After upgrade my Windows 8.0 to Windows 10, and then downgrade it back to windows 8.0 (there's an option in backup&recovery),

Windows Task Scheduler was broken completely. Manual maintenance does not start ("Windows is unable to run automatic maintenance. The maintenance scheduler is unavailable."), after trying to navigate to task groups in mmc, I got plenty of empty groups and errors like

* "The task XML contains a value which is incorrectly formatted or out of range."

* "The task XML contains an unexpected node."

How can I fix that? I can reinstall some software to fix its tasks, but how I can fix system ones?

Seeing the same here when I downgraded from Windows 10 back to Windows 7. It looks like a large portion of the scheduled tasks became corrupted and have disappeared. A vast majority of them where ones in the Microsoft container.

I have exactly the same issue. 54 tasks have been corrupted. I have to close 54 pop up notifications every time I go to the scheduler to see if it's any better. This is a big issue as I run daily backups and this is one of the many tasks that is corrupted Come on Microsoft. You must be working on a straight forward fix for this. I don't want to have to start playing with the registery entries as I have seen discussed elsewhere.


Downgrade was back to Windows 7 for me...

• Edited by Uptomen 17 hours 19 minutes ago

I have exactly the same issue. 54 tasks have been corrupted. I have to close 54 pop up notifications every time I go to the scheduler to see if it's any better. This is a big issue as I run daily backups and this is one of the many tasks that is corrupted Come on Microsoft. You must be working on a straight forward fix for this. I don't want to have to start playing with the registery entries as I have seen discussed elsewhere.


Downgrade was back to Windows 7 for me...

• Edited by Uptomen Monday, August 03, 2015 2:28 PM

Same issue here following rollback from 10 to 7. 62 tasks corrupted. URGENT to find a fix for this. Many of the affected tasks I did not create originally, so I cannot recreate or repair them. Also, as mentioned above, the error messages repeat every time the scheduler is re-opened.

I do have a system image from a couple of weeks ago. Is there a way just to take the affected items from that?

I have done just that. I have restored my Windows partition to July 29 (just before upgrading) and the scheduled task problems have all been fixed. Thanks for suggesting it!

I have done just that. I have restored my Windows partition to July 29 (just before upgrading) and the scheduled task problems have all been fixed. Thanks for suggesting it!

Greybat, how do you do that? I want to give that a try with mine but I'm unsure how to go about it...?

I don't think so. That's not what I did, anyway.

Actually, I didn't use a System Image backup to restore, although I do have one. I also use EaseUs ToDo Backup (free!) to do a daily, incremental backup of my Windows partition. (It does a full backup once a week, and incremental for the next 6 days). I used this to do a full partition restore back to July 29, which was the day before I upgraded to Win 10.

To actually do the restore, I created a bootable recovery disk, and ran that.... with some trepidation, I must admit, since, although I am somewhat paranoid about regular backups, I've never needed to restore from them on this scale before!

If you have a system image, you can either use a system recovery disk, if you have one, or you can use a Win 7 install DVD, and select "Repair your Computer" immediately after the Select Language screen. You will see an option to "Restore your computer using a system image.....".

Hope this helps, and good luck with it!

Graham

I'm loosing hope. I have tried a restore point but this isn't working either (fails). Cant backup current files due to the task scheduler issue so don't want to run system image restore as I have files that are constantly changing and I would loose any changes since last system image which was too long ago to be any help for me.

I think I am going to have to try to run system restore in safe mode as it fails even if I turn off firewalls and virus protection. It's a total co#k up...

Here's a thought, .....

Find the files (or folders containing the files) that you need to keep, and copy them somewhere else - DVD, other drive not part of system restore - e.g. external), other machine. Then do the system restore, then copy back the files that you have saved. Would that work for you?

I don't think System Restore will work, because I doubt that the rollback to Win 7 recovered the system restore points that you had before you upgraded.

From the "bolting the stable door after the horse has gone" dept(!): I ALWAYS separate my data to a separate disk partition (and drive, usually), and do not include the data in a System Image. I back all the data partitions independently of the system. I change the Windows default (C:\Users\name\MyDocuments) to a location on another drive. I do this with all Windows libraries - Docs, pics, music, tv and video. You can do this in Win7 through Library Properties in (File) Explorer. Its even easier in Win 8 and 10.

Anyway, good luck with it. Hope you get somewhere today!

Graham

Actually, this may be even easier. Presumably your backup task(s) ran OK in Win10 before you rolled back. Just restore the old Win7 System Image, then recover your data files from whatever location you last backed them up to. At worst, you may only lose a day, and, if that is important, do what I suggested above.

I have NEVER been so upset and annoyed by a bloody pc before in my life!!!!! Got files manually backed up. Went to use restore for the system image I have.... The restore system wont restart properly. It wont load and gets stuck on the 'choose a language' screen. None of my input devices (including a different usb mouse I tried) will move the bloody cursor and the keyboard wont respond either. It looks like it isn't restarting properly as it has a grey background and isn't graphically correct. The same happens if I try from F8 on boot recovery option. I'm truly at my wits end. I desperately need this pc on a daily basis as it has the till system for my shop on it. I (stupidly it turns out) thought that keeping a fairly recent system image and performing daily backups would be sufficient to cover most eventualities but it seems Microsoft have proven me very wrong indeed. I am peed off beyond measure at this moment in time and I'm ready to throw the whole thing in the dustbin...

A few questions.....

1. Are you saying that you were unable to reach the recovery options from the Win 7 install disk, or did you manage to runthe revery from the system image and, following that, you can't use your computer any more?

2. If the former (that you couldn't run the recovery), can you still start your computer normally into "unrecovered" win 7? (I guess you have some sort of pc operating in order to post to this forum!)

3. If your problems are just getting to the recovery options, it sounds like your BIOS does not support wireless or usb connected keyboard/mouse. If that is the case, do you have a wired, ps/2 type keyboard that you can plug in temporarily?

4. Can you get into your BIOS settings? You may be able to activate USB support from there, so your connected keyboard and mouse may work. Normally, uou either hit Del or F2 during iniitial booting.

5. It sounds to me like the worst case is that you may be facing a clean re-install of Windows 7, and all installed apps. But on the bright side, you at least have backups of your critical data.

Good luck! I hope some of these solutions give you some - if different levels of - encouragement!

Hi Graham, 1. I can load the PC normally. When choosing recover from system image it asks me to backup (which as we know doesn't currently work) so I skip that step and get to the usual request to restart. I then restart and the system image page doesn't load properly. I have looked at Google posts and see they it should be rendered in the usual win7 blue background and clear graphics. It gets left with a gravy background that has a slight swish on one side but isn't the full win7 quality more like an old windows 98 install. That's the screen that I can't get past. It asks the right question "choose a language" but I cannot move the cursor as it won't respond. 2. Yes I can. It will boot normally to the current state. 3. There is no ps/2 type connection. This is an Acer 'all in one' touchscreen jobby so only has sub ports 4. I can get to the BIOS. I will look in the morning to see if I can activate USB 5. If I do a clean install, would I then be able to use the system image and file backups to bring it to where I want it? Thanks for your response. I'm soooo frustrated with it at the moment. I have a limited knowledge but can easily follow instructions and learn fairly quickly. Mike

Mike,

What you are seeing is the correct way that Win 7 boots from the install DVD. Yes, it looks like Win98! That's good news.

New alternative...... since you have an Acer jobby (!), can you use its recovery tools to do a factory reset? Again, as long as you have your data backed up separately, there should be a way out of your problem. Can you call or contact Acer support for help?

It sounds like you are in the UK, and I am in Canada. I have to go out for the rest of the evening so will not be able to post again today. But I'll be interested to see how you get on in the morning!

Good luck, Graham

Thanks Graham. I'll attempt to get the USB working in BIOS Would I be able to load the system image form a factory reset state? Mike

Mike,

In theory, a factory reset would return your computer back to the state it was in when it was first purchased. That would include any apps that were installed then (and any junkware that is of no interest to you!). You MIGHT be able to run recovery to restore the system image, but I think you are likely to run into the same problem with your mouse/keyboard not being accessible. The problem is that, to re-apply a system image, you have to be outside the drive that the image is being restored to. That is why you boot from an external DVD.

I really think your best bet is to contact ACER support and see what they recommend. Alternatively, if you haven't had the device for too long, contact the store where, I presume, you purchased it. Maybe it is still under some sort of guarantee? One of them may be able to help you create a recovery disk that contains the drivers that will get you keyboard and mouse working enough to initiate the recovery.

One other possibility, although it will leave your task scheduler still screwed up. There are other backup programs that do not rely on task scheduler to maintain their schedule. I use 2 of them. (As I said earlier, I am a bit paranoid about backups!) One is called Second Copy (by a UK company called Centered Systems), and it allows you to define profiles of exactly what files you want to back up, where you want them backed up to, and what schedule you want to apply. It costs a small amount, but I'm not sure how much. The other one I use is free, called ToDo backup by EaseUS. I use it for a partition backup of my system drive, and it does a full backup once a week, and differential backups every other day.

If your machine is running OK in Win 7, even without your backup tasks working, Second Copy could allow you to recreate the backup jobs and continue daily backups without using the task scheduler. It may help you keep running the till for your shop until such time as MS (hopefully) provides a solution to the corrupted tasks!

Once again, good luck!

Graham

Ok. So it looks like I am back up and running. It turns out that the USB ports on the side of the PC dont load up in that state. So, simply plugging the mouse into a rear USB port means my system image was loaded. I then chucked the files I copied yesterday back on and it seems to be on. Currently running sfc /scannow and we'll see where we are. Thanks for all your help Graham.

• Marked as answer by Kate LiMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Monday, August 10, 2015 11:33 AM

Glad you got it fixed. It occurred to me after my last post that it wouldn't hurt to try other ports on your machine to see if they might work for your mouse.

I've posted in a few other places about the task scheduler issue on roll back. Probably, not too many people use it, so they don't notice the problem,but, if it happens to everyone who rolls back, what happens to the functionality that is lost from all the corrupted tasks! Ah, well!

I upgraded to Windows 10 but after failing to solve problems with OneDrive, Permissions, and Networking etc. I rolled back to Windows 7 (On two computers). This solved the foregoing issues but now the Task Scheduler is throwing off many error messages (corrupt or tampered with) and I cannot use windows backup. I have been able to create a new task (Defragment). Although I created system images and restore points prior to upgrade these now seem to be unavailable. I decided to do a repair install and attempted to get an up to date installation DVD (SP1) from the Microsoft Software Recovery site but apparently my product key is not for the English language!  I eventually did the install but this has not solved the Task Scheduler problem. I managed to contact Joelle B a Microsoft Answer Tech using online chat but she ended the session after I typed in my issue. I have now emailed Mr Nadella.