Schedule a new task

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To schedule a new task

  1. Open Task Scheduler.

  2. Double-click Add Scheduled Task.

  3. Follow the instructions in the Scheduled Task wizard.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators, Backup Operators, or Server Operators group, or have been delegated the appropriate authority, on the local computer. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

  • When creating a scheduled task, you must enter a user name and password, either in the Add Scheduled Task Wizard or in the Run as box in the Task tab of the scheduled task's property dialog box. When the scheduled task runs, the program you've scheduled runs as if it were started by the user you specified, with that user's security context.

  • To open Task Scheduler, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Scheduled Tasks.

  • Confirm that the system date and time on your computer are accurate, as Task Scheduler relies on this information to run scheduled tasks. To verify or change this information, double-click the time indicator on the taskbar.

  • If you want to configure advanced settings for the task, select the Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish check box in the final page of the wizard. This opens the properties dialog box for the task. You can then change the program being run in the Task tab, fine-tune the schedule in the Schedule tab, customize settings in the Settings tab, or set user and group permissions in the Security tab.

  • If the task program requires command-line options, type them in Run, after the task path.

  • If the path to the task program includes spaces, type double quotation marks ("") around the entire task path. For example:

    "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\Mplayer2.exe"

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Task Scheduler Best practices
Task Scheduler overview
Modify a scheduled task
Creating and managing scheduled tasks from the Command Line
Strong passwords