Windows Task Scheduler Secrets - Automatic Maintenance. What to do if the task scheduler does not start

Probably every user has encountered a situation where, when turning on the computer, you have to wait for it to load. background programs and all applications that open with the system. Inexpensive equipment may freeze from large quantity simultaneous processes. To regulate them, there is a “Task Scheduler” in Windows (it is available in both version 10 and earlier). It allows:

configure autostart of applications (for example, ICQ or other instant messengers, antivirus) or disable it;
indicate a convenient time to perform resource-intensive tasks (cleaning up the disk, installing updates) so that they do not interfere with your work;
remove irrelevant processes from running;
indicate which applications can be disabled to save battery power;
set an alarm or send an email.

Setting up the task scheduler in Windows.

“Task Scheduler” in Windows XP can be found in the “Utilities” section. In the eighth version, the utility was moved to the “Control Panel”. In Windows 10, everything already looks different: the software is located in the “Computer Management” section - in the same place where other administration elements are located. Actual files this application are stored on the system drive C (Windows - System 32 - Taskschd.msc), and they can also be launched from here.

How to open Task Scheduler

Now we will tell you how to launch the “Task Scheduler” in different ways.

Start menu

In Windows XP and 7, follow the path: “Start” - “All Programs” - “Accessories” - “System Tools”.
In Windows 10 – “Start” – “Administrative Tools”
In Windows 8, you will not be able to open the application through Start.

Control Panel

Open the task scheduler in Windows 10 and 8 as follows:

Expand the search bar and write “Control Panel”.
Open the section and pay attention to the inscription “View” at the top right. “Categories” should be changed to “Large icons”.
Now we see the “Administration” shortcut - when you click on it, a list of services will open, among which will be “Scheduler”.

In Windows 7 and XP, as we remember, it is included in utility programs.

Search field

Most easy way Find an application by typing its name in the Windows search bar. As soon as you start writing down a phrase, the system will automatically find the software, and you can turn it on immediately.

Run window

Press the combination Win+R.
The “Run” window appears with an empty line, where we enter “taskschd.msc” (ignoring the quotes).
Click “Inter” and wait for the application to open.

Command line

Call the “Run” window again and enter “cmd” (without quotes)
Press Enter and wait for the “Command Prompt” to appear.
Enter “C:/Windows/System32/taskschd.msc” there and click OK.

You can also make the command more specific by adding to it without spaces:

/Create – to create a new task;
/Delete – to delete a task;
/Query – to view created tasks;
/Change – to adjust the task.

Direct launch

As mentioned above, “Task Scheduler” can be launched directly from the root folder where all its files are stored. To do this, just go to the path: drive C - Windows - System 32 - Taskschd.msc and double-click it.

Disabling Task Scheduler

Sometimes it happens that due to an incorrectly configured “Scheduler” some problems arise in the operation of the OS, if you have not found what exactly is the reason, you can disable it completely ( this function not supported by some builds of Windows).

Find the "This PC" shortcut. If it's not in Desktop, click File Explorer (the yellow folder icon) and you'll see it listed on the left.
Click the secondary mouse button (it’s on the right) and select “Manage” - “Task Scheduler” - “Action” - “Properties”.
The table shows that the application is currently functioning. Click "Stop" and select the startup type - "Disabled". Thus, the next time you turn on the computer, this service will not work.

Before you disable Windows 7 Task Scheduler, please note that in this version, the correct operation of the system depends on this application. The only thing you can do in this case is to remove some tasks so that the application does not perform them.

If you use Windows 10, you automatically have access to the Task Scheduler, which makes working on your computer easier and faster. Using the settings made using this service, you can set tasks that will be launched when certain conditions occur. This will help optimize the processes occurring in the system and loading it, as well as achieve the most comfortable operation of the system.

Why do you need a task scheduler?

The task scheduler is needed mainly for two things: installing new tasks and deleting old ones. For example, you could create the following task: Run Skype when the user is logged in. But you can do exactly the opposite if you want to prevent some program from starting when you log in. Also, in the task scheduler you can find many processes scheduled by the system itself, for example, disk defragmentation or updating the operating system.

Application launch options

You can set more subtle conditions under which this or that program will be launched:

Selecting the user for whom the application will be launched. There is an option that allows you to automatic start only for a user with administrator rights.
You can set a deadline for completing a task, a specific time at which it will be activated. For example, it is possible to launch the application not immediately after the system starts, but after 15 minutes. You can set limits on the expiration date of a task, after which it will automatically cease to operate.
You can enable the “Run program when the computer is idle” function so that the task is executed only when the computer goes into sleep mode and turns off automatically when the computer wakes from sleep.
If you often use your laptop without connecting to an outlet, then you are familiar with the problem with the charging level. You can enable the corresponding function when activating a task, which will restrict the startup of any application if the computer is not connected to power.
If you are experiencing problems with your Internet connection, you can change a setting that will allow the application to automatically launch only when connected to a specific network.

Where is it located and how to open it

There are several ways in which you can start the task scheduler.

How to run through Windows search

Just open it Windows search by clicking on the magnifying glass icon and typing “Task Scheduler” in the search bar.

How to open in control panel

Execute

Setting up the task scheduler

First, let's look at the design of the program: on the left side of the window there is a list of folders, in the middle - detailed information about the selected program or file, on the right side there is a list of tasks that can be activated.

Tasks that can be performed using the scheduler:

Create a simple task - creates a task in which the majority of additional parameters put up for you. That is, when the task is activated, the default settings will be used.
Create a task - create a task in which setting all the parameters is left to you. If you want to set up some special conditions for launching a particular program, then you should create a task using this method.
Import task - recreates a previously created task. You must have a file with the recorded task, which can be created using export.
Display all running tasks - a list of all tasks that are running now or planned in the near future.
Enable or disable the log of all entries - activate or deactivate the recording of the history of completed and ongoing tasks.
Create or delete a folder - setting up folders that are located on the left side of the program.
Export - creating a file with information about the created task to transfer it to another computer or a new operating system if you plan to delete the current one.

Create a task

For example we will take Skype program, which should run 15 minutes after logging in.

Click the “Create task” button on the right side of the program.
In the section that opens, go to the “General” section.
Specify the name of the program and its location.
We set the settings that suit you in the “Security Settings” block.
Go to the “Triggers” section and click on the “Create” button.
In the window that opens, set the “At startup” parameter, and then create additional conditions launch, indicating the time and time frame.
We return to creating a task and go to the “Actions” section, click the “Set” button.
We select what needs to be done with the program for which the action is specified.
We indicate the path to the file that the task scheduler will access to complete the assigned task. If you want the program to start automatically, then specify the path to the file with which the program is opened; it will have the extension .exe.
In the “Conditions” section, you can set the parameters for launching the program when the computer is in sleep mode, connected to the Internet, or powered.
In the “Options” section you can set several more useful additional parameters.
If all the settings and parameters are set, then all that remains is to click the “OK” button and check whether the added task works.

How to enable and configure automatic computer shutdown

If you want the computer to turn off after a certain time, when you will not be able to do this yourself, then you can create a special task through the scheduler.

Click on the “Create task” button.
Enter any name and description for the task.
Choose how often to perform this task. If you need to use it only once, then select the “One-time” option.
In the next step, select the time at which the computer should automatically turn off.
Select the “Run program” option.
In the script line, enter the shutdown command, and in the argument field - “-s - f”. The second argument is optional, but if you want the computer to shut down even if running programs, then you need to add it.
We check the correctness of the entered data and click the “Finish” button.

What to do if the task scheduler does not start

It is worth noting that if any process created through the task scheduler does not start, then the whole issue is due to incorrectly set parameters or triggers. Please note that all fields in the task conditions must be filled out. But there is a more serious problem - the task scheduler does not start. There are two ways to fix this problem; you should start with the first and, if it does not help, proceed to the second option.

Services

Through the Windows search, launch the Run program.
Write the command service.msc and run it.
In the window that opens, find the “Task Scheduler” service and open its properties by clicking on it right click mouse and selecting the appropriate item.
In the “Startup type” block, set the “Automatic” parameter.
Press the “Apply” and “OK” buttons successively.
Reboot the computer. Done, let’s check whether the task scheduler has started working or not.

Registry Editor

If changing the service startup parameters did not help you, then proceed to the following steps:

Open the Run program through Windows Search.
We write the regedit command and execute it.
Using the folder tree on the left side of the window, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Schedule.
In the folder that opens, find the Start or Start DWORD file and double-click on it with LMB.
In the window that opens, change the “Value” parameter to the number 4.
Reboot the computer. Done, the task scheduler should start running.

What can you safely turn off?

Using the task scheduler, you can unload your computer by disabling unnecessary tasks. But be careful, disabling some system tasks can lead to system failure. There are two ways to determine which tasks are system tasks.

Shutdown via task manager

Via the task scheduler

How to remove an unnecessary task from the scheduler library

It’s easy to delete a task in the task scheduler: just select the desired process and in the “Selected item” block click the “Delete” button. Done, all that remains is to confirm the action.

Using the task scheduler, you can add new tasks to reduce the number of things you need to do manually, or delete existing tasks to reduce the load on the system. I add new task, you can set many additional parameters that will allow you to complete the task exactly the way you want. If the added task is not running, check its parameters; most likely, you made a mistake in setting them.

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 most commonly used task scheduler is system administrators and those who work in large (or not so 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 it was completely turned off).
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 is 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 regular 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 right-click on it to call context menu, or select from the menu on the right 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 command line and there the Services tab) and make sure that the status of the service of the same name is Enabled and Working.

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.

On Windows operating systems Microsoft company embeds various services 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 turning on the system, 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 detects the right application when entering its name into the search, depends on the speed of the computer 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 in the list 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: in latest versions Windows 10 this method does not work).

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 operating system version, it is located in different sections:

Please note: Windows 8 does not have the Start menu in the usual sense, so you will not be able to launch the task scheduler through it in this way.

How to open task scheduler through the Computer Management utility

Another system Windows utility- This 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.

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 in my Windows system 10 Pro. 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 backup copy.

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 rebooting, 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:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree

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 damaged, we must find the damaged 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 Adobe issue Flash Player Updater and rename seems to clear the error, but you should fix the problem 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:

sfc/scannow Dism/online/cleanup-image/restorehealth

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, load the tool depending on installed version system capacity x32\x64, launch and select “ Update this computer". operating system will be updated and will be restored damaged files task scheduler, all your files and software will remain in place.

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