being generated during one of the longer than usual delays. (Note that the log entries have time stamps.)

charlie

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Answer 4

Dec 19, 2011 8:08 AM in response to CT

Could the '"Reopen Windows When Logging Back In'" feature be part of the problem? Does it re-establish the previous session before running the login-in items?

To illustrate, COULD the MAC be doing this...

1. Okay, I'm logging-in.

2. Oh, I need to reopen the windows from the previous session.

3. Okay, iTunes was open when I was logged-out so I'm opening iTunes and restoring it.

4. Oh, I have login items to process.

5. Okay... I need to open iTunes. Ooops, it's already open from restoring the previous session.

6. I'm confused for a moment.

7. Okay... I need to run this Applescript that tells me to logout.

8. I'm logging-out, and I'll "'Reopen Windows When I Log Back In'"

If this is true, then I'd be creating a sort of infinite loop.

Does any of that make sense as being possibly true? I guess I was just assuming that it ran the login items before reopening windows.

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Answer 5

Dec 20, 2011 6:53 AM in response to Greg Robinson1

I was right! When I disabled "Reopen Windows When Logging Back-In" my Login Items executed swiftly and properly.

So, the lesson learned is that the processing sequence is...

1. Reopen windows from previous session

2. Execute Login Items

... and the session restoration can considerably delay the Login Items.

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Answer 6

David Yeh

Level 1

106 points

Jan 28, 2012 8:26 PM in response to Greg Robinson1

Came across this thread today, and I can confirm your findings. Yet another Lion buggy annoyance, which wouldn't be as much an annoyance if there was a way to disable "Reopen Windows..." by default.

I found some subtleties in it though. I have both Safari and iTunes in my login items. I did some tests, and there were times when I intentionally quit both of them, before logging out (and leaving "Reopen Windows..." checked). When I logged back in, it seems as if both iTunes and Safari immediately relaunched (a Safari window appeared immediately, and the "open application light" appeared beneath both apps in the Dock. It's hard to know if they launched as a response to them being in the Login Items list though, or if somehow Lion thought they were open before logout and was simply restoring them. The reason I'm not sure is a) a Safari window showed up, even though I have it set to "Hide" in the Login Items list, and when logout with the restore function enabled and log back in, indeed, it is hidden on launch, and b) even though iTunes and Safari seem to launch immediately, everything else in my login list doesn't execute until a minute later.

It's all throughly befuddling and irritating, and adds another layer to the Lion Login What-Will-Happen-This-Time Delight (the others being rearranged icons and resized window folders)

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