Windows Automation: 8 Useful Tasks to Schedule With Task Scheduler

Some of the tasks we do on our PCs every day get tedious, so why not save time with Windows automation? Take care of those boring, repetitive tasks easily by scheduling them with Task Scheduler, the Windows built-in automation tool.

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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 reminders, Task Scheduler works well for this purpose, even though Microsoft deprecated the “display a message” action.

Open Notepad, or any other text editor, and enter the following:

@echo off
title NameofReminder
echo ReminderMessage
pause

Replace “NameofReminder” with a name for your reminder and “ReminderMessage” with the actual reminder text.

Save the file with any name you want and the extension .cmd to turn it into a command.

Open Task Scheduler, and select Create Task in the right pane.

Under the General tab, enter a name for your reminder task, and choose Windows 10 in the Configure for drop-down box. I have no idea why Microsoft hasn’t updated Task Scheduler to say Windows 11 yet.

Select New in the Triggers tab.

Set when you want to begin the task. If it’s on a schedule, set a time and how often the task should repeat.

Press OK, then select the Actions tab. Click New to create a new action. Select Start a program in the Action drop-down box. Press Browse to select the Notepad file you saved earlier.

Once set, you’ll get a reminder via the Command Prompt at your chosen time/trigger.

Use this for a daily to-do and even set different reminders for different users.

2. Set Up Restore Points

One thing I dislike about Windows 11 is that the OS 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.

Open Task Scheduler, and expand Task Scheduler Library -> Microsoft -> Windows -> System Restore.

Select the SystemRestore folder to display the System Restore task that already exists. Right-click the existing task, and select Properties.

Under the Triggers tab, select New, then set your desired schedule. To avoid filling your hard drive with numerous System Restore points, only schedule this to happen weekly. If you make many system changes daily, you may prefer a daily restore point.

If you ever need to remove excess restore points, open Start, and search for Recovery. Select the Recovery (Control Panel) option, 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. I do mine twice a week and use Task Scheduler so that I don’t forget.

Create a BAT file in Notepad using one of the following commands:

c:\windows\system32\shutdown -s -f -t 00

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 the following command:

c:\windows\system32\shutdown -r -t 00

Try this command if you want to put the PC to sleep:

c:\windows\system32\shutdown /h

Save your file with the desired name, such as “Shutdown” or “Restart,” and the .bat extension.

In Task Scheduler, select Create Task. Name your task in the General tab, and create a New trigger under the Triggers tab, just as you did when setting a reminder.

Set the schedule to what works best for you. Make sure you do this at least once a week.

Under the Actions tab, select New. Choose Start a program, and browse to your BAT file in the Program/script section. Press OK to save your changes and task.

Right-click the task, and select Run to ensure it works properly after saving all open files.

4. Open Your Browser and Favorite Sites

Every day, I launch by browser and open the same set of sites to start working. Sure, it doesn’t take long, but why not automate the process with Task Scheduler? A single task opens the browser and the sites I need when my PC starts.

Open Task Scheduler, and select Create task. Name your task in the General tab. Select New under the Triggers tab. Decide when to begin the task, and press OK to save your settings.

Under the Actions tab, select New. Choose Start a program, then browse to your desired browser’s executable file. If you just want to open your browser, press OK to save your changes. If you want to set up sites to open, continue to the next step.

Enter the URLs of the sites you want to open in the Add arguments box. Separate each site with a space.

Press OK on each open window to save your changes. Right-click the task, and select Run if you want to test it.

5. Open Apps with Task Scheduler

Launch any apps you want the same way 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.

Add multiple actions for a task, if necessary. 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 may 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 my spreadsheet with all current projects, accounting details, and notes.

Open Task Scheduler, and create a new task. Name your task in the General tab. Always choose the correct version of Windows under Configure for.

Under Triggers, create a new trigger. Set the trigger for a specific schedule or at startup or logon.

Under Actions, create a new action, and browse to your file in the Program/script box.

Save your task by pressing OK to exit each window.

7. Empty Your Recycle Bin

Are you like me and dump a bunch of files into the Recycle Bin, never thinking about all the space they take up? Since I set up Task Schedule to auto-empty the bin, my PC stays much cleaner. I suggest setting up a reminder before to make sure there’s nothing in the Recycle Bin you’ve accidentally deleted.

Open Task Scheduler, and create a new task as usual. Name the task something related to Recycle Bin or Recycle. Under Triggers, set the schedule to daily, weekly, or monthly. For most users, weekly or monthly works well. Under Action, type the following into the Program/script box:

PowerShell.exe

In the Add arguments box, enter the following:

-NoProfile -Command "Clear-RecycleBin -Force"

Save your task as usual.

8. Write a Daily Journal Entry

Journaling is a great way to track your goals, as well as reduce stress and vent about your day. I’m not great at making time for it, so I created a task to open my favorite Windows journaling app (or just use any word processing app) at a set time each day to prompt me to write.

Create this task just like opening any other app. You could even add a second Action to open a timer app to write for a set amount of time each day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I limit tasks to specific users?

Yes. In the General tab of the Create Task dialog, select Change User or Group to select the user(s) you want the task to apply to. You can also check the Run with highest privileges box to ensure that tasks that need admin rights can run.

Can I edit a task?

Yes. Double-click any task to open it and make any necessary changes. Press OK to save. Or, delete any task you no longer need.

How can I better organize my tasks?

If you’re creating numerous tasks, you may notice things getting harder to find. Separate your tasks into categories to solve this.

Right-click Task Scheduler Library in the Windows Task Scheduler sidebar, and choose New Folder. Name it anything you want.

Right-click any tasks you want to move to this folder, and choose Export. Save them to an easy-to-access location. Open your new folder, and select Import in the far-right pane. Select your task to import it.

Open your desired folder before selecting Create task to skip the export-import process later for new tasks.

What if I need a more complex task?

If you need something that automates clicks and actions, try Power Automate instead. Or, automate browser tasks with these extensions.

Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Crystal Crowder.

Crystal Crowder –
Staff Writer

Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.

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