Schedular just won't work

[Guest livetohike]

Hi,

I can't get the simple batch below to run from the scheduler via right-

click/Run. (Nor does it work if I schedule it to run).

 

When I run it from Explorer or cmd window it works fine.

I am running it w/ an administrator account and password (but have

tried other accounts)

 

Batch file contains the following single line:

echo %date% %time% >> Test.txt

 

I can see the black cmd window 'flash' so it appears to run, but does

not write to the file.

The batch and output file (Test.txt) live within the MyDocument folder

of the user running the batch.

 

Test.txt should contain (and does when run manually):

Thu 05/22/2008 17:58:08.98 moormansd

Thu 05/22/2008 17:59:01.28 moormansd

etc.

 

Scheduler shows exit status of 1 and a correct "Last Run Time"

 

The Advanced/View Log shows:

"Schedule Test.job" (ScheduleTest.bat)

Started 5/22/2008 5:54:36 PM

"Schedule Test.job" (ScheduleTest.bat)

Finished 5/22/2008 5:54:36 PM

Result: The task completed with an exit code of (1).

 

What am I doing wrong!

Thanks

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Schedular just won't work

 

 

"livetohike" <moormansd@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:2d47da9b-07c7-499e-b1ed-11539956d2d9@e39g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

> Hi,

> I can't get the simple batch below to run from the scheduler via right-

> click/Run. (Nor does it work if I schedule it to run).

>

> When I run it from Explorer or cmd window it works fine.

> I am running it w/ an administrator account and password (but have

> tried other accounts)

>

> Batch file contains the following single line:

> echo %date% %time% >> Test.txt

>

> I can see the black cmd window 'flash' so it appears to run, but does

> not write to the file.

> The batch and output file (Test.txt) live within the MyDocument folder

> of the user running the batch.

>

> Test.txt should contain (and does when run manually):

> Thu 05/22/2008 17:58:08.98 moormansd

> Thu 05/22/2008 17:59:01.28 moormansd

> etc.

>

> Scheduler shows exit status of 1 and a correct "Last Run Time"

>

> The Advanced/View Log shows:

> "Schedule Test.job" (ScheduleTest.bat)

> Started 5/22/2008 5:54:36 PM

> "Schedule Test.job" (ScheduleTest.bat)

> Finished 5/22/2008 5:54:36 PM

> Result: The task completed with an exit code of (1).

>

> What am I doing wrong!

> Thanks

 

In the line of code

echo %date% %time% >> Test.txt

you neither specify the drive nor the folder where

Test.txt should reside. It could be on any disk in any

directory! It is most probably in c:\windows\system32,

which you can easily verify by looking at the date stamp

of the file you're currently examining.

 

If you want to write robust batch files then you should

always fully specify your file names by quoting drive

letters and folder names.

[Guest livetohike]

Re: Schedular just won't work

 

Thanks.

In the interest of clarity I had edited the batch I posted. Below is

the one I have been using and it runs w/ the anomaly described above.

Summary: Runs correctly from Explorer, but does not run from

scheduler.

 

Just in case I search the entire drive for the file w/ no luck.

 

echo %date% %time% %UserName% >> "C:\Documents and Settings

\Administrator\My Documents\Computers\Batch & Shortcuts

\ScheduleTest.txt"

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Schedular just won't work

 

 

"livetohike" <moormansd@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:17b8183a-419e-4146-ad00-90b312fa4880@26g2000hsk.googlegroups.com...

> Thanks.

> In the interest of clarity I had edited the batch I posted. Below is

> the one I have been using and it runs w/ the anomaly described above.

> Summary: Runs correctly from Explorer, but does not run from

> scheduler.

>

> Just in case I search the entire drive for the file w/ no luck.

>

> echo %date% %time% %UserName% >> "C:\Documents and Settings

> \Administrator\My Documents\Computers\Batch & Shortcuts

> \ScheduleTest.txt"

 

I suggest you start nice and simple like so, then expand the

batch file one item at a time:

@echo off

echo %date% %time% %UserName% >> C:\Test.txt

echo Pausing for 30 seconds . . .

ping localhost -n 30 > nul

You must check the Task Scheduler's log file to see if

the task ran. And please don't wait another ten days with

your reply - this thread will have fallen off the edge of my

newsreader by then!

[Guest livetohike]

Re: Schedular just won't work

 

On Jun 3, 3:24 pm, "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <I....@fly.com.oz> wrote:

> "livetohike" <moorma...@gmail.com> wrote in message

>

> news:17b8183a-419e-4146-ad00-90b312fa4880@26g2000hsk.googlegroups.com...

>

> > Thanks.

> > In the interest of clarity I had edited the batch I posted. Below is

> > the one I have been using and it runs w/ the anomaly described above.

> > Summary: Runs correctly from Explorer, but does not run from

> > scheduler.

>

> > Just in case I search the entire drive for the file w/ no luck.

>

> > echo %date% %time% %UserName% >> "C:\Documents and Settings

> > \Administrator\My Documents\Computers\Batch & Shortcuts

> > \ScheduleTest.txt"

>

> I suggest you start nice and simple like so, then expand the

> batch file one item at a time:

> @echo off

> echo %date% %time% %UserName% >> C:\Test.txt

> echo Pausing for 30 seconds . . .

> ping localhost -n 30 > nul

> You must check the Task Scheduler's log file to see if

> the task ran. And please don't wait another ten days with

> your reply - this thread will have fallen off the edge of my

> newsreader by then!

 

Great idea! Interesting results.

 

It worked as you wrote it. I then moved the bat into each of the

following folders and retested:

OK - C:\Documents and Settings\

OK - C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\

OK - C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents

OK - C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Computers\

NO - C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Computers

\Batch & Shortcuts\

 

I finally realized scheduler does not like the ampersand even though

the path is quoted... strange?

 

Easy enough to rename the folder, but I would like to now why '&' is

not supported by the schedular.

I tried 'escaping' it via && w/ no luck.

 

Thanks

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Schedular just won't work

 

 

"livetohike" <moormansd@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:26858e89-7ef7-43c2-bfeb-a325a96d0a74@e53g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...

> On Jun 3, 3:24 pm, "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <I....@fly.com.oz> wrote:

>> "livetohike" <moorma...@gmail.com> wrote in message

>>

>> news:17b8183a-419e-4146-ad00-90b312fa4880@26g2000hsk.googlegroups.com...

>>

>> > Thanks.

>> > In the interest of clarity I had edited the batch I posted. Below is

>> > the one I have been using and it runs w/ the anomaly described above.

>> > Summary: Runs correctly from Explorer, but does not run from

>> > scheduler.

>>

>> > Just in case I search the entire drive for the file w/ no luck.

>>

>> > echo %date% %time% %UserName% >> "C:\Documents and Settings

>> > \Administrator\My Documents\Computers\Batch & Shortcuts

>> > \ScheduleTest.txt"

>>

>> I suggest you start nice and simple like so, then expand the

>> batch file one item at a time:

>> @echo off

>> echo %date% %time% %UserName% >> C:\Test.txt

>> echo Pausing for 30 seconds . . .

>> ping localhost -n 30 > nul

>> You must check the Task Scheduler's log file to see if

>> the task ran. And please don't wait another ten days with

>> your reply - this thread will have fallen off the edge of my

>> newsreader by then!

>

> Great idea! Interesting results.

>

> It worked as you wrote it. I then moved the bat into each of the

> following folders and retested:

> OK - C:\Documents and Settings\

> OK - C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\

> OK - C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents

> OK - C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Computers\

> NO - C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Computers

> \Batch & Shortcuts\

>

> I finally realized scheduler does not like the ampersand even though

> the path is quoted... strange?

>

> Easy enough to rename the folder, but I would like to now why '&' is

> not supported by the schedular.

> I tried 'escaping' it via && w/ no luck.

>

> Thanks

 

Try escaping it like so: \Batch ^& Shortcuts\

 

About trouble-shooting: I don't claim any credit for having suggested

this approach. When attempting to solve a seemingly unsolveable

problem then it's standard practice

a) To break the problem into smaller and smaller pieces until

the cause becomes obvious, and

b) To simplify things as much as possible in order not to trip

over some issue that is hard to spot in complex code.

In the initial post in this thread you applied option b) (which

was a good thing) but you did it so savagely that it became

impossible for respondents to see the cause of the problem . . .