Unable to run Task Scheduler Automation

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Unable to run Task Scheduler Automation

Mark Bovenzi 60

I am trying to run automation using Task Scheduler on my Windows Server 2019 which is my SQL server. I have created a Windows PowerShell script that calls to an external Azure site to grab a file and store it locally. In my script, I need to run a command to execute the task. Unfortunately, when setting up Task Scheduler to have this run automatically, it is failing with the directory name is invalid. User's image

Program/Script - Points to PowerShell - C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell_ise.exe Add Arguments points to the command you need to run once the script it open Start in points to my .ps1 script User's image

When I run it, I get: Task Scheduler failed to launch action "C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell_ise.exe" in instance "{97f26cda-8700-4dc2-93ee-f3df8823962f}" of task "\UAT Backup". Additional Data: Error Value: 2147942667.

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Answer 1

Michael Taylor 60,161

Powershell ISE is the scripting editor you use to edit PS files and debug them, not run scripts.

Try using C:\windows\system32\windowspowershell\v1.0\powershell.exe instead.

Mark Bovenzi 60 Reputation points

2024-02-29T21:34:28.2833333+00:00

Oops, forgot to change it back, but yeah, that doesnt work either, unfortunately. Task Scheduler failed to launch action "C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" in instance "{926a6c4b-2751-4006-874f-300e290fe463}" of task "\UAT Backup". Additional Data: Error Value: 2147942667. & Task Scheduler failed to start "\UAT Backup" task for user "USSQ2\Administrator". Additional Data: Error Value: 2147942667.
Mark Bovenzi 60 Reputation points

2024-02-29T21:47:14.04+00:00

Oops, I had that, just for troubleshooting, I thought I'd use the other one. But yeah, same error message, unfortunately.
Michael Taylor 60,161 Reputation points

2024-02-29T21:59:51.53+00:00
Powershell is already in the system path so try this.

Set Program to: powershell.exe

Set Add arguments to -File "full path to your script" <additionalarguments>

Note that you are using the "legacy" PS engine so you need to ensure the execution policy allows for running scripts. Alternatively consider adding -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy ByPass to your argument list.
Mark Bovenzi 60 Reputation points

2024-02-29T22:24:40.25+00:00
That worked in a sense. When I added powershell.exe to the Program and then for my argument, I put

-File C:\Temp\UAT DB\DownloadLatest.ps1 That ran without any errors, but when I put in the script we need to run in Start In, that's when it continues to fail. So I thought that would isolate the issue, but the error is still saying invalid argument for powershell.exe

My script is calling to Azure, I was struggling with putting a autorun in there
Michael Taylor 60,161 Reputation points

2024-02-29T22:29:56.16+00:00

What do you mean by "I put in the script we need to run in Start In"? The Start In field is the working directory where the task will run from. It is generally the same directory (but not the filename) where the script is located. In your case it would be C:\Temp\UAT DB. The script to run is specified as part of the arguments.
Mark Bovenzi 60 Reputation points

2024-03-01T17:14:28.4266667+00:00

Apologies for any confusion Michael, I really do appreciate all of your help so far!

What I meant, was, I have a command that I run in the script that initiates the script. This might help. First time trying to run a PowerShell through Task Scheduler.

Here is the location of the script:

C:\Temp\UAT DB\DownloadLatest.ps1

This is the command I run, in the script, the xxxxx stand for the account name, account key, container name respectively through Azure

.\DownloadLatest.ps1 "xxxxx" "xxxxx" "xxxxx" backup.bacpac

Again, sorry if this feels like talking to a brick wall haha, still just wrapping my head around this. More difficult than I thought it would be to just run some simple automation haha.
Michael Taylor 60,161 Reputation points

2024-03-01T17:39:21.1666667+00:00

Can you export the task and attach it here, minus any sensitive data?

Based upon your comment it sounds like you're trying to use a relative path in the argument list but that isn't going to work because it'll be relative to the wrong process. Use the full path to the script in the argument list. If the script is using relative paths then set Start In to the directory containing the script and the PS session will use that as the working directory and relative paths work from there. In your command example the backup.bacpac would be fine provided it was in the same directory as your downloadlatest.ps1 script provided you set Start In to C:\Temp\UAT DB.
Mark Bovenzi 60 Reputation points

2024-03-01T19:47:55.35+00:00

Here is the XML file with the sensitive information turned into xxxxx like before.

I also attached a screenshot of the script

This calls to an external Azure Blob Storage via the account key.
Michael Taylor 60,161 Reputation points

2024-03-01T20:36:55.4633333+00:00

Ok. You're Start In is a file, it must be a directory so change it to C:\Temp\UAT DB. Use the full path in the argument list C:\Temp\UAT DB\DownloadLatest.ps1 .... The backup.bacpac argument should be fine as is because it'll be passed to the script (which is running from its working directory).

Please make these changes and try your task again. If it fails then please post the updated error message.
Mark Bovenzi 60 Reputation points

2024-03-04T17:31:54.86+00:00

Holy cow! That worked!! Thank you SO much for your time and effort Michael. I really couldn't have figured this out without you!

Answer 2

Mark Bovenzi 60

editing out file

MotoX80 36,291 Reputation points

2024-03-02T16:21:59.1033333+00:00

That's not a valid directory name. Remove the script name.

<WorkingDirectory>C:\Temp\UAT DB\DownloadLatest.ps1</WorkingDirectory>

If that doesn't work, put double quotes around it due the space between UAT and DB.

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Unable to run Task Scheduler Automation

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