# AnsiballZ/PowerShell ParseError when using win\_scheduled\_task **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Tags:** powershell, windows, wsl2, ansiballz, ubuntu\ **Created:** [August 26, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansiballz-powershell-parseerror-when-using-win-scheduled-task/44375 "2025-08-26T20:08:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dustin\_k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@dustin\_k](https://forum.ansible.com/u/dustin_k)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansiballz-powershell-parseerror-when-using-win-scheduled-task/44375/1 "2025-08-26T20:08:27Z")
Hello, I’m attempting to create a scheduled task using win\_scheduled\_task but getting a ParseError. It looks like in order to execute the ansible task, AnsiballZ generates a Powershell script, but when trying to execute the script, Powershell doesn’t see it as valid. This happens even with the [example task from win\_scheduled\_task’s docs](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/community/windows/win_scheduled_task_module.html#examples): ```auto --- - name: Test win_scheduled_task hosts: 127.0.0.1 connection: local tasks: - name: Create a task to open 2 command prompts as SYSTEM community.windows.win_scheduled_task: name: TaskName description: open command prompt actions: - path: cmd.exe arguments: /c hostname - path: cmd.exe arguments: /c whoami triggers: - type: daily start_boundary: '2017-10-09T09:00:00' username: SYSTEM state: present enabled: true ``` Here’s the output: ```auto ___@___ :/mnt/c/Users/___/cuas/cuas-ansible$ ansible-playbook playbooks/install-archiver.yml [WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available [WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that the implicit localhost does not match 'all' PLAY [Test win_scheduled_task] ****************************************************************************************************** TASK [Gathering Facts] ************************************************************************************************************** ok: [127.0.0.1] TASK [Create a task to open 2 command prompts as SYSTEM] **************************************************************************** fatal: [127.0.0.1]: FAILED! => { "changed": false, "rc": 1 } MSG: MODULE FAILURE See stdout/stderr for the exact error MODULE_STDERR: ParserError: /home/___/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1756236420.9482832-2444818-11025389486272/AnsiballZ_win_scheduled_task.ps1:159 Line | 159 | {"module_entry": "IyFwb3dlcnNoZWxsCgojIENvcHlyaWdodDogKGMpIDIwMTU … | ~ | unexpected token '', expected 'begin', 'process', 'end', 'clean', or | 'dynamicparam'. PLAY RECAP ************************************************************************************************************************** 127.0.0.1 : ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=1 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0 ``` Relevant software versions: - OS Name: Microsoft Windows 11 Enterprise - OS Version 10.0.22631 Build 22631 - WSL: 6.6.87.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2 - Ubuntu: 24.04.2 LTS - Powershell: PowerShell 7.5.2 - Ansible: [core 2.16.3] - Python: 3.12.3 - Jinja: 3.1.2 - community.windows: 2.1.0 Any help is appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![flowerysong](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/flowerysong/32/2305_2.png) [@flowerysong](https://forum.ansible.com/u/flowerysong)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 4:09am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansiballz-powershell-parseerror-when-using-win-scheduled-task/44375/2 "2025-08-27T04:09:42Z")
> [@dustin\_k](#): > > Ansible: [core 2.16.3] 2.16 is quite old and unsupported, and even within that series there were 11 releases after 2.16.3. While this won’t necessarily be resolved by moving to a newer version, I know there was a pretty major Powershell-related change in 2.18, and it was touched again in 2.19. Testing the newest version would at least rule out it being a known bug that was already addressed. ---
**Author:** ![dustin\_k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@dustin\_k](https://forum.ansible.com/u/dustin_k)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansiballz-powershell-parseerror-when-using-win-scheduled-task/44375/3 "2025-08-27T16:21:58Z")
Thanks, I’ll try upgrading when able. ---
**Author:** ![jborean](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/jborean/32/1525_2.png) [@jborean](https://forum.ansible.com/u/jborean)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2025, 3:42am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/ansiballz-powershell-parseerror-when-using-win-scheduled-task/44375/4 "2025-09-04T03:42:04Z")
You are targeting localhost which is actually the WSL instance. These PowerShell modules need to run on a Windows host. Unfortunately the only way to do that right now with Ansible on a WSL instance is to connect back over WinRM to the Windows side and pretend it is a remote target.