It is extremely important to check your Task Schedule tasks
by right-clicking on them once the Task-Item is created and
clicking "Run" on the context-menu. This will test that entire
Task-Item's configuration.
Normally, if a task won't run, an error item will come up in the
"Status" section of the Tasklist for that item, telling you in short
form how the task is doing -- including a short description of the
problem if the task won't run. If you get an error message, then
you need to investigate in greater depth why the task is failing.
If the Task does not run successfully, view the Task Scheduler
Log (see the "Advanced" tab on the Menu Bar) to find out why
Task Scheduler doesn't want to run your task. Check the item
immediately preceding the task-log's break-line -- this will tell
you why Task Scheduler was unable to run the task.
Note: The break-line is a set of ***** at each end with the
words "Most recent entry is above this line" in the middle
Commonly, you will find the task was unable to complete
because of a Security violation. This occurs as the result of
one of the Windows Updates -- which fixes a security hole
that hackers could exploit to run Scheduled Tasks without
actually having the proper security permissions. (This is why
Symantec told you it's a Windows problem.)
To fix this, you need to re-enter the appropriate security
permissions for that task. To do this, open the task's
Properties and enter the appropriate data into the "Run As"
fields on the Task tab of the Task properties.
Wrinkles and "gotchas":
1. It is *vitally important* to enter a valid
"Computername/Username" pair in the "run as" box.
DO NOT leave this blank -- it will cause the very
problem you are describing.
2. It is *vitally important* to use a non-blank password to ensure
that Task Scheduler items are not automatically devalidated
by security updates. If your own personal machine's security
is not critical -- then use a simple password that is easily
remembered.
3. The entries needed for Items 1 & 2 above is your "Logon"
username and password (with Administrator rights). If you
do not have an existing password for your Admin account,
then you need to create a password for that account using
the "User Accounts" applet in Control Panel.
4. The installation of NSW/NAV/NIS normally creates two items in
the Task Scheduler list. One item runs Symantec Netdetect,
which is the item which automatically checks for Symantec
Updates on a regular basis. The other item runs the weekly
Full Virus Scan.
Normally, the weekly Full Virus Scan entry will be automatically
populated by the installer with your Compname/Username
pair -- and all you need to do is enter a valid password to get
this to work.
The Netdetect item is normally left blank by the installer. This
*used* to be OK -- back before MS updated their Security
routines. It's not OK any more -- so you have to populate the
"Run As" items with a valid Compname/Username pair *as well
as* a valid password for that user -- in order to ensure the auto
update function runs properly.
5. A valid run of NAV's scheduled Virus Scan (with no viruses found)
will produce a "Last Result" entry in the Tasklist of "0x0".
A valid run of Symantec Netdetect will produce a "Last Result"
entry in the Tasklist of "0x65".
Once you see both of those result-items when you manually Run
those Tasklist tasks -- then the items will automatically run
correctly at the scheduled times. To *confirm* the items are
running correctly, check the Task Scheduler Log over the
following few days to see the Netdetect history build up. Also
check the Log *after* an auto-scheduled Virus Scan to confirm
this ran properly as well.
Note: Your machine must be *running* at the scheduled time for
the automatic Virus Scan for that task to execute. Be sure
to leave the machine on -- or be sure to start the machine
so it is running properly -- before the Virus Scan task is
scheduled to start.
With the above housekeeping handled properly, you should now
have automated Symantec tasks that run correctly at their proper
scheduled times.
Best I can do for now. <tm>
Bill
