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I had an issue with a batch file that returned "Divide by zero error" if, and only if, it was run using Task Scheduler. If run manually, it behaved as expected.

I had managed to narrow down the problem to the following code snippet, which returned 0 when run from Task Scheduler, and then caused division by zero.

SET numfiles=0
FOR %%x in (*.jpg) DO SET /a numfiles+=1

SET /a rand=%RANDOM% %%numfiles%
SET /a selected=%rand%+1

After an hour of tearing my hair out, I found a solution which, while logical, was certainly not the first thing I thought of. Therefore, I'm sharing my solution:

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  • That snippet will not cause a divide by zero error. Where is the rest of your batch file?
    – DavidPostill ♦
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 13:57
  • The snippet returned 0, as there were no .jpg files in System32. The next operation was finding a random number between 1 and numfiles (inclusive), leading to modulo division by zero.
    – Marcel
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 15:07
  • Yes, well please edit the question and include the complete batch file to make the question complete.
    – DavidPostill ♦
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 15:21

1 Answer 1

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The issue turned out to be that Task Scheduler does not run batch files from their own directories, but from System32. Hence, the problem is easily solved by adding

cd [relevant path]

to the beginning of the script.

Hopefully, I managed to save someone else from having to go through the same frustrating steps.

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    note the real answer is to test (and validate) your variables before using them, especially when renaming files, you can thrash a whole directory this way.
    – Yorik
    Commented Dec 27, 2016 at 18:19

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