Windows Help & Advice – May 2019

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Automate

Windows tasks

“Launchanapporsenda

message, automating tasks

in Windowsis easy”

indows’ Task Scheduler is a

bit of an arcane tool. It’s

been around since the

MicrosoftPlus! add-on pack for

Windows95.

It’salsoan app that’s in a state of

flux. Two of its options – the ability

to send an email and to display a

message on-screen – have been

deprecated since Windows 8.1. They

still appear in the app, though, and

they’re still there in the 19H1 preview

build that Microsoft recently pushed

out to Windows Insiders. They just

don’t work. This suggests Task

Scheduler is in need of an overhaul,

but it’s a low priority for Microsoft,

otherwise it wouldn’t have

languished in this state.

What’s left of it works well, though,

enabling you to trigger the launch of

programs at specific times, or specify

other events that will set them off.

And it’s interesting what you can still

do– ‘programs’covers a lot of things.

1 Open the Task Scheduler

Pop up the Start menu and start typing Task to find the Task

Scheduler. It’s rarely the top result – this goes to the Task Manager

• but it will be there. Alternatively, you can find it under Windows
  Administrative Tools in the alphabetised list (Accessories > System
  Tools in Windows 7). Or in the Control Panel under Administrative
  Tasks. Or you can type taskschd.msc into a Run window.

2 Create a folder

Once the Scheduler’s open, you’ll see the Task Scheduler

Library on the left, probably with a single folder in it – Microsoft.

These are the tasks created by the system. Ours has two folders,

because we’re using our gaming PC for this. Create a folder to

keep your tasks in one place: right-click the Library and choose

New Folder from the menu. Give it a name, and click OK.

Step-by-step Automate a task

<ʝʦɠʔʦLȫɏ,ʋɚ(ɃʑQȫʑɚVʋ\ɡ

LIST OF FOLDERS

This nest of folders

contains all of the

tasks on your PC.

MENUS

You can create a

new task from the

Action menu.

LIST OF TASKS

All of the tasks

contained in a folder

are displayed here.

TASK PROPERTIES

An individual task’s

details are here if

you select one.

W

Anyonecandoit

Straightforward

Trickyin parts

Windows 10

Windows8.1

Windows^7

At a glance

Skill level...

Suitable for...

36 |^ |^ May 2019