Task Scheduler problem

[justacruzr2]

Working on one of the last little problems that needs fixing in Millennium.  I  disabled PCHealth Scheduler years ago but would now like to re-activate it.  So I copied over the original files in the Tasks folder from a CD I burned of the original system after the install for a baseline reference point.  They were the files: PCHealthSchedulerforDataCollection, TuneUpApplicationStart (Winalign) and SA.  Also had to click on Start Using Task Scheduler on the Advanced tab of the Scheduled Tasks folder.  Right after I clicked on that the Scheduled Tasks folder froze.  The rest of the system was fine and seemed unaffected by that.  Just couldn't access or close the Scheduled Tasks folder.  So I restarted the computer and after going thru the initial Windows ME welcome screen the computer hung up on a black screen but the mouse pointer was able to move but nothing else.  Allowed it to be this way for several minutes believing it might be doing something in the background and when finished would then continue on to the Desktop...it never did.  I rebooted again and restored the registry to clear the problem.  Windows once again started up normally.  I have left Start Using Task Scheduler unchecked until I can figure out what is really going on.  So from my observations it seems that when I click on Start Using Task Scheduler there must be something missing in the registry.  I already compared all the files and folders in PCHealth to the original setup to be sure I wasn't missing something.  Also checked all the MS updates to see if any of them affected the Task Scheduler or PCHealth for security reasons but found nothing except for the fact that the file HelpCtr.exe was changed by one of the updates but I don't think that would have affected the Task Scheduler.  Also noticed that everytime I start the computer, the PCHealth task is being refreshed but never runs.  Also noticed that the Add Scheduled Task icon that should appear in the Tasks folder is not appearing.  I think this might be part of the problem.  Since it is not an actual file I think it must be one of those namespace entries in the registry.  Anyone have any other ideas or the solution?  Thanks. 

[schwups]

Are you looking for that?

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"PCHealth"="C:\\WINDOWS\\PCHealth\\Support\\PCHSchd.exe -s"

[justacruzr2]

1 hour ago, schwups said:

Are you looking for that?

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"PCHealth"="C:\\WINDOWS\\PCHealth\\Support\\PCHSchd.exe -s"

No.  That entry already exists but for some reason it doesn't run it.  But it does refresh the actual task file.  It gets a new date and time on the file.  So it's actually doing something but never completes the task by making the CollectedDataxxx.xml files.  Something is missing.  One thing I was thinking of trying would be to restore that actual first registry from that CD of the original install and start looking at entries related to the Pchschd.exe file and the mstask.exe file.  Or maybe even easier and quicker would be to take the current registry and the original registry and throw them both into a file compare utility and look at the highlighted differences related to task scheduling.

[schwups]

23 hours ago, justacruzr2 said:

 Also noticed that the Add Scheduled Task icon that should appear in the Tasks folder is not appearing.  I think this might be part of the problem.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Plus!\System Agent]
"EnableTrayIcon"=dword:00000001

 

OK wrong - I probably need stronger reading glasses!

Edited May 31, 2022 by schwups

[Goodmaneuver]

Are most system files original. Original Setupapi is the best. There are a few options perhaps, if you want to take it back to nearly original then there should be a system.ist in the root directory. You can swap out system.dat with system.ist then the whole system will be then re-install. You need to do this externally to the OS though. Do not do a system restore in safe mode it will no work properly but you could make a new cab file with system.ist in it as system.dat and then use system restore while fully into the operating system. Firstly though there is PCHealth.inf I would try re-installing this inf but I am not experienced in this. If the inf does not install then looking at what it is trying to do might help. Mstask.exe should be running. You need to use Starter or Msinfo to see 16 bit modules that are loaded. MStask is not 16bit. Looking into the PCHealth inf myself it seems it uses vxdmon.vxd which is inside vmm32.vxd. To install the inf you could try the stub path line or try RUNDLL32.EXE %11%\ADVPACK.DLL,LaunchINFSection %17%\PCHealth.inf . I did not try either. It uses WBEM also.

[justacruzr2]

10 hours ago, schwups said:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Plus!\System Agent]
"EnableTrayIcon"=dword:00000001

 

OK wrong - I probably need stronger reading glasses!

That's OK.  That was one of the things I put in the registry while I was searching the internet for advice.  Found that little nugget embedded in an article.  And that does work and puts the task icon in the systray.  But what I meant was go to your \Windows\Task folder and click on it.  It should have the Add Scheduled Task icon in there along with any tasks you may have set up.  Right now mine doesn't.  It shows it in the CD copy of the original setup but it isn't a file.  If you right click on it the context menu only says "Open".  That's why I think it's one of those namespace type entries in the registry.  Could be wrong though and it could be some other way the system displays that icon in the Task folder.  And that might be part (or all) of the problem.

[justacruzr2]

2 hours ago, Goodmaneuver said:

Are most system files original. Original Setupapi is the best. There are a few options perhaps, if you want to take it back to nearly original then there should be a system.ist in the root directory. You can swap out system.dat with system.ist then the whole system will be then re-install. You need to do this externally to the OS though. Do not do a system restore in safe mode it will no work properly but you could make a new cab file with system.ist in it as system.dat and then use system restore while fully into the operating system. Firstly though there is PCHealth.inf I would try re-installing this inf but I am not experienced in this. If the inf does not install then looking at what it is trying to do might help. Mstask.exe should be running. You need to use Starter or Msinfo to see 16 bit modules that are loaded. MStask is not 16bit. Looking into the PCHealth inf myself it seems it uses vxdmon.vxd which is inside vmm32.vxd. To install the inf you could try the stub path line or try RUNDLL32.EXE %11%\ADVPACK.DLL,LaunchINFSection %17%\PCHealth.inf . I did not try either. It uses WBEM also.

Yes, other than what the MS updates changed.  Actually there is a file in PCHealth\Support that I think is named PCHealth setup.  The thought you gave me though is to check what is running by going to System Information off the System Tools menu.  That would be a good place to check that MSTask is loaded or as you say MSInfo (AKA System Configuration).  I'm thinking the problem is not really PCHealth not doing it's job but MSTask not loaded and running.  Without that PChealth might be attempting to run (using it's registry entry) but without support from MSTask it may not understand how to run the task.  As I mentioned before, the actual task file (PCHealth Scheduler for Data Collection) Is getting refreshed every time I start or restart the computer so that suggests that PCHealth is attempting to run it.

[schwups]

28 minutes ago, justacruzr2 said:

But what I meant was go to your \Windows\Task folder and click on it.  It should have the Add Scheduled Task icon in there along with any tasks you may have set up.

The Windows/ Task folder hasn't Wizard Add Scheduled Task.

1. Desktop.ini:

[.ShellClassInfo]
CLSID={d6277990-4c6a-11cf-8d87-00aa0060f5bf}

2. PCHealth Scheduler for Data Collection.job

3. SA.DAT

The wizard is in folder Scheduled Tasks - Control Panel or Startmenu System Tools ( Properties Target: C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE ,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} )

[justacruzr2]

10 minutes ago, schwups said:

The Windows/ Task folder hasn't Wizard Add Scheduled Task.

1. Desktop.ini:

[.ShellClassInfo]
CLSID={d6277990-4c6a-11cf-8d87-00aa0060f5bf}

2. PCHealth Scheduler for Data Collection.job

3. SA.DAT

The wizard is in folder Scheduled Tasks - Control Panel or Startmenu System Tools ( Properties Target: C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE ,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\::{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} )

OK.  My original copy of the system after the initial install does have the "Add Scheduled Task" icon in the  \Windows\Task folder along with the PCHealth task, the Winalign task and SA.DAT but no Desktop file.  This Add Scheduled Task icon does not seem to be a file because if I right click on it, the context menu only says "Open".  This is probably a shortcut to the Wizard that you mention.  But an internal shortcut via the registry rather than an actual file like the ones on the Start Menu.  That would suggest that there are 2 places that you can start the wizard from.  The Scheduled Task folder off System Tools and the actual \Windows\Task folder.  However, I am going to create that Desktop file in the Task folder using the info you supplied ([.ShellClassInfo]  CLSID={d6277990-4c6a-11cf-8d87-00aa0060f5bf} and see what happens.  Maybe it has something to do with this.  I'm at work now so I can't test this till I get home this evening.  It also seems that there was more than one way that Windows set up the Task folder if yours does not have that Add Scheduled Task icon in it.  Thanks.

[Goodmaneuver]

Mstask.exe start in the registry

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices]
"SchedulingAgent"="mstask.exe"

PCHealth has got nothing to do with MStask I estimate. Why do you need a desktop file? Control Panel should have Scheduled Tasks. You need to register MStask.dll and most likely Shell32.dll if it will register for you. Remove everything in the Tasks folder might help. It should only be populated when a task is implemented. MStask is not self registering so here is registry

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}]
@="Scheduled Tasks"
"InfoTip"="Schedules computer tasks to run automatically."

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM\\mstask.dll,-100"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\InProcServer32]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM\\mstask.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Both"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:00,00,00,21

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\shellex\ExtShellFolderViews]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\shellex\ExtShellFolderViews\{5984FFE0-28D4-11CF-AE66-08002B2E1262}]
"PersistMoniker"="file://%webdir%\\schedule.htt"

If WINDOWS is not your windows folder then you need to change this text in the Reg file to match your windows folder name.

This is the Classes section, it should be copied to the system section automatically.

If you have not got schedule.htt in your windows\web folder then you need to register Webvw.dll.

Edited June 1, 2022 by Goodmaneuver

[justacruzr2]

17 hours ago, Goodmaneuver said:

Mstask.exe start in the registry

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices]
"SchedulingAgent"="mstask.exe"

PCHealth has got nothing to do with MStask I estimate. Why do you need a desktop file? Control Panel should have Scheduled Tasks. You need to register MStask.dll and most likely Shell32.dll if it will register for you. Remove everything in the Tasks folder might help. It should only be populated when a task is implemented. MStask is not self registering so here is registry

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}]
@="Scheduled Tasks"
"InfoTip"="Schedules computer tasks to run automatically."

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM\\mstask.dll,-100"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\InProcServer32]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM\\mstask.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Both"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:00,00,00,21

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\shellex]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\shellex\ExtShellFolderViews]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}\shellex\ExtShellFolderViews\{5984FFE0-28D4-11CF-AE66-08002B2E1262}]
"PersistMoniker"="file://%webdir%\\schedule.htt"

If WINDOWS is not your windows folder then you need to change this text in the Reg file to match your windows folder name.

This is the Classes section, it should be copied to the system section automatically.

If you have not got schedule.htt in your windows\web folder then you need to register Webvw.dll.

Interestingly I did a search in the registry for mstask.exe...there was nothing.  I appreciate your response and will use your reg entries.  Funny thing I saw last night in the recycle bin were those CollectedDataxxx.xml files.  Looking at the details it showed they were created and then deleted 2 seconds later by PCHealthCtr.  What's up with that right?  Also I have to correct what I said above because I didn't realize I was looking at those  original CD files of the system in XP.  Here are the pictures so you can see what I saw.  Also note that XP uses the same CLSID for tasks as Millenium and that XP and maybe ME when I get it working correctly will also show that "Add Scheduled Task" icon in place of the Desktop file.  By the way I looked at that CLSID value that's in Desktop in the registry and one of the subkeys is defaulticon which has a value of mstask.dll, -100.  So that would seem to be what Desktop is for...to display that Add Scheduled Task icon.  You say "Remove everything in the Tasks folder might help. It should only be populated when a task is implemented."  That was another thought I had too.  Having tasks in the folder already before activating Scheduled Tasks might be part of the problem.  You also say "Why do you need a desktop file?"  My only answer is that's the way Microsoft set it up.  Take a look at the pictures which clearly show how the original install set it up.

 

 

[justacruzr2]

On 5/31/2022 at 9:44 PM, Goodmaneuver said:

OK.  The task scheduler is working properly now.  Deleting the existing files in the Tasks folder was the key.  Seems there's a proper order when initializing the Task Scheduler.  All the reg entries were there too.  However, the Data Collection is still not happening.  Yet the task is being accessed and refreshed everytime I start/restart the computer.  Puzzling problem.

 

[justacruzr2]

OK.  Problem solved.  After getting everything else connected with the task scheduler working correctly it turned out that a Norton Utilities app running in the background was preventing the Data Collection.  When I turned it off and waited 10 minutes, the Data Collection took place.  Glad that's over with.