Task Scheduler - cannot edit any tasks (error 2147750680)

Question

Hi, I am having very strange issue with Task Scheduler.
I can create run or delete scheduled stasks, but I cannot edit them.
Whatever edit to a task (my task) results in error 2147750680.
For example, change only the description.

I get same error also when I try to import task (xml). I tried also with powershell, but there I got other error which I don't understand.

Set-ScheduledTask : The task XML contains a value which is incorrectly formatted or out of range. 
(44,4):Task: 
At line:1 char:9 
+ $task | Set-ScheduledTask 
+         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (PS_ScheduledTask:Root/Microsoft/...S_ScheduledTask) [Set-ScheduledTask], 
   CimException 
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : HRESULT 0x80041318,Set-ScheduledTask

My user have admin privileges. But even if I run Task scheduler or powershell as admin, I get the same issue. As a workaround, I can delete the task and recreate it from scratch with whatever settings I need, but that is not very convenient.

I am running Windows 11 23H2 22631.2506, that was recently upgraded from 11 22H2. Before the upgrade, I think task scheduler was working fine. I have also another machine with same windows 11, but there is no such problem with task scheduler.

Need help to fix this issue without reinstalling my machine.

Answer 1

It would appear that the task scheduler does not like 2 character user names.

Edd works but Ed doesn't.

PS C:\> Get-LocalUser -Name e*

Name Enabled Description
---- ------- -----------
ed   True
edd  True


PS C:\> $name = "Test1zzz"
PS C:\> Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name -Confirm:$false -ea SilentlyContinue
PS C:\> $action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "C:\temp\blabla.exe"
PS C:\> $trig = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -once -at "12am"
PS C:\> $prin = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId "ed"
PS C:\> Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name -Action $action -Trigger $trig -Principal $prin
Register-ScheduledTask : The task XML contains a value which is incorrectly formatted or out of range.
(45,4):Task:
At line:1 char:1
+ Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name -Action $action -Trigger $trig ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (PS_ScheduledTask:Root/Microsoft/...S_ScheduledTask) [Register-ScheduledTask], CimException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : HRESULT 0x80041318,Register-ScheduledTask

PS C:\> $task = Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name -ea SilentlyContinue
PS C:\> $task.Description = "Updated desc."
The property 'Description' cannot be found on this object. Verify that the property exists and can be set.
At line:1 char:1
+ $task.Description = "Updated desc."
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PropertyNotFound

PS C:\> $task | Set-ScheduledTask  -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
PS C:\>
PS C:\> Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name -Confirm:$false -ea SilentlyContinue
PS C:\> $action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "C:\temp\blabla.exe"
PS C:\> $trig = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -once -at "12am"
PS C:\> $prin = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId "edd"
PS C:\> Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name -Action $action -Trigger $trig -Principal $prin

TaskPath                                       TaskName                          State
--------                                       --------                          -----
\                                              Test1zzz                          Ready


PS C:\> $task = Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name
PS C:\> $task.Description = "Updated desc."
PS C:\> $task | Set-ScheduledTask

TaskPath                                       TaskName                          State
--------                                       --------                          -----
\                                              Test1zzz                          Ready


PS C:\>

Schtasks has the same issue.

PS C:\> Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName Test1zzz -Confirm:$false -ea SilentlyContinue
PS C:\> schtasks.exe /create /tn Test1zzz /ru ed /sc once /st 23:01 /tr C:\temp\blabla.exe
ERROR: The task XML contains a value which is incorrectly formatted or out of range.
(39,4):Task:
PS C:\>
PS C:\> Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName Test1zzz -Confirm:$false -ea SilentlyContinue
PS C:\> schtasks.exe /create /tn Test1zzz /ru edd /sc once /st 23:01 /tr C:\temp\blabla.exe
SUCCESS: The scheduled task "Test1zzz" has successfully been created.
PS C:\>

BUT!!!!!!!!! If you add the computername to the local account, it will work.

PS C:\> $name = "Test1zzz"
PS C:\> Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name -Confirm:$false -ea SilentlyContinue
PS C:\> $action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "C:\temp\blabla.exe"
PS C:\> $trig = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -once -at "12am"
PS C:\> $prin = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId "$env:COMPUTERNAME\ed"
PS C:\> Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name -Action $action -Trigger $trig -Principal $prin
TaskPath                                       TaskName                          State
--------                                       --------                          -----
\                                              Test1zzz                          Ready
PS C:\> $task = Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name -ea SilentlyContinue
PS C:\> $task.Description = "Updated desc."
PS C:\> $task | Set-ScheduledTask  -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
PS C:\>
SilentlyContinue
PS C:\> $action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "C:\temp\blabla.exe"
PS C:\> $trig = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -once -at "12am"
PS C:\> $prin = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId "$env:COMPUTERNAME\edd"
PS C:\> Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name -Action $action -Trigger $trig -Principal $prin                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  TaskPath                                       TaskName                          State                                                                                                                                                          --------                                       --------                          -----                                                                                                                                                          \                                              Test1zzz                          Ready                                                                                                                                                          
PS C:\> $task = Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName $name
PS C:\> $task.Description = "Updated desc."
PS C:\> $task | Set-ScheduledTask
TaskPath                                       TaskName                          State
--------                                       --------                          -----
\                                              Test1zzz                          Ready
PS C:\>
PS C:\>
PS C:\>
PS C:\> Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName Test1zzz -Confirm:$false -ea SilentlyContinue
PS C:\> schtasks.exe /create /tn Test1zzz /ru "blackhole\ed" /sc once /st 23:01 /tr C:\temp\blabla.exe
SUCCESS: The scheduled task "Test1zzz" has successfully been created.
PS C:\>

From the gui, it will show up as Ed, Reselect the user so that it contains the computer name.

Answer 2

2147750680 is 0x80041318.

I found this post.

https://superuser.com/questions/1133085/windows-10-task-scheduler-error-xml-contains-a-value-which-is-incorrectly-forma

Based on that, you can try updating the account that the task runs as. Next I would suggest making a trivial change to the tasks trigger. Maybe modify the "Stop task if it runs longer than" setting.

Is your trigger set to repeat?

If that doesn't work, then open a command prompt with Run as Administrator and "cd C:\Windows\System32\Tasks". Then open a task file with notepad. Do you see the MaintenanceSettings that the post described?

Maybe post one of the tasks XML back here and see if any user can see something.

Answer 3

I tried to reply as comment thousand times but for some reason it does not get saved. Last try and I give up.

What I was trying to say is that if I change the user to be someone else (or create it initially to run with another account - SYSTEM for example) then I can edit everything in the task. So the problem is only if the task is to run as my user.