ps1 script not performing consistently with task scheduler

lets say I have a myScript.ps1 file, that at some point needs to run native commands/binaries. its content is:

set-content -path "c:\temp\test.text" -value "hello world"
. 'C:\temp\myCliTool.exe'

If I manually, create a task in task scheduler and set the "actions" tabs to

program/file to "C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe"
Argument to -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -command "& {. 'C:\temp\myScript.ps1'}"

The ps1 script runs fine, the test.txt file is created. Also, the native command it needs to fully perform its task runs

But if I run the same script, again via task scheduler but in the "actions" tab, make a slight change:

program/file to "C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe"
Argument to -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -file 'C:\temp\myScript.ps1'

The script does not appear to run. the test.txt file is not created. Also, the native command does not run.

This issues does not occur if I attempt to run pwsh by other means, for example cmd.

I am thinking task scheduler is at fault here. I have spent all day fixing its "features", like the Path Env variable not being available under task scheduler calls. Trying to figure out the issue of pwsh -file calls has proven fruitless, I tried redirecting potential errors that might occur in the PowerShell script to a text file, but I could not fully figure that out.

Am on pwsh 7.4 and windows 11

Solution

In no-shell invocation contexts on Windows such as the Task Scheduler, the only form of quoting that is recognized is "..." (double-quoting), not also '...' (single-quoting).^[1]

Therefore, replace:

# WRONG: '...' quoting
-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File 'C:\temp\myScript.ps1'

with:

# OK: "..." quoting
-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\temp\myScript.ps1"

Note: Given that your specific file path doesn't contain spaces, you may also pass it unquoted.

The only reason that '...' quoting worked in the following:

-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -command "& {. 'C:\temp\myScript.ps1' }"

was the use of the -Command parameter of pwsh.exe, the PowerShell (Core) 7 CLI, which causes the value of its "..."-enclosed argument to be interpreted as PowerShell code, where '...' quoting is recognized.

By contrast, -File - which does not involve interpretation of its argument as PowerShell code - only accepts an "..."-enclosed argument as the file path, and, similarly, only recognizes "..." quoting around any subsequent, pass-through arguments.

For general guidance on when to use -Command vs. -File, see this answer.

As an aside:

There's no reason to use "& { ... }" in order to invoke code passed to PowerShell's CLI via the -Command (-c) parameter - just use "..." directly. Older versions of the CLI documentation erroneously suggested that & { ... } is required, but this has since been corrected.

^{[1] The same applies to calls from cmd.exe.}