Notifications & System Behavior When Running as a Different User

[Phylum]

Objective: Notify user of system reboot in 30 minutes & 'schedule' reboot via `shutdown -t XX`. If the system is still up 30 minutes later, issue 'shutdown(6)' via: Win32_OperatingSystem

History:
I've got a scheduled task that runs as a different user (call it user X) with elevated privileges. Under very specific circumstances I want the script to:
[ul]
[li]Display some sort of pop-up notification to the current logged on user (e.g.: user A); a traditional msgbox[/li]
[li]Execute a command like 'cmd /c shutdown -t 300 -f P:2:18 -c "my comment"' among others
[/ul]

Currently when the script runs under user X's context:
[ul]
[li]Its incapable of displaying pop-ups (msgbox or hta based) to the current logged on user. Not sure how to overcome this.[/li]
[li]The commands don't always execute successfully. The log shows 'wso.Run "cmd /c shutdown -t 300 -f P:2:18 -c ""my comment""",0,False' ran, but the lines after it don't print in the log suggesting there's something wrong/hung somewhere. (Are the limitations to what can be executed locally under a different user's context?)[/li]
[/ul]

While I am interested in getting pop-ups displayed, its less important than making sure the commands execute successfully.

 

[Phylum]

I'm running through a list of 166 machines and so far nearly a dozen seem to have issues running 'shutdown' via a scheduled task that runs as a different user.

Code looks something like this

...
	Dim f_iRestartDelaySeconds, f_iRestartDelayMinutes
	f_iRestartDelaySeconds = 1800
	f_iRestartDelayMinutes = f_iRestartDelaySeconds / 60
	
	Dim f_curtime, f_reboottime
	f_curtime = Now()
	f_reboottime = DateAdd("n",f_iRestartDelayMinutes,Now())
	
	debuglog vbTab & "Current time is: " & f_curtime
	debuglog vbTab & "Reboot time is : " & f_reboottime

	debugecho "Notifying via 'shutdown' & restarting computer in " & f_iRestartDelayMinutes & " minutes (" & f_iRestartDelaySeconds & " seconds) at " & f_reboottime
	debuglog vbTab & "Shutdown commandline: cmd /c shutdown -r -f -t " & f_iRestartDelaySeconds & " -d P:2:18 -c ""COMPUTER UPDATED!  Your computer was recently updated and will reboot in " & f_iRestartDelayMinutes & " minutes!  Please save your work and prepare for a restart!"""
	On Error Resume Next
	Dim f_Return
	
	wso.Run "cmd /c shutdown -r -f -t " & f_iRestartDelaySeconds & " -d P:2:18 -c ""COMPUTER UPDATED!  Your computer was recently updated and will reboot in " & f_iRestartDelayMinutes & " minutes!  Please save your work and prepare for a restart!""",0,False
	
	if (Err.Number <> 0) Then
		debugecho "Error " & err.number & " issuing shutdown command: " & err.description
	else
		debuglog "Reboot Funtion: Finished Notifying via 'shutdown'"
	end if
	
	On Error GoTo 0
...

The log on the client side shows

...
2/12/2013 2:31:40 AM -- Preparing to Restart Computer...
2/12/2013 2:31:40 AM -- Current time is: 2/12/2013 2:31:40 AM
2/12/2013 2:31:40 AM -- Reboot time is : 2/12/2013 3:01:40 AM
2/12/2013 2:31:40 AM -- Notifying via 'shutdown' & restarting computer in 30 minutes (1800 seconds) at 2/12/2013 3:01:40 AM
2/12/2013 2:31:40 AM -- Shutdown commandline: cmd /c shutdown -r -f -t 1800 -d P:2:18 -c "COMPUTER UPDATED! Your computer was recently updated and will reboot in 30 minutes! Please save your work and prepare for a restart!"

There's nothing else after that in the log - so it never got past executing the command. The lack of a 'USER32' event in the System log confirms shutdown didn't execute.

Short of trying to capture a return code (if any):

...
	f_Return = wso.Run("cmd /c shutdown -r -f -t " & f_iRestartDelaySeconds & " -d P:2:18 -c ""COMPUTER UPDATED!  Your computer was recently updated and will reboot in " & f_iRestartDelayMinutes & " minutes!  Please save your work and prepare for a restart!""",0,False)
	f_Return = wso.Run("shutdown -r -f -t " & f_iRestartDelaySeconds & " -d P:2:18 -c ""COMPUTER UPDATED!  Your computer was recently updated and will reboot in " & f_iRestartDelayMinutes & " minutes!  Please save your work and prepare for a restart!""",0,False)
	f_Return = wso.Run("c:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -r -f -t " & f_iRestartDelaySeconds & " -d P:2:18 -c ""COMPUTER UPDATED!  Your computer was recently updated and will reboot in " & f_iRestartDelayMinutes & " minutes!  Please save your work and prepare for a restart!""",0,False)
...

Or using a different method to call [c:\windows\system32\]shutdown[.exe]:

dim iProcessID, sComputer, oWMIService
sComputer = "."
Set oWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & sComputer & "\root\cimv2:Win32_Process")
oWMIService.Create "my crazy command here", null, null, iProcessID

I don't think I know what the next step would be.

 

[guitarzan]

Why are you executing "debugecho" instead of "debuglog" if an error occurs? what does "debugecho" do?