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Windows Vista onwards scheduled tasks fail to run if the path in "Start in (Optional)" field has quotes

Support for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) ends on July 12, 2011. To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows Vista with Service Pack 2 (SP2). For more information, refer to this Microsoft web page: Support is ending for some versions of Windows.

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Summary

In Windows Vista and onwards, scheduled tasks fail to run if the path in Start in (Optional): field for the task is enclosed within quotes.To workaround this problem, please do not enclose the path in Start in (Optional): within quotes. The quotes are not required even if the path includes spaces.

The Start in (optional): entry is found on the Actions tab of a scheduled task by clicking the Edit button.

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More Information

The following events are logged in the "TaskScheduler/Operational log" when the task fails to run:

Note: You can also view these events in the History tab for the task.

Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-TaskScheduler/Operational
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-TaskScheduler
Date:          <date and time>
Event ID:      103
Task Category: Action start failed
Level:         Error
Keywords:      (1)
User:          <username>
Computer:      <system name>
Description:
Task Scheduler failed to start instance "<instance guid>" of "<task name>"  task for user "<username>" . Additional Data: Error Value: 2147942667.

Log Name:      Microsoft-Windows-TaskScheduler/Operational
Source:        Microsoft-Windows-TaskScheduler
Date:          <date and time>
Event ID:      203
Task Category: Action failed to start
Level:         Error
Keywords:     
User:          <username>
Computer:      <system name>
Description:
Task Scheduler failed to launch action "<action for the task>" in instance "<instance guid>" of task "<task name>". Additional Data: Error Value: 2147942667.

The error code - 2147942667 translates to ERROR_DIRECTORY.

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Keywords: w2000taskschd, kb

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Article Info
Article ID : 2452723
Revision : 1
Created on : 1/7/2017
Published on : 6/10/2011
Exists online : False
Views : 190