>>It is. The trouble is that when run interactively from that account, it works; when run from the scheduler, it instantiates Word without rights.
>
>Can you set it to run under the Network Service account? Do you know if the Windows Server 2008 R2 is using the new managed service account?

This is a new account that the admin created specifically for this, with the rights to the folder with the documents. And this account even had the rights to give itself full rights on that folder - and, since it works when run manually, I don't think it's the rights of the account itself, it's the rights of Word when instantiated as a COM object from a scheduled task run under this account.

>One more weird thing which may or may not pertain in your case. I debated posting it because it's tricky. See if this is has any relation to your situation or helps in anyway (it's actually for base filtering, but I'm wondering if the Discretionary Access Control List is incorrect for your service):
>
>http://blogs.technet.com/b/rspitz/archive/2010/09/19/quot-access-is-denied-quot-when-you-attempt-to-start-the-base-filtering-engine-service-after-upgrading-from-windows-server-2003-to-windows-server-2008-r2.aspx

This is a new machine. I haven't seen any traces of any upgrade.