Windows 10: Task SvcRestartTask: The task XML contains an unexpected node

If all of a sudden you have started receiving Task Scheduler error — Task […]

This article Task SvcRestartTask: The task XML contains an unexpected node first appeared on TheWindowsClub.com.

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Task Scheduler - Windows 10 1809 Image

OK, the next step in trouble-shooting is to examine your task. Please do this:

1. Right-click the task, then export it to an .xml file.
2. Open the .xml file with Notepad.exe.
3. Copy its contents into your reply.

 

Unexpected Ghost task detections


1 The problem

Strangely-named and seemingly inexplicable entries have been seen in the Task scheduler, Task status pane and they do not even record a Triggered by entry that would allow them to be investigated.

I’ve taken to referring to these tasks as ‘ghost tasks’ merely as a convenience, a shorthand title.





No corresponding task definition can be found anywhere within Task scheduler or in any of its configuration folders -C:\Windows\System32\Tasks,
C:\Windows\Tasks,
{not confirmed} %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\Tasks
The only other place that refers to these Task status pane entries is the Event viewer, Task scheduler log which refers to them as JD_TaskSchedulerSchedule tasks.





The Task scheduler, Task status pane entry & the Event viewer entry both refer to this particular task as {429ce28d-4d24-48c8-914a-8605598c50c8}.
Further instances of the Task scheduler, Task status pane entry have different reference codes [GUIDs] - each of which is always matched by an Event viewer entry.

The TenForums member Andy Bruin has investigated these ‘ghost tasks’ and has identified
- the Windows mechanism that causes them to be shown in the Task scheduler, Task status pane, and
- a method of suppressing them.

Reassuringly, these ‘ghost tasks’ appear to be the result of Windows internal mechanisms [rather than malware] and do not appear to be doing anything at all.

The jury is still out about whether the existence of these ‘ghost tasks’ is inevitable or requires some particular originating trigger that remains unidentified. I believe that there is an unidentified trigger -- Several users have observed the existence of these ‘ghost tasks’ but many others have never had them.
- A user who used to suffer from ‘ghost tasks’ has reinstalled Windows and no longer has them. This user knows what to look for in Task scheduler & Event viewer. If the existence of ‘ghost tasks’ was inevitable, they would have returned on that user’s computer after Windows’ reinstallation.
2 Purpose of the GhostTaskSuppressor

The purpose of the GhostTaskSuppressor is to scan for, detect & delete the immediately-preceding cog in the ‘ghost tasks’ mechanism so that they never start.

This GhostTaskSuppressor tool both includes and builds upon Andy’s suppression method.- Andy has done all the clever work.
- All I’ve done is wrap it up into a package that can run in the background without bothering the user [unless, optionally, the user chooses a notification option].
3 Contents of the attached zip file
GhostTaskSuppressor v1.3.zip







GhostTaskSuppressor v1.3.pdf - This post as a pdf document.

GhostTaskSuppressor.xml - A Task scheduler task definition for initiating scan, detection & deletion. This task does not need any elevated privileges. This task runs StartGhostTaskSuppressor.vbs.

StartGhostTaskSuppressor.vbs - A script that starts the batch file and allows it to run minimised & with a specific icon {so a user can recognise its taskbar entry without being interrupted by it}.

GhostTaskSuppressor.ini - A text file in which the user sets preferences for use by the batch file. Using an ini file allows a user to change preferences without having to edit the batch file itself.

GhostTaskSuppressor.bat - This manages the scan, detection & deletion work and makes use of Andy’s WpTasks.exe tool. This batch file does not need any elevated privileges.

WpTasks.exe - This does the scan, detection & deletion. This file does not need any elevated privileges.

4 Setting up

4.1 Download then unzip the zip file into any convenient folder

I suggest extracting to something like
C:\Users\%UserName%\ToolsDevn\TS\GhostTaskSuppressor
but the location is not at all critical.

You can use this folder to browse & edit the files as you desire.

4.2 Copy the unzipped subfolder GhostTaskSuppressor to a chosen folder

I suggest
C:\Tools\TS\GhostTaskSuppressor

What is important, in my opinion, is having access permissions set so that Windows protects the chosen folder in the same way that it protects, for example, C:\Progam files. I describe a method of setting suitable access permissions for C:\Tools in section 1 of and the annex to Make Task scheduler run a batch file minimised and with a specific icon - TenForums You need not concern yourself with the rest of that article because it has all been done for you by the attached .xml, .vbs and .bat files.

You do not have to use the folder that I suggest. To accommodate a different location, all you need to change is a path recorded in the .xml file [see below].

4.3 Setting user preferences

4.3.1 GhostTaskSuppressor.xml

Changing the .xml file is only necessary if you have not copied the subfolder GhostTaskSuppressor to C:\Tools\TS\GhostTaskSuppressor as I suggested above.

If you have used my suggested folder then skip to step 4.3.2.

Open the .xml file in Notepad or similar and find the line
<Arguments>"C:\Tools\TS\GhostTaskSuppressor\StartGhostTaskSuppressor.vbs"</Arguments>

If you have not copied the subfolder GhostTaskSuppressor to my suggested folder then replace the path given in the <Arguments> line with your own chosen path.

Save the changed file.

No other changes are needed to specify the location of the GhostTaskSuppressor files.

4.3.2 GhostTaskSuppressor.ini

1 Open the .ini file in Notepad or similar.

2 Go to the line LogYN=YesIf you want to keep a running log of GhostTaskSuppressor scans, detections & deletions then leave this entry as it is.
If you do not want to keep a running log of GhostTaskSuppressor scans, detections & deletions then change this entry to LogYN=No
3 Go to the line starting LogFolder=If you have left LogYN=Yes as it is in order to keep a running log then change the suggested C:\Users\%UserName%\Documents path to the path that you want to keep the log in. The batch file has not been written to cope with any special characters except ampersand [&] so this might prove to be a limitation for paths that use foreign language characters.
If you have changed LogYN=Yes to LogYN=No, because you do not want to keep a running log, then this path entry is ignored so there’s no need to alter it.
4 Go to the line NotificationYN=YesIf you want to be told when a ghost task has been detected then leave this line as it stands.

If, like me, you like having a tool that stays completely in the background without bothering you at all then change this line to NotificationYN=No
5 Now save the changed file and copy it into the folder used in 4.2 above. If that folder has been set up as I suggested then you will need to give Admin permission to copy into that folder.

4.4 Import the GhostTaskSuppressor.xml into Task scheduler

1 Open Task scheduler
2 In the right-hand ‘Actions’ pane, click on Import task
3 Browse to the folder containing GhostTaskSuppressor.xml, select it then click on Open
4 The task properties dialog opens. No changes are required.
5 Click on OK to save it.
6 You can now close Task scheduler.

4.5 That’s it

You can now let the task run to prevent ghost tasks from appearing.

While GhostTaskSuppressor is running, its icon will appear in the Taskbar.



GhostTaskSuppressor normally runs in the blink of an eye.

Denis

 

Task schedule is not opening

Task schedule scan: the task xml contains a value which is incorrectly formatted or out of range