>>>>Are files on a network? Is user logged in?
>>>
>>>The files are there - I can testify to that. When I run it manually, they're found, opened, converted - all under the same login as the one used for the scheduled task.
>>>
>>>And the task is set to run regardless of whether the user is logged in or not, and it errors the same both ways.
>>>
>>SNIP
>>
>>I'm confused, I thought I read in another message in this thread that it worked if the user is logged in?
>
>Sorry if I caused any confusion - logged in doesn't influence the outcome. I'm getting the same errors in the log both ways, i.e. when it runs on schedule and when I click run in the task scheduler.
>
>>BTW, I'm wondering if any group policies are in effect that may be an issue? Another option is to try applying the GPO setting via Computer configuration, Windows settings, Security settings, Local policies, User right assignment "logon as a batch job" for the user account on the OU where the machine is? Another thing is the problem with using Word via COM - it requires c:\windows\syswow64\config\systemprofile\desktop to exist doesn't it? If you create it, does it make any difference? Does anything show up in process explorer? If you have an IIS 7 box involved is it running its application pool in 32-bit mode? (If you are using the VFP OLE DB Provider at all). So far Windows 2008 R2 has become a major PITA in some ways...
>
>So I discover... now I'll have to find out what a GPO is :).
>
>Word comes up fine (I can see it in TaskManager) when I run it manually; it also instantiates fine when run from the TM (instantiation logged, and the errors I get are COM errors, therefore coming from an instance of Word).
>
>I don't see why IIS and app pool would matter here, but this being M$ I wouldn't be surprised if the bathroom light switch was in the garage.
>
>>Good luck with this one and please post your findings when you resolve it!
>
>Thanks, luck I will need :)

One thing to bear in mind, a task started with the task scheduler doesn't run the system logon script, so it typically doesn't get default mapped drives. The only reliable way I've found for a scheduled task to access files is via UNC. Don't know if this applies in your case.