Get-Secret fails when PowerShell script runs as a scheduled task.
I have a PowerShell backup script that connects to SMB shares, copies files from one share to the other share, and disconnects. Passwords used to connect to the shares are stored in a SecretStore. The user account that the script runs under is an unpriviledged Backup Operator that has access to the SMB shares. THe SecretStore was created under the same user context. I can run the script manually in the console, and it executes correctly. When I run the same script as a scheduled task, running under the same user account, the script stops when the Get-Secret cmdlet is called. Here is some pertinent information: PS C:\Users\incodebackup\Documents\Scripts\TUNet_Backup> $PSVersionTable Name Value ---- ----- PSVersion 5.1.14393.3471 PSEdition Desktop PSCompatibleVersions {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...} BuildVersion 10.0.14393.3471 CLRVersion 4.0.30319.42000 WSManStackVersion 3.0 PSRemotingProtocolVersion 2.3 SerializationVersion 1.1.0.1 PS C:\Users\incodebackup\Documents\Scripts\TUNet_Backup> Get-Module -ListAvailable Directory: C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules ModuleType Version Name ExportedCommands ---------- ------- ---- ---------------- Script 1.0.1 Microsoft.PowerShell.Operation.V... {Get-OperationValidation, Invoke-OperationValidation} Binary 1.1.2 Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretManag... {Register-SecretVault, Unregister-SecretVault, Get-SecretVault, Set-SecretVaultDefault...} Binary 1.0.6 Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretStore {Unlock-SecretStore, Set-SecretStorePassword, Get-SecretStoreConfiguration, Set-SecretStoreConfiguration...} PS C:\Users\incodebackup\Documents\Scripts\TUNet_Backup> Get-SCheduledTask | Format-List -Property * State : Ready Actions : {MSFT_TaskExecAction} Author : WIN-M95PVJLVDAB\incodebackup Date : 2026-01-27T15:28:35.7952875 Description : This task copies files out of the TUNET/datafile directory once a say to ARCHIBALD. Documentation : Principal : MSFT_TaskPrincipal2 SecurityDescriptor : Settings : MSFT_TaskSettings3 Source : TaskName : Daily TUNet Backup Copy TaskPath : \ Triggers : {MSFT_TaskDailyTrigger} URI : \Daily TUNet Backup Copy Version : PSComputerName : CimClass : Root/Microsoft/Windows/TaskScheduler:MSFT_ScheduledTask CimInstanceProperties : {Actions, Author, Date, Description...} CimSystemProperties : Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimSystemProperties I execute Start-Transcript early in the script execution, and because of the crash(?), it is short enough to included in its entirety: ********************** Windows PowerShell transcript start Start time: 20260127190002 Username: WIN-M95PVJLVDAB\incodebackup RunAs User: WIN-M95PVJLVDAB\incodebackup Machine: WIN-M95PVJLVDAB (Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.14393.0) Host Application: C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -NonInteractive -File C:\Users\Incodebackup\Documents\Scripts\TUNet_Backup\Copy-TUNetBackup.ps1 -daily -test Process ID: 2084 PSVersion: 5.1.14393.3471 PSEdition: Desktop PSCompatibleVersions: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.1.14393.3471 BuildVersion: 10.0.14393.3471 CLRVersion: 4.0.30319.42000 WSManStackVersion: 3.0 PSRemotingProtocolVersion: 2.3 SerializationVersion: 1.1.0.1 ********************** Transcript started, output file is C:\Users\Incodebackup\Documents\Scripts\TUNet_Backup\daily_2026-01-27_190002.log 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 940 TUNet backup script started. 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 941 Copy-TUNetBackup.ps1 Version: 6.0F 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 942 Parameter qhourly: False 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 943 Parameter hourly: False 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 944 Parameter daily: True 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 945 Parameter purge: False 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 946 Parameter archive: False 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 947 Parameter test: True 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1035 Creating mutex object. 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1037 Creating semaphore object. 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1058 Mutex timeout set: 300000 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1072 Attempting to acquire mutex to enter semaphore... 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1074 ...got the mutex! 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1075 Attempting to enter the semaphore... 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1077 ... got the semaphore! 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 719 Release-Mutex: Attempting to release mutex... 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 721 Release-Mutex: ...done. 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1090 Using TEST values for source and destination paths. 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1109 TUnet Source: \\192.168.100.46\Netbackup\Netbackup\Tantalus\test_src\datafile 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1110 ARCHIE Dest: \\192.168.100.46\Netbackup\Netbackup\Tantalus\test_dest\datafile 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1114 Attempt to acquire mutex to mount network shares... 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1116 ...got the mutex! 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1117 Opening SecretStore vault...! 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1120 ... vault opened! 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1121 Checking connection to \\192.168.100.46\Netbackup\Netbackup\Tantalus ... 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1126 ...not connected to \\192.168.100.46\Netbackup\Netbackup\Tantalus . 2026/01/27 19:00:02 INFO 1127 Get FULTON\incodebackup password... ********************** Windows PowerShell transcript end End time: 20260127190002 ********************** Now I will show you the script around line 1127 where it goes out into the weeds: Write-Log -Level "INFO" -Message "$(__LINE__) Opening SecretStore vault...!" $pw = Import-CliXml -Path '.\TUNet-Backup-Vault.xml' -Verbose Unlock-SecretStore -Password $pw Write-Log -Level "INFO" -Message "$(__LINE__) ... vault opened!" # # Statements omitted # Write-Log -Level "INFO" -Message "$(__LINE__) Get $archie_un password..." try { $pw = Get-Secret -Name $archie_un -Verbose -Debug } catch { $err_msg = "Get-Secret exception. Name: $archie_un Exception: $($_.Exception.Message)" Write-Log -Level "FATAL" -Message "$(__LINE__) $err_msg" throw $err_msg } Write-Log -Level "INFO" -Message "$(__LINE__) ...done!" I was able to unlock the SecretStore, but Get-Secret fails. The very odd thing, besides not getting my password out the SecretStore, is that there is no exception posted by Powershell. I have no information at all about why my attempt did not work. If Get-Secret exited, then I would expect one of the two possible log messages printed in the transcript, but as you can see, the transcript ended. Note: the entire script body is encapsulated in a try{} block, which has an associated finally{} block, which contains other logging commands that execute when the finally{} block is entered, but in scheduled task instance, nothing. If anyone can tell me how to make Get-Secret work, that would be great, but I'll settle very gratefully for some way to get more information from this system to try to figure out why it is not, that would be most helpful. Additional information supplied on request.