Can't deploy any scheduled task by GPP

[Sheridan]

More W10 weirdness today - trying to deploy a scheduled task to PCs using GPP - it doesn't work and logs the error "The system cannot find the file specified" in the local machine log.That error doesn't change no matter what the task is set to do, run a program, show a message or have no Action at all - so its not the task itself causing the problem. When I login to one of the PCs I can see the Task Scheduler is running and has other basic tasks (added in by the AV) so I know its functioning, but I have no idea what file it cannot find!

[chazzy2501]

is it complaining that it can't find the file specified within the scheduled task, and thus won't create it?

[Sheridan]

That's the problem, the task has no files - it simply display a message when an event occurs, there's no external files involved in the task at all, no pathnames at all. The trigger is and event and the action is a message.

[free780]

Within GPP the schedule tasks are xml files so maybe that's what it's referring to. You can turn on Verbose logging for GPP which gives you more detail why it hasn't deployed. Usually local accounts being used, I found that try to use a trigger based on users from a particular AD Group logining on would stop it from applying But I haven't done any further investigation. I think the built in display message and send email are depriciated now as you can do the same in powershell. Which windows 10 version is it 1607/1703/1709/1803?

[eddyc]

There is a bug in all versions of Windows 10 and GPP scheduled tasks will only work if the run as is set to system I believe...

[Sheridan]

It’s 1703 mainly and the task is set to run as system. I can create the task manually on the same pcs and it works as expected, just not via a gpp which means deploying it will be a pain!

[free780]

I have written a PS script for task sequence creation.

 

https://broadsystemadmin.wordpress.com/2018/06/28/making-windows-updates-great-again/

 

Please steal with pride and adapt the variable at the beginning

 

$DeploymentActionAction

[bknaggs]

It’s 1703 mainly and the task is set to run as system. I can create the task manually on the same pcs and it works as expected, just not via a gpp which means deploying it will be a pain!

 

Do you have any deployment tools? Scheduled tasks can be installed using a batch file so could be deployed that way or set to run as a startup script.

[Sheridan]

I've been trying with GPP, but as my SCCM is being rebuilt from scratch I'm looking more towards a batch file - although I've never added a scheduled task that way before!Edit: Does Windows 10 preference logging even work? I've enabled logging for the the Task GPP - but no log files appear. Just the same useless message about 'cannot find the file specified' Edited November 26, 2018 by Sheridan

[Warwick_Tech]

I've noticed a similar issue with our new deployments - I also experienced this on Server 2016 so maybe it's a new security 'feature'

 

Basically network shares set to 'everyone' no longer include the local administrator so MSI's and Scripts/Batch files run from shares fail - The temp solution was to tick the 'run as another user' box on Deployment Tools - This seems to make the issue less.... troublesome, so maybe try this?

 

[Sheridan]

I've had more success using a batch file that runs 'schtasks /Create' using a prepared xml file. It seems to be the way with W10 these days that the GPP/GPO setings are often ignored.

[chazzy2501]

if you save the xml from GPP then import it into task scheduler do you get a better error?

[Sheridan]

Importing the task, or creating it locally works fine, its only through GPP deployment it comes up with the error. In the end a good old batch file has worked - ironically still using the same task xml file