Task Scheduler - Unable to edit my own task?

2019-09-18

Question

_{Wednesday, September 18, 2019 11:05 AM}

Hi.

I am trying to edit a scheduled task, that I created a few months ago. The task opens an FTP client every x mins and uploads a file to a remote server.

This has been running successfully for about a month - today I wanted to amend the task slightly to change the filename uploaded to the server, and no matter what I try, I can't save the task. It keeps asking for my credentials, which when entered are met with the response "Task Scheduler cannot apply your changes. The user account is unknown, the password is incorrect, or the user account does not have permission to modify the task."

I have edited the task before without issue, I am using the same account to edit as to create the task. And it is the administrator account for the machine.

It seems there is a permission issue at play here but I can't figure it out, and I can't think of anything significant that has changed between the last edit of the task, and today - aside from some Windows Updates. Any ideas on how to solve this issue?

All replies (20)

_{Thursday, September 19, 2019 2:21 AM}

Hi Andy,

What's your system build? Please run "winver" to check details.

It is a domain joined computers? Did you changed any domain environment?

Try to right click Task Scheduler and open it as administrator to check the issue again.

Also please check if the issue occur when try to modify other task.

We could go to C:\Windows\System32\Tasks, then right click your task name and give full control right to your account.

Please also check to create a new same task and try to modify it.

Bests,

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_{Wednesday, October 2, 2019 2:33 AM}

Hi Andy,

Any update?

Bests,

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_{Wednesday, January 8, 2020 2:55 PM}

Good Morning

I am having the same problem and hope you can help me. Several months ago I set up four tasks that are running fine. However, I would like to edit the tasks and I do not have permission to do so, even though I am the administrator and only account on this laptop.

To answer your questions:

I am running Windows 10 Ver 1809, OS Build 17763.914

This is not a domain joined computer and I have not changed any settings

I tried running as administrator and it makes no difference

The issue occurs with all four tasks I created

I have full control right of the account

I created a new task, modified it, and deleted it with no problem.

Thank you !

John

_{Wednesday, January 8, 2020 3:40 PM}

I am having the same problem and hope you can help me.

Did you try the suggestion "Try to right click Task Scheduler and open it as administrator to check the issue again."?

If you can't figure out how to do that, on the taskbar search field type "cmd". It should find the command prompt and one of the options will be "run as administrator". Select that. In the command window run "compmgmt.msc". Try editing the task from there.

_{Wednesday, January 8, 2020 5:06 PM}

Yes, I tried that, it did not matter.

_{Wednesday, January 8, 2020 7:01 PM}

Open Powershell_ISE and paste in this script. It will display the security descriptors for the tasks. I am curious as to what is defined that prevents Admins from updating the task.

 $wmisdh = new-object system.management.ManagementClass Win32_SecurityDescriptorHelper 
 $subkeys = Get-childitem "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree"
 foreach ($key in $subkeys) {
        ''
        $key.PSChildName
        $task = Get-ItemProperty $($key.name).replace("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE","HKLM:")
        $sddl = $wmisdh.BinarySDToSDDL( $task.SD ) 
        $sddl['SDDL']        
    
}

Run it and look for your 4 tasks. It should look like this below. Paste the SDDL back to this thread and I will try to translate it.

Adobe Acrobat Update Task
O:SYG:SYD:(A;ID;0x1f019f;;;BA)(A;ID;0x1f019f;;;SY)(A;ID;FA;;;SY)(A;;FR;;;IU)

GarminUpdaterTask
O:SYG:SYD:(A;ID;0x1f019f;;;BA)(A;ID;0x1f019f;;;SY)(A;ID;FA;;;SY)(A;;FR;;;SY)

GoogleUpdateTaskMachineCore
O:SYG:SYD:(A;;FX;;;SY)(A;ID;0x1f019f;;;BA)(A;ID;0x1f019f;;;SY)(A;ID;FA;;;BA)(A;;FR;;;SY)

GoogleUpdateTaskMachineUA
O:SYG:SYD:(A;;FX;;;SY)(A;ID;0x1f019f;;;BA)(A;ID;0x1f019f;;;SY)(A;ID;FA;;;BA)(A;;FR;;;SY)

KillSkype
O:BAG:S-1-5-21-3320722524-193523071-2819253668-1001D:(A;ID;0x1f019f;;;BA)(A;ID;0x1f019f;;;SY)(A;ID;FA;;;BA)(A;;FR;;;S-1-5-21-3320722524-193523071-281925366
8-1001)

_{Wednesday, January 8, 2020 8:06 PM}

Get-childitem : Requested registry access is not allowed.

At line:2 char:13

+ $subkeys = Get-childitem "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Curren ...

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+ CategoryInfo : PermissionDenied: (HKEY_LOCAL_MACH...\TaskCache\Tree:String) [Get-ChildItem], Security

Exception

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.Security.SecurityException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetChildItemCommand

_{Wednesday, January 8, 2020 10:37 PM}

Get-childitem : Requested registry access is not allowed.

At line:2 char:13

+ $subkeys = Get-childitem "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Curren ...

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+ CategoryInfo : PermissionDenied: (HKEY_LOCAL_MACH...\TaskCache\Tree:String) [Get-ChildItem], Security

Exception

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.Security.SecurityException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetChildItemCommand

Sorry about the background colors, i am having trouble getting rid of them

_{Wednesday, January 8, 2020 11:45 PM}

Run Powershell or Powershell_ISE as administrator. You're getting an access denied.

_{Thursday, January 9, 2020 12:33 PM}

OK. Here is the result. Tasks AAA, AAVB, AAC and AAD are the four tasks I created a few months ago and that I can not change. Task AAE was created yesterday and I am able to modify it.

AAA Data Updates