How to Use Task Scheduler
Before diving into the tasks you may want to schedule, it’s important to understand the basics of automating and scheduling tasks. Remember, you can create both basic and complex tasks. Just make sure you test each new task to ensure it runs properly.
1. Set a Reminder
While there are other methods to set a reminder, Task Scheduler works well for this purpose, even though Microsoft deprecated the “display a message” action. Replace “NameofReminder” with a name for your reminder and “ReminderMessage” with the actual reminder text. This can work well for a daily to-do list reminder. You can set up a reminder for other users on the same PC by switching users in the “General” tab.
2. Set Up Restore Points
Windows 11 doesn’t create system restore points as often as previous Windows versions. But, if you want to create restore points automatically on a set schedule, use Task Scheduler. If you ever need to remove excess restore points, open Start and search for “Recovery.” Select the “Recovery (Control Panel)” option. Then, select “Configure System Restore” and click “Configure.” Press “Delete” to delete all existing restore points. You’ll definitely want to create another soon to replace what you’ve deleted.
3. Restart, Shut Down, or Hibernate Your PC
It’s not uncommon to leave your PC running, but it’s healthy to at least restart it regularly to refresh your system. One of the most useful tasks to schedule with Task Scheduler is an automatic shutdown, restart, or hibernation (sleep), so you never have to worry about forgetting to do it. Replace the drive letter if Windows isn’t installed on C: drive. This command shuts Windows down after force-closing all open apps. Replace “00” with a time in seconds if you want a slight delay, such as “60” to delay shutdown for 60 seconds. If you want to restart the computer, use this command: Try this command if you want to put the PC to sleep:
4. Open Your Browser and Favorite Sites
Sure, it only takes a few seconds to click your browser’s icon to launch it, but wouldn’t it be nice to automate the process? Not only could you have your browser open automatically at your PC’s startup, but you can also set a task to open specific sites, so you’re ready to sit down and start your day in a few seconds.
5. Open Apps
You can launch any apps you want just like you opened your browser in the section above. For instance, I like to launch my browser at logon with a few websites I use often and automatically open LibreOffice Writer side by side. To set up an app to launch automatically, follow the steps you used to open your browser but navigate to the executable file for your desired app. You can add multiple actions for a task. So, you could create a “Morning Routine” task that has actions for opening your browser, email client, word processor, and anything else you need.
6. Open Files
Opening apps is useful enough, but you might find it even more helpful to open specific files. Some users even use this task to generate reports if they have macros enabled to run automatically in Excel, Word, or other apps. I like to open up my spreadsheet with all current projects, accounting details, and notes.
7. Empty Your Recycle Bin
It’s easy to just dump files into the Recycle Bin and never think about them again. But, those files are still on your hard drive and taking up valuable space. If you don’t want to think about them again, use Task Scheduler to automatically empty the Recycle Bin on a schedule. Just remember that once something’s gone out of the Recycle Bin, it’s incredibly difficult to retrieve. Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels. Open your desired folder before selecting “Create task” to skip the export-import process later for new tasks.
