scheduled tasks don't run

[David Ngo]

I have two accounts setup both without passwords. When I'm logged in
as the administrator and leave my computer for a few hours XP switch's
to the window where you can select which user you want to log in as. I
find its not running scheduled tasks because its at the select user
window. How do I get it so XP doesn't switch to the select user
window? or do I need to delete the 2nd account I created.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Nepatsfan]

In (e-mail address removed) David

I have two accounts setup both without passwords. When I'm
logged in as the administrator and leave my computer for a
few hours XP switch's to the window where you can select
which user you want to log in as. I find its not running
scheduled tasks because its at the select user window. How
do I get it so XP doesn't switch to the select user window?
or do I need to delete the 2nd account I created.

Thanks,
Dave

Two things to keep in mind:

1. By default, Windows will not run scheduled tasks under an
account that has a blank password.

Scheduled Tasks cannot run with a blank password
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310715

2. Once you get this situation corrected, right click each task
you wish to run and click on the Settings tab. Make sure
there's a check mark in the box next to "Wake computer to run
this task".

I think you'll find that correcting these issues will solve
your problem.

If you still want to prevent the Welcome Screen from being
displayed when you're computer comes out of standby, you can do
the following:

Go to Start -> Control Panel and double click on Display.
Click on the Screen Saver page.
Make sure there isn't a check mark in the box next to "On
resume, show the Welcome Screen".
Next, click on the Power button.
In Power Options Properties, click on the Advance tab.
Remove the check mark from the box next to "Prompt for password
when computer resumes from standby".

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[David Ngo]

Thanks step 2 worked great. When I first installed XP someone told me
of a way to run scheduled tasks without using a password so even tho MS
says its required there are ways around it.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Dave,

There is a workaround, but it has some serious implications. Pls see:

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers/msg/dc04358376919c9a?hl=en&

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com


Thanks step 2 worked great. When I first installed XP someone told me
of a way to run scheduled tasks without using a password so even tho MS
says its required there are ways around it.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Nepatsfan]

In (e-mail address removed) David

Thanks step 2 worked great. When I first installed XP
someone told me of a way to run scheduled tasks without
using a password so even tho MS says its required there are
ways around it.

Thanks,
Dave

You're welcome.

I'm aware of the registry hack that allows accounts with blank
passwords to schedule tasks. It also opens a huge security hole
on your system. For that reason, I no longer recommend it.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[David Ngo]

My computers been set this way for the past 3 years and haven't seen
any problems. But then again people could be accessing my computer
through telnet, ftp without me knowing. Anyway if I wanted to close
this security hole would I just set the following registry value to 1

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
limitblankpassworduse set to 0

I used the script at http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm to
allow no passwords.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[David Ngo]

My computers been set this way for the past 3 years and haven't seen
any problems. But then again people could be accessing my computer
through telnet, ftp without me knowing. Anyway if I wanted to close
this security hole would I just set the following registry value to 1

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
limitblankpassworduse set to 0

I used the script at http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm to
allow no passwords.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Nepatsfan]

In (e-mail address removed) David

My computers been set this way for the past 3 years and
haven't seen any problems. But then again people could be
accessing my computer through telnet, ftp without me
knowing. Anyway if I wanted to close this security hole
would I just set the following registry value to 1

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
limitblankpassworduse set to 0

I used the script at
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm to allow no
passwords.

Thanks,
Dave

Yes, setting that value back to 1 returns your computer to the
default setting.

Keep in mind that if you make that change you're going to have
to add a password to your user account in order to run
scheduled tasks. Any existing tasks would have to be edited to
include this new password. Also, if your computer is setup to
automatically logon your user account, you'd have to go back
and run control userpasswords2 and change the settings to
include your account's new password.

I'll never claim to be a security expert but here's an extreme
example of why I don't recommend removing the blank password
restriction:

1. A computer in someone's office is running XP Professional.
2. It's connected directly to a cable or dsl modem.
3. Remote Desktop has been enabled so that the person who owns
this computer can access if from home.
4. Remote Desktop has been added on the Exceptions page of
Windows Firewall.
5. None of the user accounts on this system have passwords.
This includes the built-in Administrator account.
6. For convenience purposes, such as creating scheduled tasks,
the restriction on blank passwords has been disabled.

What that means is that the person who owns this computer can
sit at home and logon to the remote computer using an account
that has a blank password. But, unfortunately, so can a hacker.
If you want to logon to a remote computer, you need three
pieces of information; an IP address, the name of an account
that can logon from the network and that account's password.
Well, in this example, two of these items have been given away
for free. Every Windows XP computer comes with an account named
Administrator. By default, administrators are included in the
Remote Desktop Users group.There's one piece of the puzzle.
Blank passwords are allowed. There's piece number 2. Getting
the last part, the IP address, wouldn't take long.

Odds are, no one's been hacking into your system just because
you've relaxed the restrictions that are placed on accounts
with blank passwords. If you're behind a router and have a
firewall program up and running, you're probably safe from most
hacker attacks. I just can't recommend ever allowing any
account to have a blank password. Why take chances.

Nepatsfan

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Managing Credentials:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prdp_log_tyry.asp

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com


My computers been set this way for the past 3 years and haven't seen
any problems. But then again people could be accessing my computer
through telnet, ftp without me knowing. Anyway if I wanted to close
this security hole would I just set the following registry value to 1

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
limitblankpassworduse set to 0

I used the script at http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm to
allow no passwords.

Thanks,
Dave