Automator services do not work

Question

Level 1

0 points

Automator services do not work

Hi,

I created a few Automator Services to open URLs in my browser (Safari).

When I click Play the webpage opens as expected.

But when I call the service, either from the Application - Services menu or by adding a hotkey to it in System Preferences, nothing happens.

The console shows this error but only once. All attempts after than nothing is logged:

19/02/2013 11:36:23.452 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: Could not connect the action buttonPressed: to target of class NSApplication

19/02/2013 11:36:23.452 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: 2013-02-19 11:36:23.450 WorkflowServiceRunner[628:1a07] Could not connect the action buttonPressed: to target of class NSApplication

19/02/2013 11:36:23.452 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: 2013-02-19 11:36:23.451 WorkflowServiceRunner[628:1a07] Could not connect the action buttonPressed: to target of class NSApplication

19/02/2013 11:36:23.452 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: Could not connect the action buttonPressed: to target of class NSApplication

19/02/2013 11:36:23.453 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: Could not connect the action buttonPressed: to target of class NSApplication

19/02/2013 11:36:23.453 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: 2013-02-19 11:36:23.452 WorkflowServiceRunner[628:1a07] Could not connect the action buttonPressed: to target of class NSApplication

19/02/2013 11:36:23.454 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: Could not connect the action buttonPressed: to target of class NSApplication

19/02/2013 11:36:23.454 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: 2013-02-19 11:36:23.453 WorkflowServiceRunner[628:1a07] Could not connect the action buttonPressed: to target of class NSApplication

19/02/2013 11:36:23.529 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: -[AMApplicationRegistry loadDefinitionAtURL:]: No application name for definition at URL file://localhost/Library/Automator/Office.definition/

19/02/2013 11:36:23.530 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: 2013-02-19 11:36:23.528 WorkflowServiceRunner[628:1a07] -[AMApplicationRegistry loadDefinitionAtURL:]: No application name for definition at URL file://localhost/Library/Automator/Office.definition/

19/02/2013 11:36:23.530 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: -[AMApplicationRegistry _loadDefinitionsAtURLS:]: Failed to load definition at URL file://localhost/Library/Automator/Office.definition/

19/02/2013 11:36:23.531 AM com.apple.automator.xpc.workflowServiceRunner: 2013-02-19 11:36:23.529 WorkflowServiceRunner[628:1a07] -[AMApplicationRegistry _loadDefinitionsAtURLS:]: Failed to load definition at URL file://localhost/Library/Automator/Office.definition/

Any idea how to make this work?

Thanks!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Feb 19, 2013 2:39 AM

Reply

Answer 1

pjdube

Level 3

835 points

Mar 6, 2013 9:51 PM in response to bbreukelen

Please show us the automator workflow.

Then we can give you pointers as to what's happening.

Regards,

Phil

Reply

Answer 2

bbreukelen Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 7, 2013 10:11 AM in response to pjdube

Hi Phil,

Thanks for your response.

Here's a screenshot of my workflow.

It's very simple and works fine when fired from Workflow but as soon as I run it as a service it does not work 99 out of 100 times I run it.

I had to change the url for security purposes but basically calling the url used in the workflow starts playing music on my server.

Testing can be done with any url and checking the access-log at the same time to see of the request was made.

Reply

Answer 3

Mar 7, 2013 10:35 AM in response to bbreukelen

Tried it here and it works OK as a service

What are you doing with the web content after the Gets Contents of Webpages?

Message was edited by: Frank Caggiano -Running on 10.8.2 BTW

Reply

Answer 4

bbreukelen Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 7, 2013 10:42 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

Actually testing further shows that the issue is much simpler than I thought.

Services do not work at all on my Mac.

Whatever workflow I create, even it's as simple as opening an application or whatever and save it as a service, the service appears in keyboard-shortcuts and appears in the Services menu but both clicking it in the Services menu or hitting the hotkey do not start the workflow action.

I found an article that advised me to run /System/Library/CoreServices/pbs from the terminal but that also does not help.

Also nothing shows in the console logs.

Any ideas?

Reply

Answer 5

Mar 7, 2013 11:07 AM in response to bbreukelen

Services do not work at all on my Mac.

Do you mean Services you create don't work or do you mean all Service even the standard ones?

If it is the first, Services you create, then as a test create a new user on your mac and log in as that user and try to create a service and see if it works.

If it's the second, No services at all, or when you have the results of the test post back.

Reply

Answer 6

louiexiv

Level 1

9 points

Apr 11, 2013 8:20 PM in response to Frank Caggiano

Run the Activity Monitor. Do you see the Automator Launcher in the list of processes? If so, kill it. After I had the same problem and killed a hung Launcher, services started to work.

Reply

Answer 7

Jul 19, 2014 4:45 PM in response to louiexiv

Run the Activity Monitor. Do you see the Automator Launcher in the list of processes? If so, kill it.

I was having this exact issue, where none of my Automator-based services were working, and your suggestion saved the day. Thank you, sir!

Reply

Answer 8

Feb 16, 2016 3:46 AM in response to louiexiv

This Worked for us too, found automator script runner not responding about 7 or 8 of them, killed all of them along with automator and all services worked again immediately. 🙂

Reply