Use Automator to launch a program every night at midnight

I want Automator to launch Tivo Transfer every night at midnight. How would I set that up? Thanks!

You can actually create an iCal event that will run an AppleScript or Automator action at a given time, and have that event repeat at the same time every day. Another way is to use a Cron job.
For iCal:
1. Save the Automator workflow as an application.
2. Select Add Alarm on a new or current event.
3. Select Open File: Other, and open your saved workflow application.
4. Enter the time and date that you want the workflow to run.
If iCal is not running at the scheduled time, the workflow will run when iCal is next opened.
Message was edited by: Emmerac

Similar Messages

Using Automator to open a program with a delay after a programmed restart

Hi to all! With my old PowerPc I used to start unattended sessions of my Newsreader (Unison) overnight simply putting Unison in my Login elements window, and programming a restart at a fixed hour. Unfortunately, with my very fast new iMac this doesn't work: Unison opens too fast after the programmed restart, before a network connection has been established, and Unison is unable to see the NewsServer online when it starts (error "nodelist not found", typical of a not yet established Internet connection). Note that I downgrade to Unison 1.8.x to do this, as the Unison 2.x program cannot be closed with a session running to resume it after start: it simply defaults to "Pause transfers" after quitting, and need a clic on "Resume" after reopening.
Obviously, what I need is to introduce a "wait (say) 2 minutes before the opening of Unison", or anything that can check the Internet connection before Unison starts. May anyone instruct me to do this with Automator and/or AppleScript?
In fact, I tried to generate a workflow in Automator, with a Pause after the start of the process, then the instruction to open Unison. I put the saved workflow in my Login elements, but it didn't work on my iMac 27, i7Core, Snow Leopard installed. I added an "execute workflow" at beginning of the process, but the Pause command gives always an error and the process stops before Unison' opening.
Any suggestion or help in writing an Automator or AppleScript workflow/script to be put among the startup items?
Thanks a lot!

I am trying to use Automator to restart an application. I figured how to quit the application, however when I relaunch it, it asks for password permission... how can I use automator to enter the password? or is there a way to launch the software with password in a script?

Re: Slow broadband every night 10pm-Midnight

I am experiencing very slow broadband every night from 10pm. I searched the forum and saw this post and notied it was marked as 'solved' Can you tell me what the problem is here and how to solve it? I
magnamundian wrote:
Subject says it all really, switched to BT around 1 month ago and every night between 10pm and Midnight my broadband slows to a speed that would make dial-up blush. After midnight things ramp back up to normal. I don't P2P and this situation is consistent regardless of whether I have used the broadband heavily during the day (Netflix) or not used the broadband at all (until I tried to use at 10pm), so I'm discounting any ideas of traffic shaping or limits.
BT Line/Speed Checker results (http://diagnostics.bt.com/speedtest/)
After a good 10 minutes wait (not the 45 seconds advertised) the Exchange > HomeHub test came back with... well nothing really, the nifty Exchange > House graphic disappeared (after 10 minutes) and I suppose the results page was due to appear but after another 10 minutes I was still looking at "transferring data from BT.com" in the bottom of my browser... If I manage to get it to complete the cycle later I'll post the result.
At all other times of day the broadband lives up to expectations. Any advise appreciated, we previous had no problems with BE Broadband except for dire connections to US/Japan Servers (Sony/Square Enix etc), which was pretty much a problem of insufficient bandwidth on their backbone network.
Additional information from BTHomeHub.home:
ADSL Line Status
Connection information
Line state:
Connected
Connection time:
9 days, 18:20:04
Downstream:
20,609 Kbps
Upstream:
1,276 Kbps
ADSL settings
VPI/VCI:
0/38
Type:
PPPoA
Modulation:
G.992.5 Annex A
Latency type:
Interleaved
Noise margin (Down/Up):
2.1 dB / 6.8 dB
Line attenuation (Down/Up):
27.5 dB / 16.6 dB
Output power (Down/Up):
0.0 dBm / 12.6 dBm
FEC Events (Down/Up):
1086302352 / 0
CRC Events (Down/Up):
3453520 / 1589
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote):
0 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote):
0 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote):
0 / 0
Loss of Link (Remote):
0
HEC Errors (Down/Up):
65406711 / 1420
Error Seconds (Local/Remote):
0 / 364
t is not clear to me what to do from the contents of this thread. Thanks.
magnamundian wrote:
Subject says it all really, switched to BT around 1 month ago and every night between 10pm and Midnight my broadband slows to a speed that would make dial-up blush. After midnight things ramp back up to normal. I don't P2P and this situation is consistent regardless of whether I have used the broadband heavily during the day (Netflix) or not used the broadband at all (until I tried to use at 10pm), so I'm discounting any ideas of traffic shaping or limits.
BT Line/Speed Checker results (http://diagnostics.bt.com/speedtest/)
After a good 10 minutes wait (not the 45 seconds advertised) the Exchange > HomeHub test came back with... well nothing really, the nifty Exchange > House graphic disappeared (after 10 minutes) and I suppose the results page was due to appear but after another 10 minutes I was still looking at "transferring data from BT.com" in the bottom of my browser... If I manage to get it to complete the cycle later I'll post the result.
At all other times of day the broadband lives up to expectations. Any advise appreciated, we previous had no problems with BE Broadband except for dire connections to US/Japan Servers (Sony/Square Enix etc), which was pretty much a problem of insufficient bandwidth on their backbone network.
Additional information from BTHomeHub.home:
ADSL Line Status
Connection information
Line state:
Connected
Connection time:
9 days, 18:20:04
Downstream:
20,609 Kbps
Upstream:
1,276 Kbps
ADSL settings
VPI/VCI:
0/38
Type:
PPPoA
Modulation:
G.992.5 Annex A
Latency type:
Interleaved
Noise margin (Down/Up):
2.1 dB / 6.8 dB
Line attenuation (Down/Up):
27.5 dB / 16.6 dB
Output power (Down/Up):
0.0 dBm / 12.6 dBm
FEC Events (Down/Up):
1086302352 / 0
CRC Events (Down/Up):
3453520 / 1589
Loss of Framing (Local/Remote):
0 / 0
Loss of Signal (Local/Remote):
0 / 0
Loss of Power (Local/Remote):
0 / 0
Loss of Link (Remote):
0
HEC Errors (Down/Up):
65406711 / 1420
Error Seconds (Local/Remote):
0 / 364

A "lay" explanation is this.
As IMJ has stated, at night the noise margin is dropping to a level whereby it becomes difficult for the DSL to bitload the data into the ADSL spectrum without undue error correction and bitswapping, and often increased error rate.
This situation tends to throttle down throughput .... and if it got worse, which clearly it isn't doing, it's just staying at a poor level .... the modem would drop the connection, and renegotiate .... and come back with target margin, at which juncture it would bitload and throughput would return to normal.
So what IMJ is saying is ... if it doesn;t drop and continues to hobble along .... force a drop, or reset it, and it will come back as if it had dropped by the modem forcing a drop.
In the end DLM will hopefully get hold of the situation and set the line parameters in a fashion which will sustain a connection and bitload properly 24 hours a day .... but sometimes it needs help, and especially if it didn't linetrain properly.
If it continues manual intervention is useful to set the noise margin accordingly until the line has re-trained.
Resetting the hub or modem is not a good idea with DSL, however in this instance if an automatic cure is not forthcoming, it is the ONLY time I would advocate a router reset, especially at night, when margin is depleted.

My iphone4 keeps shutting off on its own every 24-36 hours and I can't switch it back on unless I plug it into the charger n charge it. I didn't charge the iPhone for a long period the first time I used it and I charge it every night for at least 7 hours.

My iPhone 4 shuts down automatically and I can't turn it back on unless I plug it into charger and charge it. This happens spontaneously. I didn't charge it for a long time before using it for the first time and I charge it nightly for at least 7 hours. What is the problem?

My iPhone 4 shuts down automatically and I can't turn it back on unless I plug it into charger and charge it. This happens spontaneously. I didn't charge it for a long time before using it for the first time and I charge it nightly for at least 7 hours. What is the problem?

Birthday alarms every night at midnight driving me insane!

I keep getting birthday alarms going off every time someone has a birthday. The alarm goes off at midnight. I have birthdays turned off in the Calendar app. I have all alarms off in the Preferences/Mail,Contacts,Calendars/Calendars.
I tired deleting the calendars and re syncing them over iCloud. No luck. Any ideas? Thanks! Major karma points if you can help me.

I exported all my contacts on my mac, and reimported them. then re-sync'd everything. Not sure if that will solve it, but I'm guessing there is some corruption somewhere. I should probably do the same thing with my Calendar app also.

IMAc starts itself up automatically every night at midnight. Any fix yet?

We have had this problem since updating to Lion. I see from the site that this is an old problem, so I am hoping it has been solved by now.

Do you mean "goes from turned off to turned on," or "wakes from sleep?" Different issues.
There is a "Schedule" option button in System Preferences > Energy Saver that will tell the computer to automatically turn itself on at whatever time is set:
Note that, if the first checkbox is selected and nothing else changed, the computer will start at midnight.

Computer crashes every night

My powermac g5 has started to crash every night after midnight. I've shut off all backups that occur at night, fixed permissions, re-installed OS 10.5.6, ran tech tool pro, which showed no problems.
I'm attaching the crash report and configuration.
If anyone can help me out I would really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Randy
Fri Dec 19 08:48:23 2008
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x0091ECAC): "SMUNeo2SlewCtrlLoop::didWake - cannot establish communication with clock driver\n"@/SourceCache/IOPlatformPluginFamily/IOPlatformPluginFamily-331.0.0/SM UNeo2_PlatformPlugin/SMU_Neo2SlewCtrlLoop.cpp:1440
Latest stack backtrace for cpu 0:
Backtrace:
0x0009BCF0 0x0009C694 0x00029EA0 0x0091ECAC 0x0090DCD8 0x0090D40C 0x0090CC84 0x0090CF7C
0x0034C700 0x0034CAC4 0x0003F9BC 0x000B0E54
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.SMUNeo2PlatformPlugin(3.3.1d0)@0x916000->0x924fff
dependency: com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily(3.3.1d0)@0x903000
com.apple.driver.IOPlatformPluginFamily(3.3.1d0)@0x903000->0x915fff
Proceeding back via exception chain:
Exception state (sv=0x2cb1d500)
PC=0x00000000; MSR=0x0000D030; DAR=0x00000000; DSISR=0x00000000; LR=0x00000000; R1=0x00000000; XCP=0x00000000 (Unknown)
BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task
Mac OS version:
9G55
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 9.6.0: Mon Nov 24 17:39:01 PST 2008; root:xnu-1228.9.59~1/RELEASE_PPC
System model name: PowerMac9,1
del: PowerMac9,1, BootROM 5.2.2f1, 1 processor, PowerPC G5 (3.0), 1.8 GHz, 1.25 GB
Graphics: kHW_ATIrv351Item, ATY,RV351, spdisplaysagpdevice, 256 MB
Memory Module: DIMM0/J4000, 512 MB, DDR SDRAM, PC3200U-30330
Memory Module: DIMM1/J4001, 512 MB, DDR SDRAM, PC3200U-30330
Memory Module: DIMM2/J4100, 128 MB, DDR SDRAM, PC3200U-30330
Memory Module: DIMM3/J4101, 128 MB, DDR SDRAM, PC3200U-30330
Modem: Jump, V.92, Version 1.0
Network Service: Built-in Ethernet, Ethernet, en0
Serial ATA Device: Maxtor 6L300S0, 279.48 GB
Serial ATA Device: Maxtor 6Y080M0, 76.34 GB
Parallel ATA Device: HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GWA-4082B
USB Device: hub_device, (null) mA
USB Device: Hub in Apple Extended USB Keyboard, (null) mA
USB Device: Kensington Expert Mouse, (null) mA
USB Device: Apple Extended USB Keyboard, (null) mA
USB Device: Apple Cinema HD Display, (null) mA
FireWire Device: d2 Quadra (button), LaCie, 400mbit_speed
FireWire Device: unknown_device, unknown_value, unknown_speed
FireWire Device: CF type II, 1394, 400mbit_speed

HI Randy and Welcome to Apple Discussions...
Try disconnecting the USB hub for one night and see if the G5 crashes. If it doesn't, then it's obviously not the hub. Just a process of elimination.
Also, check the hard disk just in case:
Open Disk Utility, in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder.
Insert your Mac OS X Install disc in your computer’s optical drive or an optical drive connected to your computer, and then restart your computer. When you hear the startup tone, hold down the C key until you see the progress indicator, which looks like a spinning gear.
Follow the onscreen instructions until the menu bar appears with the Utilities menu in it, choose Utilities > Disk Utility, click First Aid, and then click the Verify button. If DU reports errors, click Repair. When it's finished, from the Menu Bar, select Utilities/Startup Disk. In the Startup Disk window select MacintoshHD 10.x.x and click Restart.
Also, re: "SMUNeo2PlatformPlugin" go here: http://www.versiontracker.com/php/feedback/article.php?story=20060628202143332
Carolyn
Message was edited by: Carolyn Samit

Why does my 4S ask me to confirm my iCloud password every night ?

Sorry to ask my question is the header. Anyway, just stated asking for the password every night around midnight. I enter and all seem OK. I’m confused.
Thanks

Happens to me also - but not every night but every couple of nights - says it needs it to do backup. I'd love to know why it "loses" my password every couple of days.

Safari logs me out of websites every day at midnight

A few days ago I was browsing the internet and Safari randomly closed and asked me to "reset" so that it would work. I clicked reset and didn't lose my bookmarks and nothing seemed to be different. At midnight that night Safari logged me out of the websites that I had been logged into, and has done this every night at midnight ever since. Is there any way to fix this? I'd love to have it back like it was.
Message was edited by: lisaserr

Hi Sonny,
Can you explain in a bit more detail the logging out?
Open Console in Utilities & see if there are any clues or repeating messages when this happens.

Is there a way to use Automator or Applescript to launch the Mac App Store and download updates automatically?

As the subject indicates, I'm wondering if anyone knows a way to use AppleScript or Automator to launch the Mac App Store and download any available updates on a set schedule.

I would advise against this. Updates sometimes reduce functionality or break programs. I would never get an update with working software unless there is a specific problem you are trying to solve.
I have read many desperate posts from people trying to go back to earlier versions for various reasons. This is easy to do with disk-based software, but with downloaded software, going backward can be more difficult.

Run a program every saturday night 12

i want to run my program every Saturday night 12 anybody knows how can i do this

hi,
There are two ways for you to handle,
one manually setting up the job through SM36 which is better and convinient,
secondly through program using FM's JOB_OPEN, SUBMIT, JOB_CLOSE.
Find below steps in doing both:
Procedure 1:
1. Goto Trans -> SM36
2. Define a job with the program and variant if any
3. Click on start condition in application tool bar
4. In the pop-up window, click on Date/Time
5. Below you can see a check box "Periodic Job"
6. Next click on Period Values
7. Select "Other Period"
8. Now give '15' for Minutes
9. Save the job
In SM37 u can check the status of the jobs that u have assigned to background...
Here u mention the job name or the report name to check the status of the job...
After mentioning the job name or program name u just execute it.. ( without any name also u can execute then it gives u all the jobs set by your user name..
the status colud be released,active,finished etc..
Procedure 2 via Program:
Below is a sample code for the same. Note the ZTEMP2 is the program i am scheduling with 15mins frequency.
DATA: P_JOBCNT LIKE TBTCJOB-JOBCOUNT,
      L_RELEASE(1) TYPE c.
   CALL FUNCTION 'JOB_OPEN'
     EXPORTING
       JOBNAME                = 'ZTEMP2'
    IMPORTING
      JOBCOUNT               = P_JOBCNT
    EXCEPTIONS
      CANT_CREATE_JOB        = 1
      INVALID_JOB_DATA       = 2
      JOBNAME_MISSING        = 3
      OTHERS                 = 4.
   IF SY-SUBRC <> 0.
MESSAGE ID SY-MSGID TYPE SY-MSGTY NUMBER SY-MSGNO
        WITH SY-MSGV1 SY-MSGV2 SY-MSGV3 SY-MSGV4.
   ENDIF.
   SUBMIT ZTEMP2 VIA JOB 'ZTEMP2' NUMBER P_JOBCNT
          TO SAP-SPOOL WITHOUT SPOOL DYNPRO
          WITH DESTINATION = 'HPMISPRT'
          WITH IMMEDIATELY = SPACE
          WITH KEEP_IN_SPOOL = 'X' AND RETURN.
   CALL FUNCTION 'JOB_CLOSE'
     EXPORTING
       JOBCOUNT                          = P_JOBCNT
       JOBNAME                           = 'ZTEMP2'
       STRTIMMED                         = 'X'
       PRDMINS                          = 15
    IMPORTING
      JOB_WAS_RELEASED                  = L_RELEASE
    EXCEPTIONS
      CANT_START_IMMEDIATE              = 1
      INVALID_STARTDATE                 = 2
      JOBNAME_MISSING                   = 3
      JOB_CLOSE_FAILED                  = 4
      JOB_NOSTEPS                       = 5
      JOB_NOTEX                         = 6
      LOCK_FAILED                       = 7
      INVALID_TARGET                    = 8
      OTHERS                            = 9.
   IF SY-SUBRC <> 0.
MESSAGE ID SY-MSGID TYPE SY-MSGTY NUMBER SY-MSGNO
        WITH SY-MSGV1 SY-MSGV2 SY-MSGV3 SY-MSGV4.
   ENDIF.
Hope the above helps you.
Regards
Anversha

I am working on Mac OS 10.7.2 using Quark 9.I. The program keeps shutting down every time I try to work on a file I created on my MacBook Pro using Quark 7.01. Help!

I am working on Mac OS 10.7.2 using Quark 9.I. The program keeps shutting down every time I try to work on a file I created on my MacBook Pro using Quark 7.01. Help!

http://support.quark.com/SSP/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=/ssp/default.aspx

My imac (intel core i5, OS 10.10.1) shuts down every night and will not "wake up" next morning -- it never used to do that -- if I hold down the start button more than twice for many seconds, then it will finally boot up and works fine all day – I've

my imac (intel core i5, OS 10.10.1) shuts down every night and will not "wake up" next morning -- it never used to do that -- if I hold down the start button more than twice for many seconds, then it will finally boot up and works fine all day – I’ve tried shutting it down and unplugging it, and that does not work -- I’ve run disk utilities checked permissions, and run anti-virus and get no adverse results – I cannot figure out what is different that causes this problem

From previous experience 3 indicates a shutdown initiated by the SMC (System Management Controller) — hardware responsible for many low-level functions including power, sleep, lights, and fan activity.
Try resetting it:
Power or other problems related to unexpected system sleep, shutdown, lights or fans call for an SMC reset. Read all the steps.
Before Resetting the SMC
Try each of the following steps in this order before you reset the SMC. Test the issue after completing each troubleshooting step to determine if the issue still occurs.
Press Command + Option + Escape to force quit any application that is not responding.
Put your Mac to sleep by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Sleep. Wake the computer after it has gone to sleep.
Restart your Mac by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Restart.
Shut down your Mac by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Shut Down.
Resetting the SMC for Mac Pro, Intel-based iMac, Intel-based Mac mini, or Intel-based Xserve
Shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer's power cord.
Wait fifteen seconds.
Attach the computer's power cord.
Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

Firefox crashes every night without a crash report (Since last 3-6 months) Currently using version 23.0.1, Fresh Install, Fresh Profile, No Addons

Every night Firefox crashes without any crash report.
All I get is the Windows dialog that says "Firefox has stopped working" "A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Please close the program." "Close the program". (If I can upload the screenshot I will).
The websites I was on are intranet only sites, require NO Flash or Java. Two tabs only. The same sites were not crashing in much older versions, appx 6+ months ago.
The only criteria for crashes seems to be the uptime of Firefox. The longer I leave it, the greater the chances of this crash. I have never seen it crash in front of my eyes, always (90%) would have crashed when I unlock the PC in the morning. I leave it running and locked the whole night.
Just a couple of days ago I decided to do a complete clean install of Firefox, i.e.:
Uninstall, Delete Program Files, Delete Profile folder. Reinstall, import bookmarks. That's it.
Hardware Acceleration has been disabled.
Provide Telemetry has been enabled.
Crash Reporter is enabled, but doesn't kick in. about:crashes is empty. (Even before re-install there were no recent crashes recorded there).

HP Compaq 6005 Pro Small Form Factor PC
AMD Athlon II X2 Processor B24
Chipset AMD 785G
Integrated ATI Radeon HD 4200
Integrated Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet BCM 5761
Integrated High Definition audio with Realtek ALC261 codec, internal PC speaker
For further info : http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/ca/en/sm/WF06a/12454-12454-64287-3328896-3328896-4024556.html?dnr=1
Thanks for looking into this.

I don't have enough space to update my iPhone. I back it up every night and I'm wonering if I can reset it, update, and then use backup to restore my data.

I don't have enough space to update my iPhone 5s. I back it up every night. I'm wondering if I can reset, update and then add the data back to my phone. Is there a better way? I've tried deleting pics and apps but still can't get enough room.

Try updating it via iTunes on a computer.
Also, to find out what is taking up so much storage go to Settings>General>Usage>Manage Storage. It will list what is taking up your storage starting with the one that is taking up the largest amount.
Cheers,
GB

Use Automator to launch a program every night at midnight

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