c# console app does not run from Task Scheduler

Question

I have a real simple console app that needs to be executed every hour from Task Scheduler. For now all it does is write a line to a log file. When I double click on the exe it runs fine. When it runs from Task Scheduler it seems to run OK but the exe fails to write to the log. These the console app's code:

static void Main(string[] args)  
{  
    CallReport();  
}  
  
static void CallReport()  
{  
    string path = Environment.CurrentDirectory + @"\ReportLog.txt";  
    string log = "Executed.  ";    
    log = log + DateTime.UtcNow.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.fff", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);  
    using (StreamWriter sw = File.AppendText(path))  
    {  
        sw.WriteLine(log);        
    }  
}  

and this is the Task Scheduler History:

and I'm running the task as Administrator.

and here's the xml from exporting the task:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>  
<Task version="1.4" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2004/02/mit/task">  
  <RegistrationInfo>  
    <Date>2021-08-17T02:00:00.3027276</Date>  
    <Author>CAP1\georgep</Author>  
    <URI>\Refresh_CMTA_Reports</URI>  
  </RegistrationInfo>  
  <Triggers>  
    <CalendarTrigger>  
      <Repetition>  
        <Interval>PT1H</Interval>  
        <Duration>P1D</Duration>  
        <StopAtDurationEnd>false</StopAtDurationEnd>  
      </Repetition>  
      <StartBoundary>2021-08-17T02:05:02</StartBoundary>  
      <ExecutionTimeLimit>PT30M</ExecutionTimeLimit>  
      <Enabled>true</Enabled>  
      <ScheduleByDay>  
        <DaysInterval>1</DaysInterval>  
      </ScheduleByDay>  
    </CalendarTrigger>  
  </Triggers>  
  <Principals>  
    <Principal id="Author">  
      <UserId>S-1-5-21-1073578376-3104900976-2074015838-500</UserId>  
      <LogonType>Password</LogonType>  
      <RunLevel>HighestAvailable</RunLevel>  
    </Principal>  
  </Principals>  
  <Settings>  
    <MultipleInstancesPolicy>StopExisting</MultipleInstancesPolicy>  
    <DisallowStartIfOnBatteries>true</DisallowStartIfOnBatteries>  
    <StopIfGoingOnBatteries>true</StopIfGoingOnBatteries>  
    <AllowHardTerminate>true</AllowHardTerminate>  
    <StartWhenAvailable>false</StartWhenAvailable>  
    <RunOnlyIfNetworkAvailable>false</RunOnlyIfNetworkAvailable>  
    <IdleSettings>  
      <StopOnIdleEnd>true</StopOnIdleEnd>  
      <RestartOnIdle>false</RestartOnIdle>  
    </IdleSettings>  
    <AllowStartOnDemand>true</AllowStartOnDemand>  
    <Enabled>true</Enabled>  
    <Hidden>false</Hidden>  
    <RunOnlyIfIdle>false</RunOnlyIfIdle>  
    <DisallowStartOnRemoteAppSession>false</DisallowStartOnRemoteAppSession>  
    <UseUnifiedSchedulingEngine>true</UseUnifiedSchedulingEngine>  
    <WakeToRun>false</WakeToRun>  
    <ExecutionTimeLimit>PT1H</ExecutionTimeLimit>  
    <Priority>7</Priority>  
  </Settings>  
  <Actions Context="Author">  
    <Exec>  
      <Command>E:\Sites\CmtaFieldReportQA\ReportLog\Debug\RefreshSSRS.exe</Command>  
    </Exec>  
  </Actions>  
</Task>  

Thank you.

Answer 1

When you do not specify a "Start In" location for a scheduled task the task scheduler will set the current directory to the System32 folder (usually C:\Windows\System32") for the process that it starts. Have you looked there for the expected log file?

Also, if your scheduled task is running a 32-bit process then the output file will be in the SysWOW64 folder.