non OSD task sequence will not run - stuck on "installing" (v.2211)

Good morning, 

I've recently taken over for our previous systems administrator who left the company abruptly and I'm still in the process of learning configmgr while trying to run the show here.

We recently had an update to our HR system. I had deployed the new URL shortcut to all computers which went off without a hitch. However, now we've fully retired the old system and i'm trying to delete the old shortcut off of the desktops which is not working. 

I'm trying to use a 2 step task sequence to delete 2 files from the PC, the lnk file as well as the ICO file. 

- Troubleshooting 

I had tried the following on a few test machines.

cmd /c del "c:\users\public\desktop\myhr (mfa).lnk" /F /Q

cmd /c del "c:\users\public\desktop\myhr*.lnk" /F /Q

cmd /c del "c:\users\public\desktop\myhr*.*" /F /Q

while none of those worked, i setup a test and placed a file called test.txt under c:\temp

ran the following 

cmd /c del c:\temp\test.txt /f /q

cmd /c del /f /q c:\temp\test.txt

after that, I opened up command prompt as admin, was able to delete everything i needed using the above commands... tried it with non admin, deleted everything out just fine. 

I went back to the TS and added creds to the TS to test, still stuck on "installing" 

after that i decided to try powershell (set with bypass as the execution policy)

Remove-Item "C:\Users\Public\Desktop\MyHR (MFA).lnk"

Still stuck on installing. 

Wrote a batch file, stuck it into a package, called to the package with the script within a task sequence and was able to delete the file. So i currently have a work around with a batch file, but i'd like to get the task sequences back if possible so i can quickly write PS and CMD steps for stuff like this. 

- Checked the following

SMSTS.log

- never updates and i have a feeling this is because it doesn't actually start the TS 

other machines

- tried on some VM's as well as other desktops, had the same exact issue

unsure of what else to check as this is new to me. 

Thanks in advance!