Task Scheduler failed to start: 2147943785

Have you ever tried to schedule a task with Windows Task Scheduler, but it does not run?  Instead you get this friendly error message:

Task Scheduler failed to start “\Task Name” task for user “Domain\username”. Additional Data: Error Value: 2147943785.

Below is the error message you see when you arrive in the morning.

Luckily, this is an easy fix and is usually permission related.  You just need to add the user to the “Log on as a batch job” property on the server.

To fix, go to Start Menu > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy >
Local Policies > User Rights Assignment > Log On As Batch Job as seen below:

Double click the Log on as a batch job on the right side panel, and add the appropriate username to the group.

Apply your changes, and next time the job runs, it should run successfully.