asked on

Scheduled Task won't close Outlook

I am running Windows7 64 bit and Outlook 2010

I have a batch file that produces a different result if I double click on it vs if I run it from Task Scheduler

I have at .bat file that has the following command:
cscript.exe CloseOutlook.vbs

The command is supposed to close any running Outlook Processes.
The contents of CloseOutlook.vbs:

Function IsProcessRunning( strServer, strProcess )
    Dim Process, strObject
    IsProcessRunning = False
    strObject   = "winmgmts://" & strServer
    For Each Process in GetObject( strObject ).InstancesOf( "win32_process" )
 If UCase( Process.name ) = UCase( strProcess ) Then
            IsProcessRunning = True
            Exit Function
        End If
    Next
End Function

On Error Resume Next

Dim strComputer, strProcess

   strProcess = "outlook.exe"
   strComputer = "."

If( IsProcessRunning( strComputer, strProcess ) = True ) Then

Set Outlook = GetObject(, "Outlook.Application")
If Err = 0 Then
Outlook.Quit()
End If 
Else
    WScript.Echo "Process " & strProcess & " is NOT running on computer " & strComputer
End If

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If I double click on my batchfile it works perfect. However if I schedule it in Task Scheduler it doesn't close outlook. If no Outlook is running it it does give me the message, "Process outlook.exe is NOT running on computer " But if Outlook is running it apparently finds it and does nothing.

In Task Scheduler I have "Run with highest privileges" set.
I have tried running it "only when user is logged on" and "whether user is logged on or not"

The batch file has other commands and it runs to completion without error, but Outlook remains open.

apache09

Rather than using Quit

Have you tried using Task Kill?

Taskkill.exe /f /im outlook.exe

mycomputerworks

ASKER

My understanding is that Taskkill.exe can cause outlook to go down in an ungraceful way and sometime break the .pst file.

SOLUTION

Joe Winograd

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Ross Waddell

I'm stuck on this, too. I need to close Outlook every morning and while my .bat/.vbs script works fine from a command line (not even one with elevated permissions) I can't get it to work from Task Scheduler. It seems like the problem is with GetObject() - when running from a command prompt it returns a reference to Outlook but when executed via Task Scheduler it returns nothing.

Here's my .bat file:

@echo off
echo "==========================================" >> d:\outlook\batch_log.txt
echo %date% %time% >> d:\outlook\batch_log.txt
echo "Closing Outlook via vbs ..." >> d:\outlook\batch_log.txt
cscript //Nologo //B D:\Outlook\Close_Outlook.vbs >> d:\outlook\batch_log.txt 2>>D:\Outlook\errorlog.txt

Open in new window

Here's my .vbs file:

Function IsProcessRunning( strServer, strProcess )
    Dim Process, strObject
    IsProcessRunning = False
    strObject = "winmgmts://" & strServer
    For Each Process in GetObject( strObject ).InstancesOf( "win32_process" )
        'objFile.WriteLine Process.name
        If UCase( Process.name ) = UCase( strProcess ) Then
            IsProcessRunning = True
            Exit Function
        End If
    Next
End Function

on error resume next

Dim oOL 'As Outlook.Application
Dim objFSO 'As FileSystemObject
Dim objFile 'As File
Dim strComputer, strProcess

Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objFile = objFSO.CreateTextFile("D:\Outlook\vbs_log.txt", True)

objFile.WriteLine "VBS: " & Now

strProcess = "outlook.exe"
strComputer = "."

If( IsProcessRunning( strComputer, strProcess ) = True ) Then
  objFile.WriteLine "IsProcessRunning=TRUE"

  Set oOL = GetObject(, "Outlook.Application")
  'Set oOL = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")

'WScript.Sleep 5000

  If oOL Is Nothing Then
    'no need to do anything, Outlook is not running
    objFile.WriteLine "GetObject() result is nothing"
  Else
    'Outlook running
    objFile.WriteLine "GetObject() result is NOT nothing, attempting to log off from session and quit"
    If Err = 0 Then
      oOL.Session.Logoff
      oOL.Quit
    End If
  End If
Else
  objFile.WriteLine "IsProcessRunning=FALSE"
End If

objFile.Close

Set oOL = Nothing
Set objFile = Nothing
Set objFSO = Nothing

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Here's the output in vbs_log.txt when run from command prompt:

VBS: 07/30/2014 2:34:51 PM
IsProcessRunning=TRUE
GetObject() result is NOT nothing, attempting to log off from session and quit

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Here's the output in vbs_log.txt when executed from Task Scheduler:

VBS: 07/30/2014 2:33:44 PM
IsProcessRunning=TRUE
GetObject() result is nothing

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Why doesn't the GetObject() call work from Task Scheduler? I have the task set up to 'Run only when user is logged on', 'Run with highest privileges' and the Start In is set to the same folder as the .bat & .vbs files.

Ross Waddell

I added some error handling to the .vbs script and ONLY when I run this from Task Scheduler do I see this:

Error 429: ActiveX component can't create object

Open in new window

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Joe Winograd

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Ross Waddell

Thanks Joe. It works perfectly although I'd rather use vbscript. Until I can figure out what's wrong with GetObject(), though, I'll use your solution.

Joe Winograd

Ross,
I'm glad to hear that it works perfectly for you. Strange that an AHK script works fine in a BAT file called via TS but a VBScript does not. Please post back here when you figure out the problem. I'm curious, although the original asker has obviously lost interest. Regards, Joe

Ross Waddell

The same .vbs script works on a colleague's machine so perhaps it's a problem with the MS Office install on my box.

Joe Winograd

Very interesting!

Ross Waddell

While the AHK script works perfectly when I'm logged on and working on the desktop, it doesn't seem to work when I lock it at night (still logged in, though).

SOLUTION

Joe Winograd

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Ross Waddell

That worked! Thanks Joe. I hadn't considered changing this setting as my research showed it needed to be 'Run only when users is logged on' for the aborted .vbs attempt (which is also true for my colleague who was able to use the .vbs version).

Joe Winograd

That's great news, Ross. Did you have to store the password?

Ross Waddell

No, I checked the box about not needing it and it seemed to work.

Joe Winograd

Excellent!

Joe Winograd

Hi Ross,
I'm trying to clean up some open questions and noticed that I haven't heard from you in nearly three months on this one. Back on 1-Aug, it seemed that everything was resolved, so I'd appreciate it if you close out the question. However, if there are still open issues, please let me know and I'll try to continue helping. Thanks, Joe

Joe Winograd

I recommend that post https:#a39230433 be the Accepted Solution and post https:#a40230116 be an Assisted Solution. After I made those posts with the AutoHotkey (AHK) script and instructions on calling it from Task Scheduler, the asker said, "Thanks Joe. It works perfectly although I'd rather use vbscript. Until I can figure out what's wrong with GetObject(), though, I'll use your solution."

He apparently continued to use my solution, because in a subsequent post he said, "While the AHK script works perfectly when I'm logged on and working on the desktop, it doesn't seem to work when I lock it at night (still logged in, though)."

I solved that problem for him in my post https:#a40234244 (which could also be an Assisted Solution), after which he said, "That worked! Thanks Joe."

We exchanged a few posts after that and then he abandoned the question, never closing it. Regards, Joe

Joe Winograd

Thank you, Mr. Wolfe — I appreciate it!