Task Scheduler - Com.Object Add State Change Trigger

PowerShell Help
1

Hello!

I want to add a new trigger to an existing task for when a user unlocks their workstation.

I know i need to use the COM interface to do this, and i know it is state trigger 11 with state change 8.

I have successfully created the trigger object, but i do not seem to be able to save the task once the new trigger is added. I am fairly sure this is just a syntax issue i am not getting, but i need some fresh eyes!

$scheduler = New-Object -ComObject Schedule.Service
$scheduler.connect("Localhost")
$taskFolder = $scheduler.Getfolder("\")
$taskDefinition = $taskFolder.getTasks(1)
$taskDefinition = $taskDefinition | Where-Object { $_.Name -eq "Random Task Name" }
$regInfo = $TaskDefinition.Definition.RegistrationInfo
$settings = $taskDefinition.Definition.Settings
$Triggers = $TaskDefinition.Definition.Triggers
$Trigger = $Triggers.Create(11)
$trigger.StateChange = 8
$trigger.Enabled = $true
$trigger.ID = 2

So at this point, you can see b0th triggers present in $triggers, but then how do i commit that?

2

What version of Powershell is the workstation running? If Workstations are running Powershell 4.0, then there are cmdlets you can use rather than messing with an old COM object:

3

Windows 10, 5.1

which cmdlet?

 

New-schduledtasktrigger doesn’t seem to support state change triggers.

4

The trigger 8 is ‘On Startup’, so a comparable start would be:

New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogOn ...
5

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/taskschd/sessionstatechangetrigger-statechange

StateChange 8 is not ‘on startup’, and not under Session State Change. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/taskschd/sessionstatechangetrigger

 

6

OK i have decided to just work around the issue.

In the script, i have an object containing the task definitions i want to create, currently only one has the ‘on unlock’ requirement.

$scheduledtasks = @(
[pscustomobject]@{
Path = "\"
Name = "My Task"
Program = "C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\PowerShell.exe"
Arguments = "-noLogo -windowStyle hidden -command C:\users\public\logonscript.ps1 -randomswitch"
Trigger = @(
[pscustomobject]@{
TriggerType = 9
}
[pscustomobject]@{
TriggerType = 11
StateChange = 8
}
)
Principal = "BUILTIN\Users"
LogonType = 4
Repeat = ""
UseCom = 1
}
[pscustomobject]@{
Path = "\"
Name = "Different Task 2
Program = "C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\PowerShell.exe"
Arguments = "-noLogo -windowStyle hidden -command C:\users\public\othertask.ps1"
Trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogon -RandomDelay (New-TimeSpan -hours 1)
Principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -GroupID Users -runlevel Limited -id Author
}
}
Then after that a foreach loop to check for, and create if required each task in $scheduledTasks.
So as above i have just added some additional fields to the object, UseCom = 1 and Triggers.
foreach ($schTask in $scheduledtasks) {
if (!(Get-ScheduledTask $schTask.Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
if (($schtask.UseCom) -eq 1) {
# Create Task Using Com Object
$scheduler = New-Object -ComObject Schedule.Service
$scheduler.connect("Localhost")
$newTask = $scheduler.NewTask(0)
$ri = $newTask.RegistrationInfo
$ri.Description = $schTask.Name
$ri.Author = "Me"
$principal = $newTask.principal
$principal.LogonType = $schTask.LogonType
$principal.GroupID = $schTask.Principal
$principal.RunLevel = 0
foreach ($trigger in $schTask.Trigger) {
$trigger = $newtask.Triggers.Create($trigger.TriggerType)
if ($trigger.StateChange) {
$trigger.StateChange = 8
}
$trigger.Enabled = $true
}
$action = $newTask.Actions.Create(0)
$action.Path = $schTask.Program
$action.Arguments = $schTask.Arguments
$taskFolder = $scheduler.Getfolder("\")
try {
$taskFolder.RegisterTaskDefinition($schTask.Name, $newTask, 6, "", "", 3, $null)
}
catch {
Write-Warning "Error creating task"
}
}
else {
# Create Task Using PowerShell
$taskPath = $schTask.Path
$taskName = $schTask.Name
$program = $schTask.Program
$arguments = $schTask.Arguments
Write-Output "Creating Scheduled Task : $taskName"
$a = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute $program -Argument $arguments
$t = $schTask.Trigger
$p = $schTask.Principal
$s = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet
$d = New-ScheduledTask -Action $A -Principal $p -Trigger $T -Settings $S
try {
$task = Register-ScheduledTask -InputObject $d -TaskPath $taskPath -TaskName $taskName -ErrorAction Stop
if ($schTask.Repeat) {
$task.Triggers.Repetition.Interval = $schTask.Repeat
$task | Set-ScheduledTask | Out-Null
}
}
catch {
Write-Warning "Error Registering Scheduled Task : $taskName"
}
}
}
}
Not ideal, but gets the job done.
7

Here are all 8 of the SessionState triggers:

Value Meaning
<dl> <dt>TASK_CONSOLE_CONNECT</dt> <dt>1</dt> </dl> Terminal Server console connection state change. For example, when you connect to a user session on the local computer by switching users on the computer.
<dl> <dt>TASK_CONSOLE_DISCONNECT</dt> <dt>2</dt> </dl> Terminal Server console disconnection state change. For example, when you disconnect to a user session on the local computer by switching users on the computer.
<dl> <dt>TASK_REMOTE_CONNECT</dt> <dt>3</dt> </dl> Terminal Server remote connection state change. For example, when a user connects to a user session by using the Remote Desktop Connection program from a remote computer.
<dl> <dt>TASK_REMOTE_DISCONNECT</dt> <dt>4</dt> </dl> Terminal Server remote disconnection state change. For example, when a user disconnects from a user session while using the Remote Desktop Connection program from a remote computer.
<dl> <dt>TASK_SESSION_LOCK</dt> <dt>7</dt> </dl> Terminal Server session locked state change. For example, this state change causes the task to run when the computer is locked.
<dl> <dt>TASK_SESSION_UNLOCK</dt> <dt>8</dt> </dl> Terminal Server session unlocked state change. For example, this state change causes the task to run when the computer is unlocked.
Source: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/taskschd/sessionstatechangetrigger-statechange