PowerShell scheduled task to run script with Excel Com Object

4
votes

Here is some strange behavior, I've got a PowerShell script that converts an XLSX file into a CSV file. This script runs in the console without issue.

Trying to schedule the task/script results in a CSV file with no data (0 Bytes).

In my searching, I found this TechNet forum post that proved helpful.

Essentially the scheduled task containing the Powershell script that uses the Excel ComObject fails because You have to create a folder (or two on a 64bit-windows). Once this was done, the task when run manually works as expected. It also works when a trigger is set and the user is logged off.

Is this type of behavior concerning the Excel ComObject documented anywhere at all? I spent 3 hours trying to get this to work.

C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\Desktop

(64Bit)

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\config\systemprofile\Desktop
2
excelcsvpowershell

2 Answers

2
votes

AFAIK There are no official documentation from MS about this issue/limitation. It should be reported as a bug (contact Microsoft Support).

The requirement of a desktop folder (which SYSTEM doesn't have by default) shouldn't be necessary for excel to run and at least it should have created the folder if missing.

1
votes

I don't believe Microsoft supports what you are attempting to do. According to this documentation, Microsoft states:

Microsoft does not currently recommend, and does not support, Automation of Microsoft Office applications from any unattended, non-interactive client application or component (including ASP, ASP.NET, DCOM, and NT Services), because Office may exhibit unstable behavior and/or deadlock when Office is run in this environment.

The documentation appears to be for Office 2003, but I'm not sure if they have changed there stance since then as I haven't found other documentation stating support. As recently as 2009, this MVP reiterates that it isn't supported. The recommendations appear to be to use OpenXML SDK for non-interactive automation, or another third party library for working with the file format directly.