Problem with scheduled updates

[Tinus]

Hi Michael,

I made my first tests of the update process always with an active user. Today I started to test additional scenarios.

It seems as if the scheduled update requires that the user is logged in. On a Windows 2000
system the scheduled task is never run if the user has logged off. On a Windows ME system,
a Message Box is displayed: runtime error in script, can not create shell notification icon.

Furthermore if the machine is off at the scheduled time you lose this notification event completely.
If I use the defaults (every Sunday, 3:00 AM) I never see a notification because my office machine is not running
on the weekend and the task is not rescheduled.

Is this normal behaviour?

[MichaelNesmith]

The user does have to be logged in. You can change this in your task settings if you wish.

The error with Win9X systems has already been corrected.

[Tinus]

I removed the checkmark on "Interactive Task" for the Schedule Task command - does not help.
The scheduled task for updates is still created with "Run only if logged on". Tested on an English Windows XP Sp2.

[Tinus]

The user does have to be logged in. You can change this in your task settings if you wish.

I manually removed the "Run only if logged in" from my task. Now the task is started while I'm not logged in.
If I later log in I see the task status as running. But I do not see any visible window/icon. So this option doesn't help.

I want to be notified after login. What can I do?

The error with Win9X systems has already been corrected.

Is there any schedule for an update? I have to get my setup out of the door in the next days.

[MichaelNesmith]

The updated script has already been posted to the forum.

I guess the other limitation is a Windows Task Scheduler limitation. Nothing that can be done about that.

[Tinus]

The updated script has already been posted to the forum.

I'll give it a try.

I guess the other limitation is a Windows Task Scheduler limitation. Nothing that can be done about that.

Ok, but the bug with the schedule task command should be verified and addressed.

[Edhy]

There is still a problem with Scheduled Tasks, this is what I did:

• Create a new Scheduled Task in IA with the following info:
  Task Name: $TITLE$ Updates
  Interactive Task: Checked
  Run Program: $UNINSTALLLINK$
  Working Directory: empty
  Command Line Parameters: /update
  User Name and Password: blanks, because we just don't know that information.

When running the task in the target computer left the program running before showing any response for the update, so I had to End Task.

Then I noticed the following information in the Run As: NT AUTHORITY\\SYSTEM

I changed this to the current user and the task worked properly.

Other thing I noticed is that the new script is creating an update shortcut under \\WINDOWS\\Installer, it supposed to use the installation Title name, but the shortcut is named like this: $TITLE$ Updates for All Users so in the process of creating this shortcut the variable $TITLE$ is not being substituted.

[MichaelNesmith]

Edhy,

The update script does not create shortcuts with $TITLE$ in them. It uses #TITLE#. This has already been explained in the post, please review.

Additionally, if you specify empty username and passwords, don't expect the Schedule Task command to work. You have to specify a valid username and password.

[MichaelNesmith]

Tinus,

"Interactive Task" and "Run only if logged on" are seperate Task Scheduler options. The InstallAware command does not expose the latter, it is assumed.

[Tinus]

"Interactive Task" and "Run only if logged on" are seperate Task Scheduler options.

Thanks for the clarification, a misunderstanding on my side.

And what is the counterpart for "Interactive Task" in the scheduler options?