Help ID this spinning gear icon in top bar of desktop

[nfable]

Just got a used MBP 17" (1 yr old) and have noticed this icon popping up every now and then. Never seen it on my previous MBP (about 5 years old) and I'm going thru the process of loading apps on the new MBP, but can't associate it with any app.

It is present even when no other app is open. If I option-click on it or regular click, it simply vanishes... most odd.

All Googling I've tried leads me to the 'spinning gear' on start up, not in the top bar.

Thoughts?

Also, here's all my processes when it was last present...


Active Memory: 861.5 MB
Free Memory: 126.6 MB
Wired Memory: 554.0 MB
Used Memory: 3.88 GB
Inactive Memory: 2.49 GB
Total VM: 172.75 GB
Number of processes: 61

PID Process Name User CPU Real Mem Virtual Mem
0 kernel_task root 8.4 129.0 MB 2.02 GB
1 launchd root 0.0 1.2 MB 2.34 GB
10 kextd root 0.0 2.8 MB 2.34 GB
11 notifyd root 0.0 596 KB 2.33 GB
12 diskarbitrationd root 0.0 1.5 MB 2.33 GB
13 configd root 0.0 2.9 MB 2.36 GB
14 syslogd root 0.0 712 KB 2.34 GB
15 DirectoryService root 0.0 5.4 MB 2.34 GB
16 distnoted daemon 0.0 1.2 MB 2.33 GB
18 ntpd root 0.0 1.1 MB 2.32 GB
20 usbmuxd _usbmuxd 0.0 1.6 MB 2.35 GB
21 SystemStarter root 0.0 1,008 KB 2.33 GB
24 securityd root 0.0 2.9 MB 2.35 GB
27 mds root 0.0 48.7 MB 2.56 GB
28 mDNSResponder _mdnsrespo 0.0 2.2 MB 2.34 GB
29 loginwindow nf_able 0.0 7.9 MB 2.61 GB
30 KernelEventAgent root 0.0 988 KB 2.33 GB
32 hidd root 1.8 1.6 MB 2.33 GB
33 fseventsd root 0.0 2.0 MB 2.34 GB
35 dynamic_pager root 0.0 788 KB 2.32 GB
41 blued root 0.0 4.2 MB 2.35 GB
42 autofsd root 0.0 988 KB 2.33 GB
47 coreservicesd root 0.0 23.8 MB 2.37 GB
59 WindowServer _windowser 5.9 75.0 MB 2.98 GB
78 cvmsServ root 0.0 860 KB 2.33 GB
88 coreaudiod _coreaudio 0.0 3.2 MB 2.34 GB
102 SiCoreService root 0.4 884 KB 598.5 MB
104 launchd nf_able 0.0 996 KB 2.34 GB
108 Dock nf_able 0.0 23.4 MB 2.64 GB
109 SystemUIServer nf_able 0.0 12.9 MB 2.63 GB
110 Finder nf_able 0.0 57.4 MB 2.82 GB
113 pboard nf_able 0.0 840 KB 2.32 GB
119 fontd nf_able 0.0 4.0 MB 2.38 GB
123 UserEventAgent nf_able 0.0 5.6 MB 2.35 GB
129 AirPort Base Station Agen nf_able 0.0 5.6 MB 2.62 GB
130 SIMBL Agent nf_able 0.0 8.1 MB 10.64 GB
134 Folder Actions Dispatcher nf_able 0.0 5.9 MB 2.63 GB
138 iTunesHelper nf_able 0.0 2.8 MB 2.35 GB
139 Canon IJ Network Scanner nf_able 0.0 4.9 MB 898.4 MB
590 rcd nf_able 0.0 6.0 MB 2.62 GB
603 Safari nf_able 0.0 240.5 MB 4.99 GB
607 AppleSpell.service nf_able 0.0 5.5 MB 2.35 GB
614 diskimages-helper nf_able 0.0 8.6 MB 2.35 GB
619 hdiejectd root 0.0 1.6 MB 2.33 GB
835 DashboardClient nf_able 0.0 26.0 MB 4.68 GB
860 LKDCHelper nf_able 0.0 1.3 MB 2.33 GB
861 check_afp root 0.0 1.0 MB 2.33 GB
881 mdworker nf_able 0.0 14.0 MB 2.36 GB
905 WebKitPluginAgent nf_able 0.0 984 KB 2.34 GB
955 AppleScript Runner nf_able 0.2 10.6 MB 2.62 GB
956 Automator Runner nf_able 0.0 17.9 MB 10.65 GB
957 Automator Launcher nf_able 1.6 11.8 MB 10.64 GB
1025 Vuze nf_able 12.5 122.1 MB 1.29 GB
1050 Preview nf_able 0.0 35.6 MB 2.71 GB
1053 cvmsComp_x86_64 nf_able 0.0 6.1 MB 2.34 GB
1068 mdworker _spotlight 0.0 3.2 MB 2.35 GB
1079 Quick Look Helper nf_able 0.0 36.6 MB 2.88 GB
1082 cupsd root 0.0 2.3 MB 2.34 GB
1097 Activity Monitor nf_able 9.0 42.0 MB 2.74 GB
1099 activitymonitord root 0.6 1.3 MB 2.33 GB
1107 osascript nf_able 0.0 5.2 MB 2.35 GB


Any questions / diagnostic welcome!

nf

 

[snberk103]

Perhaps there is a 3rd party Preference Pane in your Preferences? Check the last line there, under "Other" and maybe something will pop out at you? I have no idea otherwise.

 

[nfable]

Nope, shoulda mentioned that I checked that and login items as well; I only have the 'iTunesHelper' and one for my Canon printer, but no extra pref panes nor login items. Good thought tho.

 

[Jolly Jimmy]

The spinning gear appears when certain automator actions are running.

 

[nfable]

That must be it. Thanks. I had messed around with it trying to partition my main drive with a small part for the OS and the rest for the documents, pics, add'l software, etc... to change the behavior of a program automatically defaulting a 'Save As' folder as one attached to my User account (on the OS part) when I'd like all that to go to the Data part.

Any how thanks, now to try to turn it off.

Is there a forum nook here for programing for Automater? Did a quick look but dinnit see any.

thanks,
nf

 

[tjb1]

You need to find whats running, if you need help keep it here. I know a decent amount about automator.

 

[nfable]

Thanks for the offer, here's in a nut shell what I'm aiming at:

I have drive partitioned into 2. One for the OS and apps, other for everything else (Data).

It is OS X default to have user folders reside on the OS disk like 'Documents' 'Downloads' et al.

When a program defaults to one of those folders, I have it on the OS disk; but I wish to fill Data disk with those things.

I attempted to make an action that when a file was created / moved to the 'OS/users/myname/documents' folder it would be moved to my 'Data/documents'.

But I wanted to leave an alias there for when programs sought those default folders.

So I'm thinking the action would be something like:

'When file created in folder 'OS/users/myname/documents', then copy to 'Data/documents'
then make alias from new location 'Data/Documents', copy alias to 'OS/users/myname/documents'
Send original file on OS disk to trash
Send alias on Data disk to trash
rename Alias file on OS disk, taking out the ' alias'

But I can't get it, first time I tinkered it kind of looped… when the alias was put in the OS disk, it would enter that into the beginning of this action, and copy it to the Data disk. That was about a week ago, haven't attempted anything since.

Any thoughts would be helpful,
nf

 

[tjb1]

Cant you just create the aliases manually? The home folder itself is very easy to move and so are creating aliases...

 

[nfable]

My FAIL: overthinking.

Never thought of simply moving the home folder to another drive (didn't know it was possible). Followed a post by Pirillo and voila.

Thanks for the suggestion, much cleaner than what I was after (guess I was just looking for an excuse to use automator) !

best,
nf

 

[tjb1]

Yeah I really dont like Automator for its included actions...many are useless and a lot of the ones you would think would be there arent. At one time I was trying to do something and I needed one similar to "When XXX program starts, do this." I understand that it would always be running but thats associated with that command.