How To Schedule a Server Process in Windows XP Professional (305613)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes how to schedule a program to automatically start at a pre-determined interval.

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Schedule the Task

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Scheduled Tasks.
2. Double-click Add Scheduled Task, and then click Next.
3. A list of programs that are available on your computer is displayed. If the program you want to schedule is in this list, click it, and then click Next. If the program you want to run is not in this list, click Browse to locate the program, click the program, and then click Open.
4. When you receive a suggested name for the task, you can either accept the default name, or type another name. Click the interval you want to use for this task (daily, weekly, monthly, one time only, and so on). Click Next.
5. If you chose to schedule the task daily, weekly, monthly, or one time only, you receive a time or date option. Choose the date or dates, time or times you want to schedule the task for, and then click Next.
6. Type the user name and password. Make sure that the user name is in the domain\user format, where domain is your NetBIOS domain name, and user is the user account you want to schedule the task under. Click Next.
7. Click Finish to schedule the task, and then verify that the task appears in the Scheduled Tasks box.

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Troubleshooting

• By default, Task Scheduler logs on as the Local System account. In some cases, this account may not have the appropriate permissions to start the scheduled task. Because of this, you must specify an account in the Scheduled Task Wizard. Verify that the account you specify in the wizard has sufficient rights to start the task you are scheduling by logging on as that user and running the task manually.
• You can also schedule tasks by using the AT command. Both methods can be used to automatically schedule tasks. However, neither program is aware of the list of the other's list of scheduled programs. For example, if you schedule a batch file to run every day at midnight in the Scheduled Task Wizard and also with the AT command, the command runs twice.
• If you chose to schedule the task for any interval other than one time only, the task continues to run indefinitely. You must manually delete the task to keep it from running again.
• The Scheduled Task Wizard does not verify the password you type for the user account that the process will run as. Make sure that you type the correct password.

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