Scheduled Task for robocopy PowerShell script does not finish - what's wrong?

Question

I'm working on a PowerShell script to automatically move some files to a remote server every 5 minutes.

The logs are always nested two directories deep. I don't care about those directories. Both the folders and the files can be, but are not always, randomly named. I have used the local temp directory to accomplish the de-nesting prior to shuttling the files over to robocopy.

I've also created a new event log source for troubleshooting. I'll cut those down after I can get this working. I believe I'm running this from Task Scheduler correctly (as start a program C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe with arguments -WindowStyle Hidden -File "C:\PathToScript\ThisIsTheScript.ps1").

Here's how it should go when automated.

1. Triggered by Task Scheduler
2. Create temp log directory if needed
3. De-nest and move logs to temp log directory
4. Remove all empty directories from source
5. robocopy to destination share by UNC name
6. Task Scheduler completes task

The files remain in the temp log directory, do not copy to the destination server, and Task Scheduler never completes - it remains running. However, all of the troubleshooting log entries are created, even if using Start-Job and Wait-Job around the robocopy line.

Steps 5 and 6 are not happening when scheduled, only when run manually. Why aren't the files copying, and why won't the task complete when run in Task Scheduler?

# Source Variables
$LogSource  = 'C:\Somewhat\Deeper\Directory\Log\Files\Dropped\Here'
$TempLogDir = 'C:\SomeFilesBrieflyHere'

# Destination variables
$DestHost   = 'thisisthedestinationcomputername'
$DestShare  = 'thisisthedestinationsharename$'

# Operating Variables
$Switches   = @("/s", "/MOVE", "/zb", "/R:0", "/W:0", "/MT:8", "/NFL", "/NDL", "/NP", "/IS", "/IT")
$RoboDo     = @("$TempLogDir","\\$DestHost\$DestShare","$Switches")

# Verify event log source exists and create it if it does not
if (-not ([System.Diagnostics.EventLog]::SourceExists("PowerShell Script"))) {
    New-EventLog -LogName 'Application' -Source 'PowerShell Script'
    Write-EventLog -LogName 'Application' -Source 'Powershell Script' -EventID 1 -EntryType Information -Message 'Created new Event Log: Application Source type: PowerShell Script'
}

# Write log for init
Write-EventLog -LogName 'Application' -Source 'Powershell Script' -EventID 1 -EntryType Information -Message 'The scheduled task to move logs to the log server has been triggered and will now execute.'

# Verify Local LogDir exists
if (!(Test-Path -Path $TempLogDir)) {
    New-Item -ItemType directory -Path $TempLogDir
} 

# De-nest logs to local log folder in preparation to move
Get-ChildItem -Path "$LogSource" | Get-ChildItem | Get-ChildItem | Move-Item -Destination "$TempLogDir" -Force
Write-EventLog -LogName 'Application' -Source 'Powershell Script' -EventID 1 -EntryType Information -Message "Files locally de-nested into $TempLogDir."

# Remove all empty directories with unicorn glitter
Get-ChildItem $LogSource -Recurse | Where {$_.PSIsContainer -and @(Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath:$_.FullName).Count -eq 0} | Remove-Item -Confirm:$false -Force
Get-ChildItem $TempLogDir -Recurse | Where {$_.PSIsContainer -and @(Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath:$_.FullName).Count -eq 0} | Remove-Item -Confirm:$false -Force
Write-EventLog -LogName 'Application' -Source 'Powershell Script' -EventID 1 -EntryType Information -Mes

# Begin Robocopy operation
robocopy $TempLogDir \\$DestHost\$DestShare $Switches
Write-EventLog -LogName 'Application' -Source 'Powershell Script' -EventID 1 -EntryType Information -Message "The scheduled task to move logs to the log server has been completed and the files were successfully copied to $DestHost."

Answer 1

Try changing the robocopy line to this instead: & robocopy $TempLogDir \\$DestHost\$DestShare $Switches The problem might be that your script stops at that line, complaining that robocopy isn't a cmdlet or function, even though it works when running it manually.