Home > Automation: Task Scheduler & Batch Files > Windows 2000/XP Scheduling a new task
Windows 2000/XP Scheduling a new task
With Scheduled Tasks, you can schedule any script, program, or document
to run at a time that is most convenient for you. Scheduled Tasks
starts every time that you start Windows XP and runs in the background,
and it starts each task that you schedule at the time that you specify
when you create the task.
Using Scheduled Tasks
To open
Scheduled Tasks, click Start, click All Programs, point to Accessories,
point to System Tools, and then click Scheduled Tasks.
To Schedule A New Task
Double-click Add Scheduled Task to start the Scheduled Task Wizard, and then click Next in the first dialog box.
The next dialog box displays a list of programs that are installed
on your computer, either as part of the Windows XP operating system, or
as a result of software installation.
Use one of the following procedures:
If the program that you want to run is listed, click the program, and then click Next.
If you want to run a program, script, or document that is not listed,
click Browse, click the folder and file that you want to schedule, and
then click Open.
Type a name for the task, and then choose one of the following options:
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly
- One time only
- When my computer starts (before a user logs on)
- When I log on (only after the current user logs on)
Click Next, specify the information about the day and time to run the task, and then click Next.
Note that the information about the day and time to run the task vary
depending on the selection that you made in the previous wizard dialog
box.
For example, if you chose Weekly, you must indicate the day of the
week, the time, and if the task should run every week, every 2 weeks,
every 3 weeks, and so on.
Type the name and password of the
user who is associated with this task. Make sure that you choose a user
with sufficient permissions to run the program. By default, the wizard
selects the name of the user who is currently logged on.
Click Next, and then click Finish after you verify the choices that you have made.
Using Advanced Options in Scheduled Tasks
If
you want to change the configuration of the task, click Open in the
advanced properties for the task before you click Finish. After you
click Finish, the Properties dialog box opens for the task.
On
the Schedule tab, you can change any of the scheduling options that you
chose in the wizard, and you can also change the task configuration so
that the task does not run too long, does not run if the computer is
running on batteries (for laptops), and to specify whether or not the
computer should be idle for the task to run.
NOTE: You can open
the Properties dialog box for the task at any time if you open
Scheduled Tasks, right-click the task, and then click Properties.
You
cannot schedule a task so that it repeats in an interval less than one
day; however, you can do this in the Properties dialog box:
- Click the Schedule tab, and then click Advanced.
- Click to select the Repeat task check box, and then specify the
number of minutes or hours in which you want the task to be repeated.
Opening Scheduled Tasks to Modify Them
To modify a scheduled task, click Start, click All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Scheduled Tasks. The Scheduled Tasks window opens so that you can modify the settings.
Changing Settings for Scheduled Tasks
To change the settings for a task, right-click the task you want to modify, click Properties, and then use either or both of the following methods:
- To change the schedule for the task, click the Schedule tab.
- To customize the settings for the task, such as the maximum run time, idle time requirements, and power management options, click the Settings tab.
After you change the scheduled task, the task temporarily stops. To restart the task, follow these steps:
- Click Start, click Control panel, and then click Scheduled Tasks.
- Right-click the scheduled task, and then click Rename.
- Right-click the renamed task, and then click Run.
Stopping and Pausing Scheduled Tasks
If you are about to perform an important task on your computer, such as installing software, changing system configuration options, or performing any task that involves restarting the computer, you probably do not want a task to run while you are performing the task. If a task is already running, and you do not want to wait for it to finish, you can stop it. You can also pause all tasks, to make sure that no tasks start while you accomplish your task.
To stop a running task, right-click the task in the Scheduled Tasks window, and then click End Task. It may take a moment or two for the task to stop. To restart the task, right-click the task and then click Run.
To pause the task scheduler so that no tasks run until you want them to, click Pause Task Scheduler on the Advanced menu. To permit tasks to run again, click Continue Task Scheduler on the Advanced menu.
NOTE: If you click Pause, the task will run at its next scheduled time.
Removing Scheduled Tasks
You can remove a task from the task scheduler permanently or temporarily.
- To delete a task, right-click the task in the Scheduled Tasks window, and then click Delete
- To prevent a task from running until you decide to let it run again, right-click the task in the Scheduled Tasks window, and then click Properties. On the General tab, clear the Enabled check box. Select the check box again to enable the task when you are ready to let the task scheduler run it again
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| Article Details | Created:12/05/2010 11:17:21 a.m.
Modified:7/06/2010 8:16:09 p.m.
Author:Admin
Views:18
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