Task scheduler and vbs using a user account

scheduled-tasksvbscriptwindows 7

I am trying to schedule a vbs script to run with regular user rights. The script runs fine when logged in as the user, but when I try to run the script from the task scheduler as "Run whether user is logged on or not", it gets stuck on the following line:

Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")

I have tried running it with "Run with highest privileges" checked and unchecked. I am running the program from task scheduler as:

program/script: "c:\windows\system32\cscript.exe"
arguments: "test.vbs"
start in: c:\

Here is the full code:

Set fso = WScript.CreateObject("Scripting.Filesystemobject")
set tfo = fso.createTextFile("c:\123.txt")
tfo.writeline("1")
Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
tfo.writeline("2")
tfo.close

output when ran as "Run only when user is logged on":

1
2

output when ran as "Run whether user is logged on or not":

1

additionally, the task will run correctly as "Run whether user is logged on or not" when using an admin account, but I cannot use an admin account as a solution.

Best Answer

You need to grant the user the "Log on as a batch job" privilege. This can be done either via GUI:

  • start gpedit.msc
  • navigate to Computer Configuration → Windows Settings → Security Settings → Local Policies → User Righst Assignment
  • double-click "Log on as a batch job" privilege
  • add the user account
  • click "OK" and close gpedit.msc

or on the commandline:

ntrights +r SeBatchLogonRight -u domain\username

ntrights.exe is part of the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools, but works on Windows 7 too. You don't have to install the whole package. Instead you can use e.g. 7-zip to open/unpack the rktools.msi inside the rktools.exe.

Edit: Since you already did that, the issue is probably that the script can't spawn a GUI application, because you don't have an interactive desktop when the user isn't logged on. Try adding some debugging code to your script:

...
On Error Resume Next
Set IE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
If Err Then tfo.writeline Err.Number & vbTab & Err.Description
On Error Goto 0
...

A test-run of this code snippet gave me a "permission denied" error. Apparently limited users cannot create an IE instance in a scheduled task.

That said, what are you trying to achieve with the Internet Explorer object? Using an XMLHttpRequest might be a better approach for background tasks.

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