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Windows2000

Scheduled Tasks

• By help of the task scheduling you can start programs, scripts and commands in any time you set up with the possibility of specifying time during which the particular task shall be running. Often used for backup or tasks which cannot be accomplished during the common working hours (in the night time). 

• 1. Programs - Accessories - System tools - Scheduled task

• 2. Control panel - Scheduled task

• 3. My network places - choose a computer of which scheduled tasks you want to see or change (to display it you have to be an administrator).

• 4. "At" command 

Adding new task and configuration

• to add and configure use following:

• Guide - By help of the guide you can easily choose a program to be started, name of the task and number of starts (daily, weekly, monthly, only once, at computer start ...), date and time, name and password of the user under which the task shall be started. 

• "At" command - you get the help by writing the at /? command in the command line. Example:

at 22:50 /every:15 defrag d: 

• The example will create a scheduled task for D: disk defragmentation each 15th day in a month at 22.50 o'clock. (this example only function in Windows XP; there is not the "defrag" command in Windows 2000)

• Tasks added by help of the at command are also added to a graphic message in the task administration and are stored under numbers (At1, At2, At3,...). Tasks overview scheduled by the at command you get by writing at in the command line. If you change an at task or you create a new task in the graphic environment, the at command will not display these tasks. 

• If you want the tasks created by help of the at command not to be started under a system account, change the account in the graphic environment by the "AT service account" option from the "Specify" menu.

Setting and changing tasks

• By double clicking on a task you will display advanced settings consisting of 4 cards.

1. Task

• - it displays and enables to change the basic information about the particular task. Starting program, start folder, commentary, account under which the program shall be started.  You can easily disable or enable the task by help of checking or unchecking the "Allow" item. 

2. Schedule

• Specification of when the program will be started. The "Display multiple schedule" option is very important, because it enables to combine different ways of scheduling.   

3. Settings

• Options that serve for specifying the task's start. Options for ending a task in case of unusually long activity, or for planning the end of a task after x hours. Starting only in computer inactivity, options for consumption control and portable computers. 

4. Security

- the same permissions as in case of NTFS. Choosing users who have the permission to change tasks. 

Notes

• The file with a log of started tasks is called SchedLgU.txt and is stored in Windows in %SystemRoot%.

• Particular created tasks are stored in files ending *.job in %SystemRoot%\Task.

• To be able to plan tasks you first have to start the "Task scheduler"

• There also exist programs for the advanced settings made by other companies.  

• To plan backup it is recommended to start the guide from the Backup program. 

• Detailed information you will find in the help in "Scheduled tasks".

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