Windows Server 2003 - The attempt to retrieve account information for specified task failed

I had a member server running Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard that was promoted into an SBS domain that suddenly refused to run Shadow Copy.

A little research brought me to an MS Knowledgebase article that helped.

The following Microsoft KB 822904 had the fix in it: "The attempt to retrieve account information for the specified task failed" error message when you use Task Scheduler to schedule volume shadow copy to run in Windows Server 2003

From the article:

SYMPTOMS
You use Task Scheduler to schedule a shadow copy backup of a volume to run on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer. You enable the Volume Shadow Copy service and then run the Dcpromo.exe utility. However, the task does not run successfully, and you do not receive an error message.

Additionally, if you right-click the scheduled task and then click Properties, you receive the following error message:
The attempt to retrieve account information for the specified task failed; therefore, the task did not run. Either an error occurred, or no account information existed for the task.

The specific error is:
0x8007000d: The data is invalid.

If you then click OK in the error box to display the properties, the Run as line is blank and unavailable. The correct parameters appear in the Run line, but the Run line is also unavailable.

CAUSE
This problem occurs because you used a local computer account that is no longer available to create the task.

WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, run the Dcpromo.exe utility before you enable the Volume Shadow Copy service, and then use Task Scheduler to schedule volume shadow copy.

You can also work around this problem by re-creating the d42* files. To do this, follow these steps:1. Log on as user who has administrative credentials.
2. Delete all scheduled tasks. To do this, follow these steps:a. Click Start, Run, type control schedtasks, and then press ENTER.
b. Confirm the list of jobs that are registered in the Scheduled Tasks window.
c. Delete all registered tasks.
d. Close the Scheduled Tasks window.

3. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
4. At the command prompt, type the following to move to the specified folder:
cd %SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\S-1-5-18
5. Delete all files that start with d42* by typing the follow command:
del d42*
6. At the command prompt, type exit.
7. Reschedule the volume shadow copy tasks. The files that start with d42* are re-created after the volume shadow copy tasks are rescheduled.
8. Make sure that the scheduled tasks function correctly on the domain controller

In our case, a DCPROMO was not possible. We needed to use the second suggestion to delete the d42* files to fix the problem.

You may need to attrib the directory first to find the files as they may be hidden and/or system files. You will then need to remove the hidden and system attributes with the attrib command.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists