How do I get Task Scheduler to stop running a deleted Task

I've been searching for days trying to find how to fix this issue. It came about when a hard disk crashed without warning and I didn't have a current backup. My bad, but fortunately it wasn't the system disk so I've been able to recover from the disk just dying. During the recovery phase, I installed a NAS and reorganized all my PC storage disks to off load all the backup functions to the NAS.

When the crash happened, I had a task set up in Task Scheduler that made a backup of a selected set of files. After the crash, I moved the receiving location for these files and made the necessary change to the shceduled task along with a change in the Trigger to an earlier time. Since making these changes, the task has been running fine.

Now for the strange part. Even though I made and saved the changes to the original task and it runs without error, the old task continues to run and gives an error message that it can't find the old receiving directory. And stranger still, the directory named in the error still exists !

There is no task in Task Scheduler referencing the directory in the error and a search of the Registry shows no reference anywhere to that same directory. Thinking there might be some glitch in the Task Scheduler from modifying the original Task, I deleted it, built a brand new one and rebooted. Next day, right at the scheduled time, the new Task runs just as before with no errors, but later the 'phantom' task runs at the time for the old, deleted task !

I feel like I'm caught in a 'Ground Hog Day' situation where no matter what I do, I have to relive the same the same moment over and over and over. Does anyone have any ideas for solving this ?

Hi and Welcome.

The tasks for the Task Scheduler are located in the C:\Windows\System32\Tasks folder. You might check to see if there is an extra task there that is not shown in the task scheduler.

Also, have you checked, under view in the task scheduler that show hidden tasks is checked?

Thank you pbcopter !!!

I already had the Show Hidden Tasks checked. I had also looked in the C:\Windows\System32\Tasks directory, but not carefully through the entire sub-structure. When I did that after your suggestion, I found an orphan task that didn't show anywhere in Task Scheduler in C:\Windows\System32\Tasks\Microsoft\Windows. I have no idea how it got there, but by it's name I'm sure it's the one that's been haunting me. I deleted it and expect that to solve my problem.

SevenForum rocks and thanks again. :)

Good going. I hope it works out.