Task Scheduler Problem

[Bruce]

I'm at my wits end.

I run WinXPHome, and McAfee VirusScan (VS), on three machines. VS is
set to automatically look for updates every 5 minutes, and to
automatically scan once a week. It used to work fine on all three
machines, but now it's broken on one of my machines, and has been for a
while. I can't correlate it with anything, but I believe it has to do
with the Task Scheduler. I am the administrator (default), don't use a
pw to sign on, and the machine is called XPMachine. Both tasks were
created using the McAfee Security Console. All paths appear to be
correct, and I shouldn't need a password. If I try to run the tasks
manually, sometimes they will sometimes they won't.

If I look at the Task Scheduler, it shows these two tasks:

1)mcupdate...could not start, or sometimes, the scheduled task did not
run
2) McAfee.com Scan for Viruses...could not start, or sometimes, the
scheduled task did not run

The log for 1) appears every 5 minutes, as it should, but note that the
error reason changes. These two errors alternate every 5 minutes:
"McAfee.com Update Check (XPMACHINE-DEFAULT).job" (mcupdate.exe)
10/22/2004 2:29:00 PM ** ERROR **
The attempt to log on to the account associated with the task
failed, therefore, the task did not run.
Verify that the task's Run-as name and password are valid and try
again.
"McAfee.com Update Check (XPMACHINE-DEFAULT).job" (mcupdate.exe)
10/22/2004 2:34:00 PM ** ERROR **
Unable to start task.
The specific error is:
0x80070057: The parameter is incorrect.
Try using the Task page Browse button to locate the application.

The log for 2) is:
"McAfee.com Scan for Viruses - My Computer (XPMACHINE-DEFAULT).job"
(mcmnhdlr.exe) 10/22/2004 10:00:00 PM ** ERROR **
The attempt to log on to the account associated with the task
failed, therefore, the task did not run.
Verify that the task's Run-as name and password are valid and try
again.

If I try to run it manually, the log is:
"McAfee.com Scan for Viruses - My Computer (XPMACHINE-DEFAULT).job"
(mcmnhdlr.exe) 10/22/2004 10:10:12 PM ** ERROR **
Unable to start task.
The specific error is:
0x80070057: The parameter is incorrect.
Try using the Task page Browse button to locate the application.

I can run either the update or the scan by using the McAfee Security
Console, but nothing works automatically, or manually, through the task
scheduler.

I've googled and been to the Microsoft KBs, but all articles are about
operating systems earlier than XP.

This is driving me nuts, since I no longer have automatic scanning or
updating. The scanner is working in real-time, though. I downloaded
the eicar test "virus", and it was caught.

I've compared settings with my other two working XPHome machines, and
they are identical.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Sincerely,
Bruce

 

[Vanguardx]

I'm at my wits end.

I run WinXPHome, and McAfee VirusScan (VS), on three machines. VS is
set to automatically look for updates every 5 minutes, and to
automatically scan once a week. It used to work fine on all three
machines, but now it's broken on one of my machines, and has been for
a while. I can't correlate it with anything, but I believe it has to
do with the Task Scheduler. I am the administrator (default), don't
use a pw to sign on, and the machine is called XPMachine. Both tasks
were created using the McAfee Security Console. All paths appear to
be correct, and I shouldn't need a password. If I try to run the
tasks manually, sometimes they will sometimes they won't.

If I look at the Task Scheduler, it shows these two tasks:

1)mcupdate...could not start, or sometimes, the scheduled task did not
run
2) McAfee.com Scan for Viruses...could not start, or sometimes, the
scheduled task did not run

The log for 1) appears every 5 minutes, as it should, but note that
the error reason changes. These two errors alternate every 5 minutes:
"McAfee.com Update Check (XPMACHINE-DEFAULT).job" (mcupdate.exe)
10/22/2004 2:29:00 PM ** ERROR **
The attempt to log on to the account associated with the task
failed, therefore, the task did not run.
Verify that the task's Run-as name and password are valid and try
again.
"McAfee.com Update Check (XPMACHINE-DEFAULT).job" (mcupdate.exe)
10/22/2004 2:34:00 PM ** ERROR **
Unable to start task.
The specific error is:
0x80070057: The parameter is incorrect.
Try using the Task page Browse button to locate the application.

The log for 2) is:
"McAfee.com Scan for Viruses - My Computer (XPMACHINE-DEFAULT).job"
(mcmnhdlr.exe) 10/22/2004 10:00:00 PM ** ERROR **
The attempt to log on to the account associated with the task
failed, therefore, the task did not run.
Verify that the task's Run-as name and password are valid and try
again.

If I try to run it manually, the log is:
"McAfee.com Scan for Viruses - My Computer (XPMACHINE-DEFAULT).job"
(mcmnhdlr.exe) 10/22/2004 10:10:12 PM ** ERROR **
Unable to start task.
The specific error is:
0x80070057: The parameter is incorrect.
Try using the Task page Browse button to locate the application.

I can run either the update or the scan by using the McAfee Security
Console, but nothing works automatically, or manually, through the
task scheduler.

I've googled and been to the Microsoft KBs, but all articles are about
operating systems earlier than XP.

This is driving me nuts, since I no longer have automatic scanning or
updating. The scanner is working in real-time, though. I downloaded
the eicar test "virus", and it was caught.

I've compared settings with my other two working XPHome machines, and
they are identical.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Sincerely,
Bruce

Is the RunAs field in the settings for the task set to your account?
Maybe it needs to be an administrator-level account. Have you tried
deleting the tasks and get Mcafee to recreate them?

 

[Bruce]

"Vanguardx" <see_signature> wrote in @TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl:

big snip

Is the RunAs field in the settings for the task set to your account?
Maybe it needs to be an administrator-level account. Have you tried
deleting the tasks and get Mcafee to recreate them?

Yep, the RunAs setting is XPMACHINE\DEFAULT.

I have deleted the tasks, and had McAfee recreate them. No luck. I've
also deleted the tasks, uninstalled McAfee, and reinstalled. Still, no
luck.

 

[Vanguardx]

"Vanguardx" <see_signature> wrote in @TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl:

big snip


Yep, the RunAs setting is XPMACHINE\DEFAULT.

I have deleted the tasks, and had McAfee recreate them. No luck.
I've also deleted the tasks, uninstalled McAfee, and reinstalled.
Still, no luck.

"XPMACHINE\DEFAULT"?
Is "XPMACHINE" the hostname you assigned to your computer?
Is there an account named "DEFAULT"?

From the error in the log saying, "The attempt to log on to the account
associated with the task failed, therefore, the task did not run. Verify
that the task's Run-as name and password are valid and try again.", it
certainly sounds like there is no such hostname and/or account defined
on that computer.

In a DOS shell (aka Command Prompt), run "hostname". What hostname do
you get? Run "control userpasswords2". Is there a user account called
"DEFAULT"? Maybe XPMACHINE is your hostname and maybe you did create a
account named DEFAULT. Is DEFAULT the account under which you are
logged in when you create the scheduled events? Is DEFAULT an account
included in the Administrators group?

If you copy the *entire* command field from the scheduled event, what
does it look like? Maybe quotes aren't getting used around a path that
includes spaces.

Does the account used in RunAs have permissions to read (and maybe write
to) the paths where VirusScan was installed? Might be that the update
and scan must be executed under an admin-level account. What happens if
you change RunAs to "XPMACHINE\Administrator" (and provide the
Administrator's password)?

 

[Bruce]

"XPMACHINE\DEFAULT"?
Is "XPMACHINE" the hostname you assigned to your computer?
Is there an account named "DEFAULT"?

From the error in the log saying, "The attempt to log on to the
account associated with the task failed, therefore, the task did not
run. Verify that the task's Run-as name and password are valid and try
again.", it certainly sounds like there is no such hostname and/or
account defined on that computer.

In a DOS shell (aka Command Prompt), run "hostname". What hostname do
you get?

I get XPMACHINE

Run "control userpasswords2".

I get the User Accounts window. On the Users tab, "Users must enter a
user name and password to use this computer" is enabled. (However, I've
never used a password on this machine, even from a cold boot.) Users for
this computer lists:

Administrator with "Administrators" as the Group
DEFAULT with "Administrators" as the Group
Guest with "Guests" as the Group

If I click Administrator (or Guest), the Reset Password button is
active, but I never set a password. If I click DEFAULT, the Reset
Password button is inactive, and the message is to press Ctrl-Alt-Del
and select change password, but I never set a password. However, I
tried Ctrl-Alt-Del, and I get the Task Manager, not an an active Change
Password button.

Is there a user account called
"DEFAULT"?
Yes.

Maybe XPMACHINE is your hostname and maybe you did create a
account named DEFAULT.

Yes, I had to create an account when I set up this machine back in March
of 2003. I choose DEFAULT.

Is DEFAULT the account under which you are
logged in when you create the scheduled events?
Yes.

Is DEFAULT an account
included in the Administrators group?

Yes. If I go to Control Panel, User Accounts, I get
DEFAULT, Computer Administrator
Guest, Guest account is ON

When I click Start, DEFAULT is shown at the top of the Start Menu.

If you copy the *entire* command field from the scheduled event, what
does it look like?

Here are the three commands (cut and pasted) that are in the Scheduled
Tasks window: "c:\program files\mcafee.com\vso\mcmnhdlr.exe" /runtask:0
C:\PROGRA~1\McAfee.com\Agent\mcupdate.exe /Schedule
C:\Xnews\Xnews.exe
I created the Xnews task for testing.

Maybe quotes aren't getting used around a path that

includes spaces.

Does the account used in RunAs have permissions to read (and maybe
write to) the paths where VirusScan was installed? Might be that the
update and scan must be executed under an admin-level account. What
happens if you change RunAs to "XPMACHINE\Administrator"

I tried this, but didn't enter a password, since I never set a password
when setting up this machine. I get the same error messages.

(and provide the

Administrator's password)?

Thank you so much for your reply.
Thoroughly stumped...
Bruce

 

[Vanguardx]

"Bruce" <[email protected]>
wrote in

I tried this, but didn't enter a password, since I never set a
password when setting up this machine. I get the same error messages.

<snip>

BINGO!!!

See http://support.microsoft.com/?id=311119.