Scheduled task repeats ad infinitum....

[Steve08]

HI,

I have a task that is required to repeat every 7 minutes for 100 minutes. I have set the obvious things, but when it runs it just carries on past the 100 minutes, forever (or until I disable the task.)

It seems odd to me that there are two places within the Task Scheduler settings dialogs where this limit can be set:

a) Within the "Advanced settings" of "Edit trigger" within the "Triggers" tab there is: "Stop task if it runs longer than..." option, and,

b) Within the "Settings" tab itself there is another "Stop task if it runs longer than..." option...

I wonder what happens if one sets conflicting values? Anyway, I haven't - I have set 100 minutes in each case. adn the summary it displays for me indeed says: "After trigered, repeat every 00:07:00 for a duration of 01:40:00" - which is correct.

The task runs under admin priveleges.

So where do I begin to look for what's goiung wrong? Any ideas?
Thanks...

 

[RSchwarz]

What program are you running with the task?

If the program requires more than the alloted time to complete it will run to completion unless you stop.

 

[Steve08]

Hi, it's a Perl script file, which doesn't run for long. The thing is, I have the same set of scheduled tasks running on another server (Windows 2003) without a problem, it's just on the 2008 server that this is happening. It's all very odd...

 

[RSchwarz]

I run a few php scripts and have no problems. Maybe there is something missing ion the configuartion.

 

[Steve08]

Re: Scheduled task repeats ad infinitum.... [update sorted]

Turns out the solution is that when setting the schedule and entering the application to run, it is also *essential* (NB not optional as it says) to fill in the "Start In (oprional)" box.
Nice one, Microsoft...

 

[Steve08]

Final update:

OK, I get it now - that about filling in the "Start in.." box is needed in order for the task to run, but the repeating ad infinitum thing is different - figured it now:
Consider this task trigger:

Start at 10:00 and repeat every 2 minutes for 10 minutes.

If you refresh Task Scheduler at, say, 10:05 you will see the "Next run time" as 10:06, as expected. If you refresh again at 10:11 you will see it is blank. The task has finished.

Now set it to repeat on a daily basis, and refresh as 10:11. Instead of seeing the "Next run time" set to 10:00 the following day, in fact it is set to 10:12, and continues to re-set itself every 2 minutes BUT the task does not actually run until 10:00 the next day!!

Daft, or what?

 

[Steve08]

OK, So Microsoft recognise the problem too...

The value in the Next Run Time field in Task Scheduler is incorrect in Windows Vista and in Windows Server 2008

Glad to know ot wasn't just me being daft!

 

[RSchwarz]

Re: OK, So Microsoft recognise the problem too...

What a pain to figure out. I set my script tasks arnd forget about them. Maybe I shouldmake sure they are running correctly and that settings are correct.

Thanks for the link also.