One of the pre-installed utilities in Windows is the Task Scheduler. In this article, I am more focused on those who are not very computer literate, but still want to know what it is.
The task scheduler is most often used by system administrators and those who work in large (or not very large) organizations. With its help you can do a lot in the system. For example, for system administrators, most often its use is to perform backup copies of databases (although they can be done using the server itself, but that’s another story...) or to run some scripts.
But about all this gradually...
The task scheduler can be found both in the program search (search bar in Start) and directly through the Control Panel (located in Administration):
You can also use it, but why, if the two methods above are enough?
So, the main window of the Task Scheduler looks like this:
If you expand the structure on the left, then in “Scheduler Library - Microsoft - Windows” you can see that many tasks are already running. For example, or Windows Updates (In the article in the 5th paragraph they completely disabled it).
But this is more for information.
If you want to add something to the Planner, then my advice to you is to create a folder and create in it. Windows doesn’t care where the task is, but it will be easier for you to find and understand what’s going on there.
To better understand how the Task Scheduler works, it’s better to look at the example of creating a simple task.
Create a folder in the Library:
and call it as convenient.
A task can be created in two ways - “Create a simple task...” and “Create a task...”
In reality they are no different. In the second option there are only more settings and you will still be able to edit it in the future through this option. So let's create through it.
As an example, I decided to create one of the most common tasks for me - launching a browser when I turn on the computer. I think many people launch it after turning it on. For a little more complexity, I'll add opening a specific website.
On the tab Are common we write Name and description. Try to make them clear in the future.
Security settings are responsible for:
- from which user the task will be executed (Change button to select another),
- require that the user is logged in at this moment (registration switch),
- require launch using user account control (remember the window with launch permission? Here, this is it).
In general, all these settings are needed for more advanced users. For example, again, to create a backup, it is convenient not to log into the server and specify a special server administrator account. As a result, nothing will be required from you and the backup will be created absolutely automatically.
For an ordinary user, you can not even touch the settings below (unless you have created an admin account and the task does not require special privileges).
On the tab Triggers you need to Create... the frequency of the task and at what event.
Here, in principle, everything is logically clear. Pay attention only to the choice at the top Start task: (there are a sufficient number of events there) and that there is a checkmark at the bottom Included.
So that after clicking the OK button there will be something like this:
On the tab Actions we set up the most important thing - what will happen. Click Create.. and here we select one of the three. I think the most popular thing is to run a program (by program we also mean scripts and scenarios), unless you want to remind yourself every hour that an hour has passed and it’s time to take a break from the computer...
Next, you need to use the Browse... button to specify the application (program, file, script, etc.) that will be launched.
For example, in the article I showed how to use arguments.
In this case (I want the browser to launch and a specific site to open), you can specify a link to this site in this very argument.
The working folder may not be specified.
In the end it should be like this:
Tab Conditions it's almost the same as Triggers. For some reason it was just put into a separate tab, although it could have been organized in the same tab. In general, you can leave everything as it is if you don’t want to configure it in more detail:
Well, the tab Options I also don’t really need it and I’ll leave it as it is.
Click OK.
All. The task has been created. To check if it works, you need to either right-click on it to bring up the context menu, or select Execute
If everything was filled out correctly, then it should turn out without errors (in my case, the browser opens with the registered site), but if not, then either there will be nothing, or it will display an error message and need to be corrected.
By the way, pay attention to the point Enable log of all jobs on the right in the Actions block. If you click on it once, it will turn on and on the last tab of your task a log will be kept in which all information about the launch will be recorded (successful and not successful) and this will help you figure out what went wrong if anything.
By the way, to make sure that the Scheduler is working at all, you need to go to Services (Control Panel - Administration - Services or msconfig in the command line and there is the Services tab) and make sure that the status of the service of the same name is Enabled and Running.
It is worth remembering one important thing - all tasks will be executed only if the computer is turned on (or will start).
In general, that's all. You can decide for yourself what to do with the Task Scheduler. Most often it is used in combination with some script or scenario in which some actions are performed, and the Scheduler is needed only to launch them at a certain time or during some action because The scripts themselves usually cannot do this and must be launched manually.
Many people were concerned about the question, “how to make your computer more automated?” Configure automatic shutdown and launch of certain tasks at a specific time: send an email or create some kind of macro (automatic execution of keyboard or mouse actions). It turns out that almost all of this can be done using standard Windows tools, through the “Task Scheduler”.
What is the “Task Scheduler” and what is it for?
“Task Scheduler” is a service that can help automate the operation of the operating system. The automation environment can work in both directions: you can set the parameter to turn on the application at a certain moment, or, on the contrary, you can prevent the application from starting. For example, with the start of the OS. The difference between the “Task Scheduler” (TS) and startup in this case lies in the different areas of Windows activity and greater rights for the scheduler. Authors of malicious code often take advantage of this.
The “task scheduler” is needed to fine-tune the operating system to suit the user’s schedule.
How to open Task Scheduler on Windows 10
Like any other Windows service, Scheduler can be opened in a variety of ways, to suit every taste for every user.
Using Windows Search
One of the easiest ways to open a PP is by searching.
Via the Start menu
As an administrative resource, Scheduler can be found in standard Start menu programs.
Via "Control Panel"
“Control Panel” is an entire platform for configuring your computer. All administrative programs and utilities are collected and divided into categories for greater ease of use.
- Open the “Start” menu, select “Utilities” - “Control Panel” in the list of programs.
Open the “Start” menu, select “System Tools” - “Control Panel” in the list of programs - In the window that opens, go to “System and Security”.
Among the categories, select “System and Security” - Next, in the “Administration” column, select “Task execution schedule”.
In the “Administration” column, open “Task Execution Schedule”
Using the Run command
The “Run” console was introduced back in Windows 95 and survived to “Ten” unchanged. The main task of the utility is to quickly launch system programs, one of which is the “Task Scheduler”.
Through "Explorer"
Since Task Scheduler is a program and has an executable file, it can be opened by launching a special file through Explorer.
How to use Task Scheduler on Windows 10
The Task Scheduler can be used in a variety of ways. Thanks to the service, you can configure your computer to autostart and automatically turn on programs and processes. In Planner, you can create your own folder for storing and quickly accessing your personal settings. User tasks are divided into simple and complex. In simple ones, almost all parameters are set initially; you just need to choose what to use. In a complex problem, you will have to ask everything yourself.
View scheduled tasks
The Scheduler interface is divided into four main dialog boxes:
- the first is a tree of folders in which tasks are structured;
- second - the tasks themselves;
- third - information that is displayed when selecting a task from the second window;
- fourth - the action panel for managing tasks.
The interface is divided into four blocks: directories, tasks, task information and action bar Viewing a task is quite simple.
- Open the “Task Scheduler”, select any folder and task in it.
- Let's get acquainted with the information on the tabs in the third dialog box:
- “General” - provides information about the task: name, description and security parameters;
- “Triggers” - sets task launch parameters, frequency, duration, and so on;
- “Actions” - describes the process with attributes that will be executed;
- “Conditions” - additional parameters for launching a task. If “Triggers” sets the time, then “Conditions” can add or limit the parameters for launching a process.
- “Parameters” - also adds conditions for completing or not completing the task.
You can find out information about the task in the lower middle block Create a task
Before creating a task, it is advisable to create a folder with personal settings:
Now you can start creating a task, for example, turning on a music player:
- Click on the created folder, then select “Create task” in the action panel.
- In the window that opens, fill in the fields “Name” (required) and “Description” (optional). In the security settings, leave the toggle switch set to “Run only for logged-in users” and in the “Configure for:” filter, select Windows 10.
In the action panel, click on “Create task”, enter the name and description of the task - Go to the “Triggers” tab and click the “Create” button. Select the time parameters for when the application will launch. For example, set the time for 7 am, every weekday and click OK.
In the “Triggers” tab, click “Create” and set the task trigger time - Go to the “Action” tab and click “Create”. We register or select the path to the file that launches the player and click OK.
Enter the path to the program and click OK - You don’t have to change anything in the “Conditions” and “Parameters” tabs; save the task with the OK button.
- We check the functionality of the task: right-click and select “Run”. If everything is done correctly, the player will start.
Right-click on the task and select “Run”
Create a simple task
A simple task differs from an ordinary task in that it is simpler. The user needs to read less about which setting is responsible for what, the interface for creating is much clearer:
- In the action panel, click on “Create a simple task”. We fill in the name and description fields, for example, a task to turn off the computer at a certain moment every day, then click “Next”.
In the action panel, select “Create a simple task” and - Set “Trigger” to daily and “Next” again.
Select “Daily” and click “Next” - Set the shutdown time and leave the value 1 in the “Repeat every” field.
We put the toggle switch on “Run the program” and click “Next” - Next, in the “Program or script” field, write shutdown, and in the “Add arguments” -s -f, and click “Next”.
We write shutdown in the program field, and -s -f in the attributes - In the last screen of the task setup wizard, simply check all the settings and click “Finish”.
Video: how to create a simple task in the Task Scheduler
Deleting a task
Deleting a task is much easier than creating it, literally “breaking without building”:
Setting up Task Scheduler is very simple. You only need to understand the settings once and understand its mechanisms in order to then constantly use computer auto-management tools.
Task Scheduler is an important tool in Windows that allows users to schedule programs and specific processes to run. But lately I found that Scheduler is not working on my Windows 10 Pro system. For example, if I try to open it, a message appears saying that the Task Scheduler service is unavailable.
Here's the error message:
The Task Scheduler service is unavailable. Task Scheduler is trying to reconnect
Although the error message says that the task scheduler is automatically connecting to its service, it actually doesn't. As a result of this, you keep receiving this error message when opening Task Scheduler. Launch SFC / SCANNOW running commands with admin rights on the command line may help. If your system receives the same error, here's how to fix it:
How to Fix: Task Scheduler Service Not Available in Windows 10
Method 1 - Using a Services Snap-in
1. Press Win + R and enter the command services.msc in the dialog box Execute, press Enter to open the service management tool.
2. In the window Services, scroll down and find the service Task Scheduler. Double click on the service to open the properties window.
3. Now in the properties window set the startup type Automatically and then click the button Launch, to start the service. Click Apply then OK. Close the service control tool and restart your PC.
After rebooting the machine, the error should be resolved.
Method 2 - Using Registry Editor
Disclaimer: The next steps will involve registry manipulation. Errors when changing the registry can negatively affect the operation of the system. So be careful when editing registry entries. Be sure to create a backup.
1. Press Win + R and enter Regedit in the dialog box Execute. Click the button OK.
2. In the left pane of the Registry Editor, go to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Schedule
3 . Open section Schedule and find in it a parameter named Start DWORD (32 bits). Double click on it and change the key value to 2 .
4. By changing the parameter value, from 4 on 2 click the button OK. Close Registry Editor and restart your computer. After reboot, check and you will see that the problem is resolved.
Method 3 - Removing a corrupted task scheduler cache.
- Open Registry Editor.
- Go to the following registry key:
- Click on the Tree registry key and expand that registry key.
- Now rename all the folders in the Tree section, adding for example to the name .old
- Open Task Scheduler to see if there is an error message or not.
- If the error message does not appear, it means that the entry in this registry key is corrupted, we must find the corrupted entry.
- Let's return one of the folders to its previous name, and run the Task Scheduler again to see if there is an error message or not.
- This way you will find which of the tasks may be corrupted and causing the “Task Scheduler Service is not available” error. In most cases, this is an issue with Adobe Flash Player Updater and renaming it seems to clear the error, but you should be able to resolve the issue by following the steps above.
- Now delete the entries causing the task scheduler error and the problem will be resolved.
Hope this helps!
If none of the methods presented does not help you, follow these steps:
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
- Enter two commands in turn:
If errors are found, they will be corrected; if the problem persists, then go to the site: http://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/software-download/windows10 on the page, download the tool depending on the installed system bit version x32\x64, launch and select “ Update this computer". The operating system will be updated, and damaged task scheduler files will be restored, all your files and software will remain in place.
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Microsoft integrates various services into Windows operating systems that can greatly simplify the user's work with the computer. One of the utilities designed to automate constantly repeating actions when certain events occur is the task scheduler. It is capable of performing a given action under user-defined conditions. For example, when the computer boots, some time after the system is turned on, when a particular user logs in, as well as in other established situations. In this article, we will look at how to open the task scheduler in Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7 - there are several ways in which this can be done.
Please note: Sometimes it is necessary to launch the task scheduler not only to automate one of the processes, but also, conversely, to remove some task. Recently, viruses often add scripts to the task scheduler, for example, with the time of opening an advertising page in the browser.
Table of contents:How to open task scheduler through search
The easiest way to launch any utility in modern versions of the Windows operating system is to use the search located near the “Start” button. In Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, search finds the desired result almost instantly. Enter “Task Scheduler” into it to quickly find the necessary utility.
Please note: In Windows 7, you can use the search inside the Start menu to find a program.
The speed at which Windows discovers the application you need when you enter its name into a search depends on the speed of the computer's drive on which the operating system is located. If used, opening the task scheduler in Windows through search is not only convenient, but also fast.
How to open Task Scheduler in Windows through the Run window
The Run window allows you to launch various processes, utilities, built-in Windows services, and much more. The main difficulty in working with this window is the need to know the exact command to perform a particular action. You can open the Windows Task Scheduler through the Run window. To do this you need:
How to Open Task Scheduler via PowerShell
The taskschd.msc command can be used not only in the Run window to launch the task scheduler, but also in the PowerShell utility.
You can launch the PowerShell utility itself through a search or by selecting it from the list of available programs in the Start menu. With PowerShell open, type the command taskschd.msc into the window and press Enter, then launch the task scheduler.
Please note: To perform these steps, you do not need to run PowerShell as a computer administrator.
How to open Task Scheduler via Control Panel
Another option for running the task scheduler in Windows 7, 8 or 10 is to use the Control Panel. To open Control Panel, you can use the search or select to launch it from the list of actions when you right-click on “Start” (note: this method does not work in the latest versions of Windows 10).
After opening the “Control Panel”, switch the category viewing option to “Large icons” in the upper right corner, and then click on the “Administration” category.
A list of Windows utilities will appear, among which is “Task Scheduler” - double-click on it with the left mouse button to launch it.
Launching Task Scheduler from the Start menu
Among the available applications in the Start menu there is also a shortcut to Task Scheduler. Depending on the version of the operating system, it is located in different sections:
Please note: Windows 8 does not have the Start menu in the usual sense, so you won’t be able to launch the task scheduler through it in this way.
How to open task scheduler through the Computer Management utility
Another Windows system utility is Computer Management. It can be launched via search or by command compmgmt.msc from the Run window. Through it you can also open the task scheduler by selecting it from the utilities on the left side of the window.
Using the Task Scheduler in Windows 10, you can automate certain aspects of working with the operating system. For example, to automatically launch such and such a program when the system boots or when starting some other program. Let's look at how to use this utility in more detail.
How to open Task Scheduler in Windows 10
Some users may have problems opening Task Scheduler in Windows 10. Fortunately, the developers have provided many ways to launch this utility.
The simplest of them is to launch the Scheduler through the search bar in "Taskbars". To open it this way, click on the magnifying glass icon on "Taskbars" and enter the name of the desired object in Russian in the line. Click on the appropriate result or click Enter.
Things are a little more complicated if you intend to open the Scheduler using "Control Panels". Here you need to use this small instruction:
There is also a way to open the Scheduler using the utility "Computer Management". Let's look at its execution using step-by-step instructions as an example:
You can also use the universal method of opening any programs on your computer using the “Run” line:
Additionally, “Scheduler” can be found in "Explorer" by entering this address in the search bar: Windows/System32. There you need to find and run the file "taskschd".
Of all the methods presented, you can use any convenient one. However, in some situations it is not possible to use one or more of them, so you have to use analogues.
View scheduled tasks in Task Scheduler in Windows 10
In fact, viewing active tasks in Scheduler for Windows 10 is very simple. To do this, you just need to pay attention to what is written under the title "Active tasks". All tasks are presented in the form of a table, divided into the following columns:
Typically, the task list is updated in real time, but sometimes direct user interaction is required to update it. Fortunately, in such cases, you just need to click on the “Update” button located below.
Initial setup of Task Scheduler in Windows 10
First, let's look at the program interface itself. It is conditionally divided into several sections:
We will also consider the actions that a user can perform on tasks in the Task Scheduler in Windows 10:
- Creating simple tasks. In this case, the OS independently sets most of the parameters for the new task. You only need to configure the most basic ones yourself, for example, the start time/condition;
- Full task creation. Very similar to the previous option, but you will have to set almost all the settings yourself. More suitable for any specific needs where it is necessary to prescribe some special conditions;
- Importing tasks. To do this, you will need to upload the file with the previously created task and try to open it using the Task Scheduler in Windows 10;
- Display of tasks. In this case, the program will show all tasks that have been completed or will be completed in the near future;
- Enable or disable the log with all entries. Shows or, conversely, hides the history of user actions in this program. By using "Journal" you can return to one or another task;
- Creating and deleting folders located in the left folder tree;
- Export of a particular task. When using this program feature, the task is written to a special file that can be launched on a third-party computer.
Create tasks in Task Scheduler in Windows 10
As an example, a task will be created according to which Skype will start 15 minutes after the operating system starts:
- Go to Task Scheduler. All available ways to do this have been described above.
- On the right side of the window, click the button "Create task". If it is not there and/or the program interface in your case is slightly different, then click on the item in the top menu "Action", and there, from the context menu, select the option "Create task".
- A window will immediately open to configure the basic parameters of the task. In it, open the tab "General", if it is not opened by default.
- In field "Name" write the name of the created task.
- In field "Accommodation" indicate the location on the disk where the program is located.
- Additionally, you can add any description to this task using the special field at the bottom of the window.
- In the block "Security Options" pay attention to the point “When performing tasks, use the following account”. Your account should be here by default. If nothing is selected there or the wrong entry is selected, then click on the button "Change" to make adjustments.
- also in "Security Options" you can configure anything further if you need it.
- Now go to the section "Triggers".
- In this case, you need to put opposite the item "Start task" meaning "At startup".
- Since we need Skype to start automatically 15 minutes after logging into your account, you need to check the box next to “Postpone task until”. In the field opposite this item, enter the required time. In this case it is 15 minutes.
- Go to section "Action". Click on the button there "Set".
- Opposite the parameter "Action" expand the drop-down list and select what you want to do. In this case, you need to select the option "Running the program".
- Below in the field "Program or script", specify the location of the program on your computer. To do this, you need to click on the button "Review".
- Additionally, you can use the tabs "Conditions" And "Options". However, it is not necessary to use them in this example, so they will not be considered.
Disabling Task Scheduler in Windows 10
The scheduler is a separate service that consumes system resources, but even if you do not need it at the moment, you should not disable it. The thing is that some tasks necessary for the correct operation of the operating system can be written to it by default. However, you can disable or completely delete tasks that you created yourself. This is done according to the following instructions:
- In the Scheduler interface, select the task that you would like to disable. It must be selected by clicking with the left mouse button.
- Now on the right side of the window, pay attention to the column "Action". There you need to select an option "Disable" or "Delete".
What to do if the Scheduler is not working
Sometimes it happens that the user either fails to launch the Scheduler at all (this happens extremely rarely), or the Scheduler does not start automatically along with the operating system. This is fraught with malfunctions in the operating system. Try to fix startup problems using these instructions:
If the instructions suggested above did not work, then this means that you need to make some adjustments to the registry:
Now you know how to interact with the Task Scheduler in Windows 10. This program is necessary both for the stable operation of the operating system itself and for simplifying user interaction with the operating system.