Problem with Task Scheduler

[Guest]

I am having a problem with the Task Scheculer on a 2000 server. I have 70+
tasks scheduled on the machine, most of which log in as the seme domain
account. Periodically, once a month or so, the Task Scheduler loses the
ability to launch tasks. When a task is to be started it immediately exits
with an error code of 80. When this occurs I have to reboot to fix,
restarting the task scheduler service does not work.

Anyone seen anything like this before? I'm thinking it's either a limit to
the number of times an account can be logged in, or a limit to the number of
simultaneous task which are running but can not find any documentation to
back that up.

Here is an example of a task that could not run from the scheduler's log :

"ReRollUnload.job" (ReRollUnload.exe)
Started 12/10/2004 3:30:00 AM
"ReRollUnload.job" (ReRollUnload.exe)
Finished 12/10/2004 3:30:00 AM
Result: The task completed with an exit code of (80).

 

[Dave Patrick]

This article may help you.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q267031

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
|I am having a problem with the Task Scheculer on a 2000 server. I have 70+
| tasks scheduled on the machine, most of which log in as the seme domain
| account. Periodically, once a month or so, the Task Scheduler loses the
| ability to launch tasks. When a task is to be started it immediately
exits
| with an error code of 80. When this occurs I have to reboot to fix,
| restarting the task scheduler service does not work.
|
| Anyone seen anything like this before? I'm thinking it's either a limit
to
| the number of times an account can be logged in, or a limit to the number
of
| simultaneous task which are running but can not find any documentation to
| back that up.
|
| Here is an example of a task that could not run from the scheduler's log :
|
| "ReRollUnload.job" (ReRollUnload.exe)
| Started 12/10/2004 3:30:00 AM
| "ReRollUnload.job" (ReRollUnload.exe)
| Finished 12/10/2004 3:30:00 AM
| Result: The task completed with an exit code of (80).
|
|

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I am having a problem with the Task Scheculer on a 2000 server. I have 70+
tasks scheduled on the machine, most of which log in as the seme domain
account. Periodically, once a month or so, the Task Scheduler loses the
ability to launch tasks. When a task is to be started it immediately exits
with an error code of 80. When this occurs I have to reboot to fix,
restarting the task scheduler service does not work.

Anyone seen anything like this before? I'm thinking it's either a limit to
the number of times an account can be logged in, or a limit to the number of
simultaneous task which are running but can not find any documentation to
back that up.

Here is an example of a task that could not run from the scheduler's log :

"ReRollUnload.job" (ReRollUnload.exe)
Started 12/10/2004 3:30:00 AM
"ReRollUnload.job" (ReRollUnload.exe)
Finished 12/10/2004 3:30:00 AM
Result: The task completed with an exit code of (80).

Most Task Scheduler codes are generated by the commands
invoked under that task Add some simple diagnostics to your
task like so:

@echo off
echo %date% %time% Start of task > c:\test.log
echo User=%UserName%, Path=%path% >> c:\test.log
c:\Tools\YourTask.exe 1>>c:\test.log 2>c:\test.err
echo %date% %time% End of task >> c:\test.log

Now have a look at your log files and things may become
clear.

 

[Guest]

I've tried this to no avail. In fact I've got to the point where I log
pretty much everything I do and have found that the tasks do not even start.
I've even gone as far as writing a task that just starts, sleeps for 10
seconds, and finishes. This way when the server gets in this state I can
watch the task manager to see if the tasks start. They do not. Maybe I
should have stated that when the server gets in this state no tasks run.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Dave Patrick]

From what you posted the scheduled task does start and complete. It is the
task itself that generates an error. If you're now telling us the task does
not start then Scheduled Tasks|Advanced|View Log may provide some details.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| I've tried this to no avail. In fact I've got to the point where I log
| pretty much everything I do and have found that the tasks do not even
start.
| I've even gone as far as writing a task that just starts, sleeps for 10
| seconds, and finishes. This way when the server gets in this state I can
| watch the task manager to see if the tasks start. They do not. Maybe I
| should have stated that when the server gets in this state no tasks run.
|
| Thanks for your help.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Further to Dave Patrick's suggestion, you should also consult
the Event Logger.

 

[Guest]

I'm not sure what defines the task's "starting" and "finishing". I am
defining it as my exe's first line of code being executed. I am sure there
is something in the OS world that happens in between the scheduler launching
and the process starting. I can say that no process appears to be created
when the task should be launched, i.e. I never see it in the task manager
(with show processes from all users checked). However the log does record a
begin and end for the task which always are marked exactly the same time
(even for the task where the only line of code is a 10 second sleep
statement). I would say that it's really seems that the problem is in
between when the task scheduler issuses its start command(s) and when the exe
actually begins to execute but I don't know enough about the OS to be sure.

Also, I don't think it's a task generated error (I am defining task
generated error as "bad code") because when it happens I'll have 20 different
tasks fail in a 2 hour window all with exactly the same error code. Moreover
I can log into the server as the same account the task runs as and
interactively launch the task's exe and it will work fine. But at the same
time if I select the task in the task scheduler and choose run it will fail
with the same error code.

 

[Dave Patrick]

You might try something simple. Schedule to run C:\WINNT\system32\calc.exe
Also try logging on as a different user.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| I'm not sure what defines the task's "starting" and "finishing". I am
| defining it as my exe's first line of code being executed. I am sure
there
| is something in the OS world that happens in between the scheduler
launching
| and the process starting. I can say that no process appears to be
created
| when the task should be launched, i.e. I never see it in the task manager
| (with show processes from all users checked). However the log does record
a
| begin and end for the task which always are marked exactly the same time
| (even for the task where the only line of code is a 10 second sleep
| statement). I would say that it's really seems that the problem is in
| between when the task scheduler issuses its start command(s) and when the
exe
| actually begins to execute but I don't know enough about the OS to be
sure.
|
| Also, I don't think it's a task generated error (I am defining task
| generated error as "bad code") because when it happens I'll have 20
different
| tasks fail in a 2 hour window all with exactly the same error code.
Moreover
| I can log into the server as the same account the task runs as and
| interactively launch the task's exe and it will work fine. But at the same
| time if I select the task in the task scheduler and choose run it will
fail
| with the same error code.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I don't think that calc.exe is a good program to test the
Task Scheduler:
- It is interactive, requiring user intervention.
- It leaves no trace when it runs.

The following gets around both problems:

@echo off
echo %date% %time% > c:\test.txt