Broken Task Scheduler and Paragon Exact-Image

[The Usual Suspect]

Task Sched is broken... won't start
starting the service from Services.mmc, I get
Task Scheduler failed to start
error 87: Incorrect parameter

I noticed this after I tried to try out making a schedule for a backup in Paragon Exact Image, which is quite similar to TI, except that it has....
> Apparently more features
> Absence of compression <TI 8 rocks there ;)>
> NO startups were installed ! (I'm guessing it uses the task scheduler ?)

It says at the end of the Scheduling wizard about a failure to create tasks.

great

it may be that this installer was broken, but my guess is task scheduler was broke before that. Any help on how to fix this ?

[Global Force]

Howdy Usual Suspect,

Which OS are you on? If XP, 1 or 2?


GF

[The Usual Suspect]

XP Pro Sp1a

I hated SP2... couldn't play some games :)

Also, this computer ("inherited" about 4 months back...) carries a local install of V-COM SystemSuite.... I think I'll send that to the junk bin... it's the only entry listed in Scheduled tasks... and it's NEVER actually run ! It could be the problem.

[The Usual Suspect]

STOP the freakin Presses !!!

it's "TuneUP Utilities" in there in the scheduled tasks...

I didn't even know it was installed! (it was in H:\, and start menu entires deleted x-( )

Apparently, my uncle is fond of purchasing licenses he'll never use (and I think he installed things AFTER giving me this box... talk about invasion of privacy :P )

[Global Force]

Saw your last reply before posting. Just in case ....

Try stopping, then setting the HID Service (Human Interface Device Access) to manual startup.
You may have to modify Task Scheduler to run without passwords (http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_t.htm).

Maybe some joy.


GF

[The Usual Suspect]

-{ Quote: "Saw your last reply before posting. Just in case ....

Try stopping, then setting the HID Service (Human Interface Device Access) to manual startup.
You may have to modify Task Scheduler to run without passwords (http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_t.htm).

Maybe some joy.


GF" }-HID was disabled... set it to manual, tried to run it.... "Error 2: System Cannot Find the file specified"

Tried to run the TuneUp 1-click maintenance, "task scheduler is not running"... I think I'll learn some new curse words, and rturn in 8 hours :) .

Also, it could be registry thing? I noticed jv16 power tools installed here too without any startup folder... I'm scared :(

[Global Force]

Did you disable "Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only"
and try to start the Task Scheduler service?

GF

[The Usual Suspect]

-{ Quote: "Did you disable "Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only"
and try to start the Task Scheduler service?

GF" }-
Nope... didn't work
*sighs*
This needs a reinstall, don't it?

The Usual Suspect

[Global Force]

Usual Suspect,

The only other thing I can think of aside from your thought which, under the circumstances wouldn't be such a bad idea, is check Task Scheduler's logon .... it should be set *Local System account* with desktop interaction allowed. If that's a go set it as Automatic startup and re-boot.

For s's and g's I'd also dbl check that the following registry key's value for limitblankpassworduse is set to (0) ....

hklm\system\currentcontrolset\control\lsa


GF

[The Usual Suspect]

-{ Quote: "Usual Suspect,

The only other thing I can think of aside from your thought which, under the circumstances wouldn't be such a bad idea, is check Task Scheduler's logon .... it should be set *Local System account* with desktop interaction allowed. If that's a go set it as Automatic startup and re-boot.

For s's and g's I'd also dbl check that the following registry key's value for limitblankpassworduse is set to (0) ....

hklm\system\currentcontrolset\control\lsa


GF" }-Checked all that... no use... everything is set to these settings.

<rant>
Nice little trick some people have pulled on me.

well what do you think woulda caused this?

File corruption by a bad mannered app?
registry mucking by one of the 30 trillion registry cleaning tools everyone with admin privileges insists on using?

Is reg cleaning worth it anyway? I think i's just hoo-haa... doesn't serve much purpose... at least no visible performance jump for me, whilst every cleaner "finds" some new things the previous one missed, and surprise surprise... they number in the 500's everytime.
</rant>

[Global Force]

Couple of thing's US,

Create a new administrative account and try it. You'll have to logoff and back on at least once, stop and start TS with those new credential's, you may also need to re-boot. The other thing you can check is in your Window's folder, find the logfile (SchedLgU.txt), then look if there were ever any successful run's. Re-installing IE might also work, but I'd prefer to know which version first.

Please tell me if these files are present w/version number's .... Mstask.dll, Mstinit.exe, Schedsvc.dll

You have the disc?


GF

[Global Force]

"Is reg cleaning worth it anyway?"

Some say yes, some say no. I like RegSeeker for quickly finding what I'm after,
but any and all cleaning done on my part is both manual and selective.


GF

[Global Force]

Just remembered *if* you have the disc, run sfc /scannow. ;)

GF

[The Usual Suspect]

-{ Quote: "Couple of thing's US,

Create a new administrative account and try it. You'll have to logoff and back on at least once, stop and start TS with those new credential's, you may also need to re-boot. The other thing you can check is in your Window's folder, find the logfile (SchedLgU.txt), then look if there were ever any successful run's. Re-installing IE might also work, but I'd prefer to know which version first.

Please tell me if these files are present w/version number's .... Mstask.dll, Mstinit.exe, Schedsvc.dll

You have the disc?


GF" }-

Scheduler's log is apparently rewritten for today.. donno why... no successful runs

mstask.dll 5.1.2600.1564
Mstinit.exe 5.1.2600.1564
chedsvc.dll 5.1.2600.1564

The thing is... task scheduler will NOT start.. no matter what account... I suppose I'll create a new admin account and try.

disc? Windows installer? yes. I have. why?

[The Usual Suspect]

-{ Quote: "Just remembered *if* you have the disc, run sfc /scannow" }-
what? from recovery console?

tried it from DOS, and damn it I had left out the SP1a CD when I came back in the cupboard at the *other* place ... arrgghh...

this may take a while... close to 15-16 hours I think. *sigh*

[Global Force]

"what? from recovery console?" .... Not so fast :D though an excellent utility to have onboard.

You may not need the cd if there's an I386 folder copied somewhere on the hard-drive. Inside there would be compressed files denoted by an underline extension (ex: SCHEDSVC.DL_) .... somehow that's probably not the case.

If there's no rush for the cd, have whomever mail it.


GF

[The Usual Suspect]

nope it din work ...

windows reinstall, here I come (once I find the 20 hours I need... AFTER i decide on a backup solution :D )

[Global Force]

UA,

Considering you've come to own this pre-installed pc not knowing it's current state, I would try method II (http://www.theeldergeek.com/repair_ie6.htm) before re-installing the whole enchilada (in case of error though there shouldn't be, edit the registry (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=318378)). The M$ page here (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315341) cover's some potential unknown's which may not be so obvious with TS's inability to start ....
There is a registry problem that cannot be solved by using other tools such as System Restore.


You must apply default (file and registry) permissions to your Windows XP installation.


You must register Component Object Model (COM) components and Windows File Protection (WFP) files.


You must use the Windows Setup program to enumerate Plug and Play devices again, including the hardware abstraction layer (HAL).

If you'd prefer re-installing IE fresh, look here (http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_oe.htm#xp_ie_reinstall). The choice's are up to you. :)


GF

[The Usual Suspect]

UA ?? wha? how? I mean....

also, it'd appear that you think that this is an IE based problem. Care to explain WHY you think so?

and finally... should I install sp2? I don't want to... it's broken many a software before, and nearly everyone I know has thrown it back out a week after they installed. There doesn't seem to be any advantage... just more nuisances (unless I get IE7 in somehow... looking forward to that)

[Global Force]

US,

After carefully reviewing our thread my thought's have shifted back to a permission's issue (barring any unusual deletion's from the registry or damaged system files). I would offer you take a detailed read of Passwords and user accounts under Security and administration (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/hs_security_administration.mspx), then Scheduling tasks under Performance and maintenance (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/hs_performance_maintenance.mspx).

Still finding hidden program's four month's after ownership strongly suggest's you direct your focus toward's a backup solution. If deciding an In Place Re-install is worth your time, you should be able to do it without losing your data (http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,111652,pg,4,00.asp).

As for sp2 .... depend's on priorities. You know what you want! ;)


GF

[The Usual Suspect]

-{ Quote: "Still finding hidden program's four month's after ownership strongly suggest's you direct your focus toward's a backup solution." }-
Well they're very well hidden... no way to actually see what's going on unless I fire up the control panel (add/remove) or go hunting in all of the 7 partitions for installed programs, cross referencing the registry.
So rather than enjoy a thrill ride like this (even though I have an urge to do something stupid this festive season...), I think I'll just do a simple re-install... I can always ask for all the licenses/installers, that much I've been assuerd. Which means better control ... If I find out I hate V-VOM Sys Suite and like TuneUP... I can uninstall VCOM anytime with the firm knowledge that the answer to Life, The Universe and Everything Else, is sorted out, and that I can uninstall without fear of loss, reinstall when I need to, and generally, be an Admin in the truest sense!

[iceni60]

Usual Suspect, what do you think of Paragon Exact-Image? i've got a copy i might use to image my HDD to a new HDD. do you know if it will image the whole HDD with ntfs and Linux filesystems? i have 5 partitions altogether.

[The Usual Suspect]

-{ Quote: "Usual Suspect, what do you think of Paragon Exact-Image? i've got a copy i might use to image my HDD to a new HDD. do you know if it will image the whole HDD with ntfs and Linux filesystems? i have 5 partitions altogether." }-
umm...
I never got to use it properly... BBBBBBUT
* It's nearly a clone of Acronis' TrueImage 9 [the secure zone is called some 'capsule' here, so nearly very similar features etc.]
* Feels lighter
* NO SERVICES ADDDED TO STARTUP!
* Hence, My guess is that scheduled tasks NEED the task scheduler, and I couldn't do scheduled tasks. [And I didn't try a restore because of this only. Can't use a backup program which has a component disabled on my system]
* Increasing compression to high/medium etc. has NO EFFECT. The archives will be of the same size.

CNet, I believe has a good review of the product, which enumerates WHY you should consider it over Acronis' TI, and except for the useless compression, it gives a solid punching to TI 9 [interestingly, TI 8 had better compression :) ]

NTFS = YES
Linux = Most probably YEAH!! ... you really should check out the manual/website :D

By all means, do give it a shot! If I didn't give it a shot, i'd never have found TI 8 ;D

[iceni60]

thanks, Usual Suspect. i think it should be able to cope with Linux filesystems as all their other stuff seems to. i don't think i'll use the scheduled tasks as i really just want to transfer from one HDD to another. i'll have alook for the review at CNet too.

i've used afew other programs by Paragon and they've all worked perfectly, all HDD programs too, so i hope this one works as well. thanks for the help.

[The Usual Suspect]

Post reinstall thoughts

1. I think I had a critical service disabled, one that is NOT report in dependencies, but is actually needed.

2. I don't know what autopatcher from Neowin did, but I like it!

3. I swear I'll never use a reg cleaner for it';s dfault 'auto clean' things... just a post install, keyword search and delete please.

4. Waiter, pass the check please! Or... just bring me another glass filled with this wunder-coke... amazing what a bottle of donkey meat-juice won't fix! :)

[HandsOff]

Hello Usual Suspect

Were you in on the discussion wherein I had a similar problem of my task scheduler not starting. That's right, had, as in past tense!. I owe a debt of thanks to Global Force because his comments in that thread, and another got me thinking in the right direction.

In my case the problem was a setting in WWDC, (Windows Worm Door Closer...or something like that). Iff you are running that program and iff you disable DCOM then you are presented with two options to eliminate the DCOM vulnerability. One of the choices effects task scheduler.

I have never like the Task Scheduler, but sometimes its a necessary evil.

BTW, I got the exact same error message, the error 87 one...

This might interest you. If you don't have port 135 listening when you do a
run, cmd, netstat -noa, then probably this is related to the reason why the Task Scheduler is not working.

I guess the big question is do you use WWDC, or have otherwise locked down DCOM, and/or port 135?


Hope that helps,

-HandsOff!

[The Usual Suspect]

yeah... and not just WWDC, the previous installation had had all... ALL grc.com utilities run on it AFTER SP1a, not to mention bout 5 different windows utility suites, each with it's own 'tweaking' component, and God knows how many Antispyware apps clamoring for attention inside C:\program files, but with no start menu presence... good riddance to all that!

I now have XPSP1a + Neowin.net's Autopatcher and it's tweaks *sweet* !

[HandsOff]

It is a little hard to keep track of all the applications and what they are doing. For instance, who knows how many different applications that I have that block scripts. If I want to run one, it's anyones guess if I will be able to.

Neowin's autopatcher? That sounds interesting. does it actually manage xp update patches, or does it just manage settings? I've just about gotten to the point where I think many of microsofts patches cause more harm than good. If it doesn't work, I want it removed, not have a bandaid put on it. anyway, I guess I should take a look at Neowin and find out.


- HandsOff!