Task Scheduler Corrupt?

[Bruce Kluger]

I bought a new computer (two months old) that runs Windows 7 Professional (64-bit), and, after customizing it a bit to suit my needs, I'm now having a bit of trouble with the Task Scheduler. I do NOT get error messages when I open it; and, according to the Task Status list (in the middle pane), it SAYS it's performing the tasks successfully. And I even see the hard drive's little red light blinking when a scheduled task is being performed. But I can't be sure the tasks are really being performed -- b/c the one I care about the most (the automatic creation of System Restore Points) doesn't seem to be working: When I run the System Restore GUI, none of the new System Restore Points allegedly "created successfully" by the Task Scheduler are listed -- just the ones I'd made manually. I downloaded a (great) 3rd-party Restore Point creator that does this task for me automatically, but I'd still like to get to the root of my Task Scheduler problem. Among its errors:

1) When I click on Display All Running Tasks in the far right pane of Task Scheduler, I get the message, "Task Scheduler service is not available. Task Scheduler will attempt to reconnect to it."

2) When I click on certain individual tasks in the Task Scheduler Library (far left pane), I often get a blank screen in the middle pane, where the detailed data should be.

I've tried numerous solutions proposed online, including deleting certain files lists in the registry. On my computer, the key at:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tasks
lists 94 Tasks (!)...
and the key at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree
lists 23 tree files.
But none of my attempted "fixes" corrects the problem.

I've read about five dozen online tech board entrees about this, and still can't figure it out; and I've been on the phone with Microsoft three times, and they, too, are clueless about it. Meantime, I don't have any System Restore Points from before the problem began. Ordinarily, I'd just reinstall Task Scheduler from a distribution disk -- or from my wife's computer, which also runs Windows 7 Professional -- but Task Scheduler isn't a stand-alone file that can be copied -- it's a "snap-in" for the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). So I don't know how to replace it.

Finally -- if it's any clue -- the problem seemed to have started around the time I installed Microsoft Security Essentials (which I have since removed), which was also the time I backed up my entire computer onto an external drive.


So...any suggestions/responses to the above?

 

[pbcopter]

The automatic Restore point creation will not actually create a Restore Point unless no other restore points have been created for 7 days. If you want to automatically create them, see this tutorial ( Method two).

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/67114-system-restore-point-create-system-startup.html

 

[Bruce Kluger]

Thanks anyway, pbcopter. As I mentioned, I already have a third-party Restore Point creator. I'm just trying to resolve the problem with my Task Scheduler.

 

[bigmck]

See what this does for you. How to Automatically Run & Create a Restore Point From the Task Scheduler | eHow

 

[Bruce Kluger]

Thanks, pbcopter. Followed the directions to a tee. I even ran a point manually from Task Scheduler and watched the PC's red light blinking as it allegedly created the restore point. Then I closed the Scheduler and reopened it, and it said that the task had completely successfully. But when I opened the system restore GU, no new point was listed.

 

[DavidE]

I would run a System File Check to see if there are any errors.
Use Option 2 in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

In Task Scheduler under Actions click Enable All Tasks History.
Run the task, then look in the History tab of the task to see if there are any errors listed.

 

[Bruce Kluger]

Thanks, David. I did as you said -- no errors listed in history tab.

 

[DavidE]

Did you run a SFC - System File Check ?
If you did, were any errors found ?

In post #1 you stated

Finally -- if it's any clue -- the problem seemed to have started around the time I installed Microsoft Security Essentials (which I have since removed), which was also the time I backed up my entire computer onto an external drive.

Does that mean you have a System Backup Image from before this problem started ?
If so, can you restore that System Image ?
Also, are you running any real-time Anti-Virus program now ?

In post #1 you stated

and, after customizing it a bit to suit my needs, I'm now having a bit of trouble with the Task Scheduler.

Can you explain what that means ?
i.e.
Did you change the default settings for Win 7 services ???
Did you run some 3rd party system optimizers, registry cleaners, ... ???

In post #7 you stated

Thanks, David. I did as you said -- no errors listed in history tab.

In your Task History tab, does it show the task action completed successfully ?
My screen print example below is from Win 8.1, but I expect Win7 would be similar.

 

[Bruce Kluger]

David --

1) I suppose I could restore the system image, but I'm not familiar enough with a system image restoration process to know how much it would change on my current computer. I've made a lot of adjustments since then (and added new programs, menu entries, etc.) and I'd be worried that I'd be causing more changes than I want.
2) I erred in my earlier comment -- I have indeed resintalled Microsoft Secutiry Essentials, which is running now. I also run Spybot and Malwarebytes regularly.
3) Most of my cumstomization is in Windows' appearance. I've installed Classic Shell (which replicates the look of Windows XP menus and folders), and deactivated some Windows 7 elements that I don't like so much (Aero, transparent/animated folders, etc.) They look nice but eat RAM and slow things down. And, no, I didn't change Windows' default services, though I have read that some antivirus programs (even some by Microsoft) change service settings on their own frequently.
4) Yes, that's the task history pane that I get, too. And, yes, the message says that the restore points were made successfully. However, the system restore GUI shows none of these new restore points -- which is the main reason I posted this message in the first place.

 

[bigmck]

lt seems to me you are causing yourself more trouble than is needed. You have a third-party program that is doing the job.

 

[DavidE]

I suggested SFC because it sounds like more than just the SR Task is having problems.
From post #1

1) When I click on Display All Running Tasks in the far right pane of Task Scheduler, I get the message, "Task Scheduler service is not available. Task Scheduler will attempt to reconnect to it."

2) When I click on certain individual tasks in the Task Scheduler Library (far left pane), I often get a blank screen in the middle pane, where the detailed data should be.

To me, that seems like a "system issue"... beyond the SR Task problem that the OP is most concerned with.

If it was my system, I would run SFC, restore a Backup Image, do a Startup Repair, ... all the way to re-installing Windows if that's what it takes to fix the problem ...

Maybe I'm too nitpicky

 

[Bruce Kluger]

I hear you, David. I'm nitpicky too. I'm also beginnig to think the error is systemic. Not big or disruptive, but enough to annoy me. I've read a few things that said it may have to do with my user permissions -- but user permission stuff always confuses me.