Workflow Timer Job Is Stuck( 0% Progress and Running Continuously )

We are facing strange issue in sandbox. Workflow timer job in central admin (CA) is getting stuck.workflow time interval is 2 minutes.

It supposes to run for every two minutes. But it stuck after the start. It is not resume (or) complete the job. It is showing 0% progress and running status.

We need to restart the SharePoint2010 Timer Service to restart the timer job.

When we restart the SharePoint 2010 Timer, Workflow timer job gets re started. But again it is stuck.

So whenever we need to run workflows I need to restart the SharePoint 2010 Timer service.

I have re created my site collection and delete the local list (which has workflow association). But Workflow timer job in CA not resumed (or) completed.

Are there any options to reset the workflow timer job? Is there any way to clear state of workflow timer job?

October 19th, 2012 12:03pm

Hi Ashok,

Have a look at the following suggestions:

First, Stopping the SharePoint Timer Service, re-entering the User Id and password, right click timer service, click properties, then click log on.  Then start again and do iisreset.

Second, clear the file system cache on all servers in the server farm on which the Windows SharePoint Services Timer service is running, To do this, follow the steps in the following blog,

http://sharepointtraps.blogspot.com/2011/10/timer-job-stuck-at-0-progress.html

Regards,

Kelly Chen

  • Proposed as answer by Strausmann Thursday, August 22, 2013 9:09 AM
  • Unproposed as answer by Strausmann Thursday, August 22, 2013 9:10 AM
  • Proposed as answer by Strausmann Thursday, August 22, 2013 9:10 AM
  • Unproposed as answer by Pratik VyasModerator Tuesday, September 03, 2013 10:57 PM
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
October 22nd, 2012 3:26am

Hi Ashok,

Have a look at the following suggestions:

First, Stopping the SharePoint Timer Service, re-entering the User Id and password, right click timer service, click properties, then click log on.  Then start again and do iisreset.

Second, clear the file system cache on all servers in the server farm on which the Windows SharePoint Services Timer service is running, To do this, follow the steps in the following blog,

http://sharepointtraps.blogspot.com/2011/10/timer-job-stuck-at-0-progress.html

Regards,

Kelly Chen

  • Proposed as answer by Strausmann Thursday, August 22, 2013 9:09 AM
  • Unproposed as answer by Strausmann Thursday, August 22, 2013 9:10 AM
  • Proposed as answer by Strausmann Thursday, August 22, 2013 9:10 AM
  • Unproposed as answer by Pratik VyasModerator Tuesday, September 03, 2013 10:57 PM
October 22nd, 2012 3:26am

Hi Kelly Chen,

I have tried both methods.

But it does not help. No change in workflow timer job.

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
October 23rd, 2012 9:30am

Hi Kelly Chen,

I have tried both methods.

But it does not help. No change in workflow timer job.

October 23rd, 2012 9:30am

Hi Ashok,

Does there any error in ULS logs and event viewer?

Regards,

Kelly Chen

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
October 24th, 2012 2:47am

I have this same issue.  Is there any update on this problem?
May 13th, 2013 9:16pm

i have got same problem in my SharePoint Server

for  Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Usage Data Import,

Config Refresh

workflow

so i have read most of notes.

Clearing the cache is the best resolving part for this.

To resolve this issue, clear the file system cache on all servers in the server farm on which the Windows SharePoint Services Timer service is running. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Stop the Timer service. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
    2. Right-click SharePoint 2010 Timer services, and then clicks Stop.
    3. Close the Services console.
    4. Navigate to the directory:C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\SharePoint\Config
    5. \GUID.
    1. Backup the GUID folder
    2. Back up the Cache.ini file. (Make a copy of it. DO NOT DELETE THIS FILE, Only the XML files in the next step)

    1. Delete all the XML configuration files in the GUID folder (DO NOTE DELETE THE FOLDER). Do this so that you can verify that the GUID folders content is replaced by new XML configuration files when the cache is rebuilt.  Note when you empty the configuration cache in the GUID folder; make sure that you do NOT delete the GUID folder and the Cache.ini file that is located in the GUID folder.
    2. Double-click the Cache.ini file.
    3. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
    4. On the Edit menu, click Delete.
    5. Type 1, and then click Save on the File menu. (Basically when you are done, the only text in the config.ini file should be the number 1)
    6. On the File menu, click Exit.
    7. Start the Timer service. To do this, follow these steps:
      1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Services.
      2. Right-click SharePoint 2010 Timer, and then click Start.
      3. Close the Services console.
    8. Note The file system cache is re-created after you perform this procedure. Make sure that you perform this procedure on all servers in the server farm.
    9. Make sure that the Cache.ini file in the GUID folder now contains its previous value. For example, make sure that the value of the Cache.ini file is not 1.
    10. Check in the GUID folder to make sure that the xml files are repopulating. This may take a bit of time.

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
December 4th, 2013 10:17am

Dear

I have clear the configuration cache by following steps suggested above, then start the SharePoint Timer service , it rebuild the cache successfully but workflow job run couple of time after 5 minutes interval and then stuck again at 0% running.... have you any suggestion please...

 

July 14th, 2014 7:32am

Hi

I am facing the same issue. even after clearing the configuration cache and restarting timer service, workflow job is again stuck.

Any suggestion/help will be very useful.

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
July 15th, 2014 10:11am

Did anyone get a solution to this. I am having the same issue with the Workflow Timer job Pausing.
November 28th, 2014 5:34pm

Looks like there is no solution to this very annoying problem. Clearing the timer cache does definitely NOT solve this.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
August 19th, 2015 3:47am

Very frustrating.  None of these worked for me either.  Still searching for a permanent solution.
August 20th, 2015 8:53pm

I got it to work again, but I had to cancel every stalled workflow instance, i.e. every workflow instance which got stuck due to the time job not working properly. Had to write a powershell script to identify all those instances.

Only after cancelling really all those instances and then clearing the timer cache the problem disappeared and the workflow timer is running happily since.

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
August 21st, 2015 1:57am

Hi.. I am also stuck in the same situation. Did you find any solution?
September 1st, 2015 2:38pm

The problem is back to our system as well. Very annoying. Microsoft should really address this.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
September 2nd, 2015 1:55am

This topic is archived. No further replies will be accepted.

Other recent topics Other recent topics