I am trying to automate a VBScript by using Windows Task Scheduler. However, I tried to use cscript.exe + "C:\...\script.vbs" but it didn't run. I also tried to directly run the same command in CMD (cscript.exe "C:\...\script.vbs") and it worked.
What might be the problem?
EDIT :
I just tried to switch the setting to "Run only when user is logged on" from "Run whether user is logged on or not" and it worked. I am wondering if there is a way to make my task scheduled run even when the user is logged off.
After hours of research, one of Blake Morrison (from Microsoft)'s blogs came up; it mentioned that
If running a .vbs / .ps1 script, try launching it from a .cmd / .bat script
see Help! My Scheduled Task does not run…
That blog also explains a lot of rules/tips when using Task Scheduler.
So please create a .cmd/.bat file that calls for your VBScript. For example: cscript.exe YourScript.vbs would be in your .cmd/.bat script.
Write a batch file like this:
echo "Started!" > c:\foldergoeshere\log.txt
cscript.exe "C:\...\script.vbs" > c:\foldergoeshere\log.txt
echo "Stopped!" > c:\foldergoeshere\log.txt
Then schedule the batch file instead of the vbs. That will allow you to see what is happening that is preventing it from running. Any error that you would have seen executing in the console (CMD), will be instead output to that log file between "Started!" and "Stopped!"
What's the hassle all about? I don't use .cmd/.bat and script works! (Windows7 here)
My VBS script (as a scheduled task) runs well on any scenario of these 4:
cscript and option "Run only when user is logged on"
cscript and option "Run whether user is logged on or not"
wscript and option "Run only when user is logged on"
wscript and option "Run whether user is logged on or not"
It's only that on the 1st scenario I encounter the black command window flashing on my screen.
Action settings:
or
My script, which simply creates a file:
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
filename = "C:\Temp\" & Hour(Time) & Minute(Time) & Second(Time)
Set objFile = objFSO.CreateTextFile(filename)
Greg answered this https://superuser.com/a/816073
Basically you need to create 2 folders:
You have to create a folder (or two on a 64bit-windows):
(32Bit, always) C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\Desktop
(64Bit) C:\Windows\SysWOW64\config\systemprofile\Desktop
Fixed the issue for me (and I could point to the .vbs file, not bat needed).
The .vbs file is running invisibly, which is a consequence of running it with the 'logged on or not' option.
You will not be allowed to interfere with a user using the computer, which means you will be able to help yourself, but not others.
Please read the following text from the Task Scheduler Help menu:
Task Security Context
You can specify that a task should run even if the account under which the task is scheduled to run is not logged on when the task is triggered.
To do this, select the radio button labeled Run whether user is logged on or not.
If this radio button is selected, tasks will not run interactively.
To make a task run interactively, select the Run only when user is logged on radio button.
You can do this.
cmd as the Program.
/c start cscript //nologo "W:\Pathto with spaces\VBScript.vbs"
/c send the following to the cmd
start starts the next parameter
cscript //nologo "W:\Path with spaces\VBScript.vbs" self explanatory. Path wrapped in quotes to allow spaces in the filename.
Screenshot
Have experienced more than once that a VBScript running as planned task worked fine for months and years but suddenly would not work any more despite nothing was changed. Have tried to reactive the task using all the recipes given here and elsewhere, but no success. My workaround was to create a new planned task with all settings copied from the original one.
I tried this on Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
AKA Window 7, But in my case i first cd to the dir and then ran the .bat file to execute the .vbs file
Go to start menu
Search for run
Once it opens, Type "shell:startup" and press Enter
You'll be directed to the Start Up folder. In this folder you can put create a .bat file which you want to execute the .vbs file (You'll do this in a special way)
cd C:\the\path\were.vbs\file\located && wscript.exe start_app.vbs
What your doing is cd to the directory cd C:\the\path\were.vbs\file\located
And then run the .vbs file wscript.exe start_app.vbs
I know there are similar questions already out there, but none of the other solutions seem to help.
Using Windows 7, I have an executable (for this explanation, I am calling it test.exe) that takes a parameter of the current date.
Example when using the run command:
c:\test.exe 12/26/2014
The executable needs to be ran on a daily schedule.
I have the following batch file set up to run the exe with the required parameters:
#echo off
::This batch will be ran daily to start the exe program
set dateFormat=%DATE:~4,2%/%DATE:~7,2%/%DATE:~10,4%
echo Batch started %dateFormat% %Time%>> BatchLogfile.txt
set testfile=C:\test.exe
start %testfile% %dateFormat%
pause
I can run the batch successfully by double-clicking on it in explorer, but when I add it as a scheduled task it does not actually start the exe.
The batch does run and I can see the processes for the cmd and the exe, but the exe "interface" does not pop up. The echo line in the batch writes out to the log file successfully.
On the scheduled task, I am currently using cmd for the program/script and the following params:
/k "C:\test.bat"
I have also tried the following arguments unsuccessfully in the task scheduler:
C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe
/c start "" "C:\test.bat"
/k start "C:\test.bat"
Is there anything else I should try so that the exe "interface" shows on the screen? Perhaps there is a better way to run the exe other than task scheduler?
If you want to see the GUI for test.exe, then you will need to configure the respective Windows Scheduled Task to "Run only when user is logged on". Of course then the process would only run for the configured user account.
This is available to select in the Security Options section in the General tab of the respective scheduled task.
I need to run a bat file with Window TaskScheduler and, to check the progress of the operation, I'd like to have the cmd prompt open while the bat runs.
I have recently changed one setting in the task properties:
With the old setting the cmd prompt was launched/showed automatically, instead with the new one I can't see it and find a way to show it.
any idea?
Thanks in advance
::Checks if there is a JRE installed
start "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\ConfCompiler\Tools\CheckJre.exe"
When I copy and paste the file location above into Windows Explorer it works fine. But the program does not run from the batch file I have created.
The purpose of CheckJre.exe is to create new keys inside of HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
The keys are created when I simply run it from Windows Explorer. But the keys are NOT created when running it from the batch file. The batch file just results in displaying a command prompt window with showing CheckJre.exe with full path in title bar.
Does anyone have a hint why?
Command start interprets the first double quoted string as title for the command line window to open. For all options of command start enter in a command prompt window either start /? or help start.
You need to explicitly specify a title in your batch file because of the double quoted string to run CheckJre.exe.
Use in batch file:
start "Check JRE" "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads\ConfCompiler\Tools\CheckJre.exe"
I run batch files and they exit immediately. I dont want that to happen so that i can see my output. Can someone tell me how to make this happen ?
I use windows 7.
Put this on the very last line of the Batch:
cmd /k
Adding pause is a good answer. Here are some other ways as well..
Rather than double-clicking on them to execute you can run from a command line:
Press the windows key + r (this opens the "run" window)
Type: cmd into the text input and press enter (or click ok)
Change to the directory that contains the batch file, e.g: cd c:\scripts\foo
Execute the batch file by typing it's name and pressing enter, e.g: somename.bat
If there is a lot of output and it scrolls off the screen you can direct the output to a text file instead like so:
somename.bat > output_filename.txt
Then you can open the 'output_filename.txt' file in any text editor to view/search all of the output. This is better than pause when there more output than what is available in the scrollback.
Add the pause command at the end of your batch file. This waits for you to key something in.
(The nice thing is that if you're running the batch file from a non-interactive process, such as a automated build system or scheduled task, the pause is simply skipped.)
The help message for pause is:
C:\>help pause
Suspends processing of a batch program and displays the message
Press any key to continue . . .
If there is lots of output and you can't scroll far enough back, adjust the screen buffer height of the command window. This can be done via right-click on the c:\ icon go to properties -> layout: