Error messege: the selected task "{0}" no longer exists. to see the current task, click refresh

Anonymous
2009-07-07T16:17:02+00:00

When I go to start the task scheduler, I get this messege "the selected task "{0}" no longer exists. to see the current task, click refresh" So I go ahead and click refresh, and get the same error messege. How can I resolve this issue? Any help and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2009-09-21T19:15:00+00:00

I spent a few minutes and tracked down the problem and a solution. The issue is a result of task files which exist in the Tasks folders which have no entry in (presumably) in the registry. Here's how I worked through the issue - will take some time, but it has cleared up the issue completely for me:

  1. Open Task Scheduler and click OK when prompted with the error. It may seem like you are receiving the same error over and over, but this is really due to the number of tasks which are broken. Make a note of the number of times you are prompted with the the selected task "{0}" error. This is the number of task files that are out of sync with the registry.
  2. Start with the first folder under Windows tasks (Task Scheduler(Local)\Task Scheduler Library\Microsoft\Windows) and select each folder in turn until you receive the the selected task "{0}" error. This folder contains files that are not in sync with the task scheduler.
  3. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the tasks file folder (%SystemFolder%\Tasks\Microsoft\Windows) and find the folder which corresponds to the folder in which you received the error.
  4. For some tasks you will be able to determine which files need to be deleted by comparing the list in the Task Scheduler with the list of files in Explorer. Some tasks will only have a single file in explorer, or, in one case I had 2 and the first was missing. Once Task Scheduler encounters this error it will no longer display tasks so it makes the job of getting the two in sync a little more difficult. Once you have determined which files exist in the File Folder but do not exist in the Task Scheduler folder, delete those files.
  5. IMPORTANT - Close and Re-open Task Scheduler. Once the error is encountered, Task Scheduler no longer displays the tasks so you need to close it and restart in order to continue your synchronization effort.
  6. Continue to select folders in Task Scheduler under Windows tasks until you encounter the error again and repeat the process of determining which file exists on the file system, but not in Task Scheduler.

I had 6 files that were out of sync with what was displayed in Task Scheduler. Once I deleted all of the offending files, Task Scheduler fired up without issue.

Good luck.

Was this answer helpful?

100+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2009-08-28T12:19:13+00:00

Hi,

I had the same issue and here is what I did to solve my problem and hope it helps someone else in the future.  If you disabled the Disk Defrag Schedule, then go back and enable it.  It solved my problem and i've reported this bug to the Windows 7 team.

Was this answer helpful?

90+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments

131 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Anonymous
    2010-03-18T13:49:59+00:00

    Yes... I agree with Judesman comments. Can MS please respond here.

    There as been replys in other sections of Microsoft answers/TechNet which talk about empty tasks

    but do not make any reference to the MONTHLY setting of Defrag Scheduler ?

    I can confirm that after changing the defrag schedule you must

    reboot and only Daily and Weekly settings work and do not show the error.

    Monthly setting always shows message and appears to empty the rest

    of the task scheduler, although when you revert back to Weekly or Daily all

    the tasks mysteriously reappear.

    I would also ask can Microsoft please make post here to say they know about

    this specific problem of the Disk Defragmenter scheduler Monthly setting and say

    they are dealing with it or supply a patch/update to correct.

    Please no references to other threads or long description on empty tasks.

    Jimsrply

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2010-03-18T08:43:05+00:00

    I tried Headscratcher's solution (Post dated 17th January).  This works fine until you restart the computer and then there is tha same old problem. I am not technically minded and some of the ideas put forward in this thread are quite beyond me. Anyway I have far better things to do than sit at my computer all day trying to resolve problems that are not of my making. I THINK IT IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE THAT SOMEONE FROM MICROSOFT DOES NOT POST ON THIS THREAD TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING ON. SURELY THERE SHOULD BE AN UPDATE TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. I WISH I HAD BOUGHT AN APPLE MAC, WITH THE CHANGE OF OS. I WAS THINKNIG ABOUT IT.

    Judesman.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2010-03-17T02:31:57+00:00

    Ok...it's been a month now...

    WIth the 32bit of Win7 ultimate.. the scheduled task issue has not returned.

    The exact same software was installed with this test and sofar things are ok...

    It makes me wonder if there was a 32bit program that was causing this corruption

    of the security rights tied tot he task schedulder.

    But since there is no tool to find out ... we'll never know.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments