Powershell server 2012 task manager - list files doesnt work. Manually run script works

Question

I have the following script (this is only a part of the entire script):

$FileAge = (Get-Date).AddDays(-90)
$Paths = @("c:\Logs", "c:\inetpub\logs", "c:\Program Files (x86)\Spiceworks\Agent\log", "c:\Deployments")
$ExcludedExtensions = @("SvcTraceViewer.exe", "*DeployLog.xml")
$ExcludedFolders = @()
$Filter = "*.*"
#checking the paths if they exists
$CheckedPaths = {$Paths}.Invoke()

foreach ($Path in $Paths)
{
    if((Test-Path $Path) -eq $false)
    {
        $CheckedPaths.Remove($Path.ToString())
        if ($FailedPaths -eq $Null)
        {
            $FailedPaths = $Path
        }
        else
        {
            $FailedPaths = $FailedPaths + "`n$Path"
        } 
    }
}
if ($ExcludedFolders.GetLength(0) -eq 0)
{
    $List = Get-ChildItem -Path $CheckedPaths -Recurse -Filter $Filter -Exclude $ExcludedExtensions | Where-Object { !$_.PSIsContainer -and $_.LastWriteTime -lt $FileAge}
}
else
{
    $List = Get-ChildItem -Path $CheckedPaths -Recurse -Filter $Filter -Exclude $ExcludedExtensions | Where-Object { !$_.PSIsContainer -and $_.LastWriteTime -lt $FileAge -and $_.FullName -notmatch $ExcludedFolders}
}
$list | Out-File -filepath "c:\Jobs\LogCleanup\result.txt"

I've setup the script to be run at a specific time via Server 2012 R2 Task Scheduler:

General

Runas: "domain name\domain user"
Run whether user logged on or not: x (user is in "log on as a batch job")
Run with higest privileges: x

Action

Start a program: powershell.exe -nologo -file "c:\jobs\logcleanup\logcleanup.ps1"

The "domain name\domain user" has full access to the folder where "result.txt" is written. The same user has modify rights on all the folders it searches through

When the scheduler runs the script, the "result.txt" file is empty. When I open a powershell window as the "domain name\domain user" (shift+right click on powershell -> run as different user) OR if I run a Runas /user:... command the result.txt file is filled with data.

When opening a powershell prompt as "domain name\domain user" I check with "whoami" to make sure I manually run the script with the same user as the Task Scheduler.

With the command prompt open (where the command was just run with a success), running the task in Task scheduler, results in a filled "result.txt" file.

The same script is also running on several Server 2008 R2 servers without issues. Only on my two Server 2012 R2 servers do I have the above issue.

Thanks in advance for any input :-)

To aid in troubleshooting I suggest you output something like a constant string to the log file. Does it appear? — Nick.McDermaid

Carsten Carsten · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-01T12:29:29

After a lot of testing, I finally found a solution. I dont know why my first attempt didnt work, when executed in the Task Scheduler. But the following code works both when running manually and when it's run in the Task Scheduler:

$FileAge = -90
$Paths = @("c:\Logs", "c:\inetpub\logs", "c:\Program Files (x86)\Spiceworks\Agent\log", "c:\Deployments")
$ExcludedExtensions = @("SvcTraceViewer.exe", "*DeployLog.xml")
$ExcludedFolders = @()
$Filter = "*.*"
#checking the paths if they exists
$CheckedPaths = {$Paths}.Invoke()

foreach ($Path in $Paths)
{
    if((Test-Path $Path) -eq $false)
    {
        $CheckedPaths.Remove($Path.ToString())
        if ($FailedPaths -eq $Null)
        {
            $FailedPaths = $Path
        }
        else
        {
            $FailedPaths = $FailedPaths + "`n$Path"
        } 
    }
}
if ($ExcludedFolders.GetLength(0) -eq 0)
{
    $List = Get-ChildItem -Path $CheckedPaths -Recurse -Filter $Filter -Exclude $ExcludedExtensions | Where-Object { !$_.PSIsContainer -and $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays($FileAge)}
}
else
{
    $List = Get-ChildItem -Path $CheckedPaths -Recurse -Filter $Filter -Exclude $ExcludedExtensions | Where-Object { !$_.PSIsContainer -and $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays($FileAge) -and $_.FullName -notmatch $ExcludedFolders}
}
$list | Out-File -filepath "c:\Jobs\LogCleanup\result.txt"

What I changed:

In the setting of variables

$FileAge = (Get-Date).AddDays(-90) => $FileAge = -90

In the "Where-object" sorting part of creating a file list

$_.LastWriteTime -lt $FileAge => $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays($FileAge)

Powershell server 2012 task manager - list files doesnt work. Manually run script works

1 Answers