PowerShell Test-Path UNC Access Denied only via Scheduled Task

PowerShell 3

Windows 2012

Major Minor Build Revision

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3 0 -1 -1

I have a few PowerShell scripts that were working for the last few years.

Now they can't seem to run successfully via a Scheduled Task.

If I manually run the PowerShell script outside of Task Scheduler it works.

The script is just creating a new folder on a UNC path.

It is getting an Access Denied error when trying to 'Test-Path'.

Seems like this would be a permissions problems, however, it works using the same login and just double-clicking the script.

The Scheduled Task is set to use the same credentials I am logged on to the server with when I manually run the script.

I have created a new Basic Task in the Scheduler and it still doesn't work.

I have stripped down the code to a basic test-path and create a folder, and still not working.

I create a batch file to read and create a folder in the directory, set it to run via Scheduled Task and that DOES work.

Error Output:

C:\Scripts>c:

C:\Scripts>cd\scripts

C:\Scripts>powershell.exe c:\scripts\makefolder.ps1 

Creating New Folders...


Test-Path Result with SilentlyContinue... Does the folder exist already?

False

The folder is:  \\intranet.mycompany.com\dept\finance\Shared Documents\Sales Commissions\MyTest



test-path : Access is denied
At C:\scripts\makefolder.ps1:23 char:6
+     IF (test-path -path $today_folder)
+         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : PermissionDenied: 
(\\intranet.myco...missions\My 
Test:String) [Test-Path], UnauthorizedAccessException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ItemExistsUnauthorizedAccessError,Microsoft.Powe 
rShell.Commands.TestPathCommand

New-Item : Access is denied
At C:\scripts\makefolder.ps1:28 char:11
+             {New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $today_folder
+              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo          : PermissionDenied: (\\intranet.myco...missions\My 
   Test:String) [New-Item], UnauthorizedAccessException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : ItemExistsUnauthorizedAccessError,Microsoft.Powe 
rShell.Commands.NewItemCommand

The Batch file that the Scheduled Task executes. This just runs the PowerShell Script. I have also removed this Batch file and had the Scheduled Task run the PowerShell directly with the same results:

c:
cd\scripts
powershell.exe c:\scripts\makefolder.ps1

Here is the PowerShell Script:

Write-Host 'Creating New Folders...
' -fore black -back yellow



$today_folder = "\\intranet.mycompany.com\dept\finance\Shared Documents\Sales Commissions\MyTest"


Write-Host 'Test-Path Result with SilentlyContinue... Does the folder exist already?
' -fore black -back yellow

test-path -path $today_folder -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue


write-host 'The folder is: ' $today_folder
write-host '

'


    IF (test-path -path $today_folder) 
        #Folder Already Exist
            { Write-Host $today_folder ":Already Exist, moving on..." -fore black -back green }
        ELSE
        #Create the Folder 
            {New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $today_folder  
                    Write-Host $today_folder ":Created" -fore black -back yellow}



#To see the console window
sleep 5

#Read-Host -Prompt "Press Enter to exit"

If I perform a similar function just using a Batch file it works:

@echo off
 echo Hello this a test batch file
 pause
net use L: "\\intranet.mycompany.com\dept\finance\Shared Documents\Sales Commissions"
 dir L:
 pause

mkdir L:\M2019

pause

net use L: /delete

echo all done
pause

The Scheduled Task:

I got it to work by adding NET USE and specifying the credentials inside the PowerShell script.

Thanks @AdminOfThings for at least getting me to think differently.

I have no idea why this just started happening. I also do not understand why only Task Scheduler had a problem with the permissions. I used the same login credentials that I am logged in with, the same that created the tasks, and the same stored on each task.

$user = 'corp\crazyuser'
$passwd = 'myPassword'

$today_folder = "\\intranet.mycompany.com\dept\finance\Shared Documents\Sales Commissions"


$subfolder = "TestFolder"


$complete_folder = $today_folder + '\' + $subfolder

#open path
NET USE $today_folder /user:$user $passwd 


    IF (test-path -path $complete_folder) 
        #Folder Already Exist
            { Write-Host $complete_folder ":Already Exist, moving on..." -fore black -back green }
        ELSE
        #Create the Folder 
            {New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $complete_folder
                    Write-Host $complete_folder ":Created" -fore black -back yellow}

write-host '
Closing NET UNC path
'
NET USE /DELETE  $today_folder