I'm wanting to be able to have PowerShell automatically run a specified command anytime anything is run in PowerShell(hitting enter, any command at all). I've searched all over google with no luck finding anything except the way to have a command run on startup of powershell
If you need it a bit hidden you could do it with a ScheduledTask and Auditing Events.
Enable Auditing to get all changes logged as events
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/windows-powershell/wmf/whats-new/script-logging?view=powershell-7.2&viewFallbackFrom=powershell-6
Create a Scheduled Task that starts with a trigger from Events by ID. Take the IDs from the Microsoft article above. Add the command you would like to run as action. This means command is "PowerShell" and parameters are like -NonInteractive -Windowstyle minimized -c "command was executed | out-file c:\temp\activity.log"
Set it to be run as the user "system" if you want it at full permission without user interaction.
Don't forget this task to be allowed to run multiple times if you want it to.
Be aware that this might generate a lot of log entries and a lot of powershell processes depending on how log your task will run.
But in most cases the solution mentioned by Mathias R. Jessen above might be the easiest one, but is also easy to be changed by any user for the session even if you changed prompt in the settings mentioned here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_profiles?view=powershell-7.2
Some time ago, in preparation for syncing AD with Microsoft Azure, we ran a vendor provided Powershell script that now launches every time someone logs onto the server. The problem is that before completing the Powershell script in question, the vendor provided a new process (an executable instead that did what this script did and more). We did not let the script complete and part of it's process was to launch automatically after a reboot so that the remainder of the steps within it could be completed.
I've answered 'No' to the two prompts I get when it launches hoping it will close out (and it does until I log in again). I've also tried typing 'exit' hoping it would no longer auto-launch. I have also used Task Manager to end the task. No matter how I exit the script for the current session, it comes back. How can I kill this script? It's not saved to the computer anywhere. It's not in the startup folder or anything either.
There are several locations to look for. See: Windows Automatic Startup Locations.
Common ones to take a look at are:
Startup folders
Current User
%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
All Users
%programdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp
Task Scheduler
Task Scheduler (Local) -> Task Scheduler Library
Registry Startup
Run keys (individual user)
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run (only on 64-bit systems)
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Run
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce (runs the program/command only once, clears it as soon as it is run)
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx (runs the program/command only once, clears it as soon as execution completes)
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
Run keys (machine, all users)
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run (only on 64-bit systems)
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce (runs the program/command only once, clears it as soon as it is run)
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx (runs the program/command only once, clears it as soon as execution completes)
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
Group Policy
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon > Run these programs at user logon
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon > Run these programs at user logon
I have a PowerShell task in my definition that calls another script file on its own which takes care of running several things on my build agent (starts several different processes) - emulators, node.js applications, etc.
Everything is fine up until the moment this step is done and the run continues. All of the above mentioned stuff gets closed with most of the underlying processes killed, thus, any further execution (e.g. tests run) is doomed to fail.
My assumption is that these processes are somehow dependent on the outermost (temporary) script that VSTS generates to process the step.
I tried with the -NoExit switch specified in the arguments list of my script, but to no avail. I've also read somewhere a suggestion to set this by default with a registry key for powershell.exe - still nothing.
The very same workflow was okay in Jenkins. How can I fix this?
These are the tasks I have:
The last PowerShell task calls a specified PowerShell file which calls several others on its own. They ensure some local dependencies and processes needed to start executing the tests, e.g. a running Node.js application (started in a separate console for example and running fine).
When the task is done and it is successful, the last one with the tests would fail because the Node.js application has been shut down as well as anything else that was started within the previous step. It just stops everything. That's why I'm currently running the tests within the same task itself until I find out how to overcome this behavior.
I am not sure how you call the dependencies and applications in your PowerShell script. But I tried with the following command in PowerShell script task to run a Node.js application:
invoke-expression 'cmd /c start powershell -Command {node main.js}'
The application keeps running after the PowerShell script task is passed and finished which should meet your requirement. Refer to this question for details: PowerShell launch script in new instance.
But you need to remember to close the process after the test is finished.
There is the Continue on error option (Control Options section). The build process will be continued if it is true (checked), but the build result will be partially succeeded.
You also can output the error or warning by using PowerShell or VSTS task commands (uncheck Fail on Standard Error option in the Advanced section) and terminate the current PowerShell process by using the exit keyword, for example:
Write-Warning “warning”
Write-Error “error”
Write-Host " ##vso[task.logissue type=warning;]this is the warning"
Write-Host " ##vso[task.logissue type=error;sourcepath=consoleapp/main.cs;linenumber=1;columnnumber=1;code=100;]this is an error "
More information about the VSTS task command, you can refer to: Logging Commands
I have a scheduled task on a Windows 2008 R2 server. The task includes a Start In directory entry. The task runs, and the batch file it runs does what it is supposed to do. When I run the batch file from a command prompt, I see no errors. The problem is that the "Last run result" is 0x1 (incorrect function call).
I did get this at one time with an incorrect DOS statement IF EXISTS file.txt DO (Copy file.txt file1.txt) that was corrected by dropping the DO statement. The current batch file does not show me any errors or warnings.
Why am I getting a 0x1 result?
Batch file that is run:
PUSHD \\JUKEBOX4\Archives\CallRecording
REM only move csv and wma together. wma should be created last.
IF NOT EXIST C:\CallRecording (MKDIR C:\CallRecording)
FOR /f %%f IN ('DIR /b *.wma') DO (
IF EXIST %%~nf.csv (MOVE /Y %%~nf.* C:\CallRecording\)
)
POPD
CD /D "C:\Program Files (x86)\Olim, LLC\Collybus DR Upload"
CollybusUpload.exe
POPD
Info on scheduled task setup:
Program to run: C:\Program Files (x86)\Olim, LLC\Collybus DR Upload\CallRecordingUploadFromH.cmd
Start in: C:\Program Files (x86)\Olim, LLC\Collybus DR Upload
Run whether user is logged on or not, highest privileges.
History screen, task completed entry
"Task Scheduler successfully completed task "\Call recording upload to portal from NH" , instance "{1449ad42-2210-427a-bd69-2c15e35340e6}" , action "C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\cmd.exe" with return code 1."
First screen of Task Scheduler shows "Run Result" of "Success"
It seems many users are having issues with this. Here are some fixes:
Right click on your task > "Properties" > "Actions" > "Edit" |
Put ONLY the file name under 'Program/Script', no quotes and ONLY the directory under 'Start in' as described, again no quotes.
Right click on your task > "Properties" > "General"
| Test with any/all of the following:
"Run with highest privileges" (test both options)
"Run wheter user is logged on or not" (test both options)
Check that "Configure for" is set to your machine's OS version
Make sure the user account running the program has the right permissions
I found that I have ticked "Run whether user is logged on or not" and it returns a silent failure.
When I changed tick "Run only when user is logged on" instead it works for me.
I've had the same problem. It is just a batch-file, working when manually started, but not working as a scheduled task.
there were drive-letters in the batch-file like this:
put z:\folder\file.ext
seems like you should not use drive-letters, they are bound to the user, who created them - for me this little change made it work again:
put \\server\folder\file.ext
For Powershell scripts
I have seen this problem multiple times while scheduling Powershell scripts with parameters on multiple Windows servers.
The solution has always been to use the -File parameter:
Under "Actions" --> "Program / Script" Type: "Powershell"
Under "Add arguments", instead of just typeing "C:/script/test.ps1" use -File "C:/script/test.ps1"
Happy scheduling!
Windows Task scheduler (Windows server 2008r2)
Same error for me (last run result: 0x1)
Tabs
Action: remove quotes/double-quotes in
program/script
and
start in
even if there is spaces in the path name...
General:
Run with highest privileges
and
configure for your OS...
Now it work!
last run result: The operation completed successfully
Probably not the cause of the OP's problem; for me the problem was caused by the fact that my program called a SQL function, and the service account the windows task was set up with did not have the required SQL permissions. That also gives a 0x1
This answer was originally edited into the question by the asker.
The problem was that the batch file WAS throwing a silent error. The final POPD was doing no work and was incorrectly called with no opening PUSHD.
Broken code:
CD /D "C:\Program Files (x86)\Olim, LLC\Collybus DR Upload" CALL CollybusUpload.exe POPD
Correct code:
PUSHD "C:\Program Files (x86)\Olim, LLC\Collybus DR Upload" CALL CollybusUpload.exe POPD
In my case it was an encoding issue. We wanted to start en existing batch file, and it resulted in "return code 1", and the desired action wasn't performed. I've accidentally found that the batch file was shown in Notepad as one with UTF-8 encoding (actually without any reason, as we have no special characters in the text). I saved it as ANSI, and it solved the problem for us. Might be, that it was a kind of encoding corruption in the file that prohibited Task Scheduler and cmd.exe to open the file, although it was displayed correctly in Notepad.
On our servers it was a problem with the system path. After upgrading PHP runtime (using installation directory whose name includes version number) and updating the path in system variable PATH we were getting status 0x1. System restart corrected the issue. Restarting Task Manager service might have done it, too.
I was running a PowerShell script into the task scheduller but i forgot to enable the execution-policy to unrestricted, in an elevated PowerShell console:
Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
After that, the error disappeared (0x1).
Just had the same problem here. In my case, the bat files had space " "
After getting rid of spaces from filename and change into underscore, bat file worked
sample before it wont start
"x:\Update & pull.bat"
after rename
"x:\Update_and_pull.bat"
For me the problem was the PowerShell script being ran had #Requires -RunAsAdministrator at the top, meaning it needs to run in an elevated command prompt as an Admin, but the user the Scheduled Task was set to run as wasn't an admin on the local computer. So even though Run with highest privileges was checked in the scheduled task, I still had to make the user an Administrator on the computer. Once I did that, the script ran as expected.
Since there is always more than one reason this could happen I thought I'd share some troubleshooting tips that helped me diagnose my issue.
Always adding a "start in" parameter first since thats an easy fix, even just adding the drive letter can help, e.g. C:\
If you're running "whether user is logged on or not" and it is failing it might be an issue with your user and/or user environment.
Switch the task to run only when user is logged in temporarily for
troubleshooting purposes.
Make sure you're actually logged in AS the user you're telling the task
to run as. (PATH and other environment variables are different by user
and if you see the task running on one user successfully that doesn't
necessarily mean it will run successfully for another user even if they're in the same security group.)
Add pauses or some other type of debugging to your script to give you
time to see any errors that may pop up.
Perform a manual run from the task scheduler window.
Fix any errors you see from your debugging statements. Rinse and repeat.
If it runs successfully switch back to run "whether user is logged on
or not" and try another manual run. If it works now you're all set.
If nothing has helped so far you might need to dig in deeper to your user and file privileges. My troubleshooting tips assume that you have been able to get a past task running using a specific user login already. They don't cover building a scheduled task from a fresh install necessarily. Luckily I haven't had to do that.
What solved it for me was that I was using a local administrator account instead of the domain account so I changed the "Run as" to the domain account.
It turns out that a FTP download call using winscp as last thing to do in the batch caused the problem. After inserting the echo command it works fine. Guess the problems source could be the winscp.exe which do not correctly report the end of the current task to the OS.
del "C:\_ftpcrawler\Account Export.csv" /S /Q
"C:\Program Files (x86)\WinSCP\WinSCP.exe" /console /script="C:\_isource\scripte\data.txt"
echo Download ausgeführt am %date%%time% >> C:\_isource\scripte\data.log
I have created a Powershell script and set it up to run within a .bat file. When I click on the .bat file the Powershell script runs like a champ. I then set up the .bat file to be run as a scheduled task. Again it works like a champ when I right click on it and launch it interactively. Problem is it fails when the task scheduled to run unattended in the evening.
Not sure if this matters but I am using Powershell v.1 on Windows 2003 Server 64.
Thanks in advance for your help.
==========================================
The status on the scheduled task is "Could not start". Perhaps fails was the wrong choice of words because the task probably doesn't even start running.
The task is set up to run as my user and I am set up as a local administrator on the box.
Check if scheduled task's security setting
Scheduled task might be running under a credential that does not have access to the batch file.
When you are adding a new task, you are asked to enter a credential
And you can check for already created task's credential
[UPDATE]
The status on the scheduled task is "Could not start". Perhaps fails was the wrong choice of words because the task probably doesn't even start running.
Make sure that Task Scheduler service is running
Is the task set to run with your useraccount or as System? Check the access rights on cmd.exe and powershell.exe.
Also if you go to the sheduled tasks you can do a 'view log' in the advanced menu to check for error messages.
Just a guess, but could it be something to do with the account/security context from which the script is running? If it's running on the System account, then that could certainly be a problem. (I suspect it's just running on your user account however.) Check that all your path variables are set correctly when the script runs, for a start. Otherwise, could you perhaps provide any more information on how exactly it fails (i.e. any error messages)?
Maybe the current directory is not set as you expect when running from the task manager. Try running your bat file from the command line, while you are not in the same directory as the file (and your .ps1 script) are.
Otherwise: check permissions.