Automating the Task Scheduler

 Keywords: Windows Task Scheduler MSTask Schtasks TaskScheduler.dll TaskScheduler OCX COM OLE

Automating the Task Scheduler

Vista and newer:

Starting in Windows Vista the Task Scheduler received a complete overhaul. Windows Vista provides new features and tools that make the work of software developers easier. Task Scheduler also provides several API changes that give software developers flexibility when developing for Task Scheduler. More importantly it provides new scripting objects that WinBatch developers can use to programmatically access the functionalities that are available in Task Scheduler 2.0. Task Scheduler interfaces now are derived from IDispatch, providing full support for script development. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb756903.aspx

Windows XP and older:

Schtasks
Windows XP contains the Schtasks command-line tool. http://techsupt.winbatch.com/webcgi/webbatch.exe?techsupt/nftechsupt.web+WinBatch/NT~Native~Commands~with~WinBatch+Microsoft~Task~Scheduler~Command~Line~Utility.txt

COM Interface - TaskScheduler.dll

The Task Scheduler from the IE Add-ons does not come with the COM interface. You need to download 'Site Server' in order to get TaskScheduler.dll that provides the COM interfaces.

Download the TaskScheduler dll
https://techsupt.winbatch.com/techsupt/TaskSchedulerDll.zip
Install and Register the Component
Go to Start|Run and type: regsvr32 "C:\Temp\TaskScheduler\TaskScheduler.dll". You should get a message telling you the component was successfully registered.
Open the WIL Type Viewer
'C:\Program Files\WinBatch\System\WIL Type Viewer.exe'. Select the 'Viewer' tab and type 'Scheduler.SchAgent' in the edit box then press the 'Get Members' button. You can explore the various Members and Properties of the Object.

Sample Code

Create a new Task

      ;Create a Scheduled Task
      oSchAgent = ObjectCreate('Scheduler.SchAgent')
      oSchAgent.Refresh()
      oTask = oSchAgent.CreateTask('Run Notepad')
      oTask.ApplicationName = 'Notepad.exe'
      oTask.Commandline = ''
      oTask.Creator = 'SoAndSo'
      oTask.SetAccountInformation('MyDomain\SoAndSo', '******')
      ;Create the trigger
      oTrig = oTask.Triggers.Add
      oTrig.TriggerType = 1; ttDaily
      oTrig.BeginDay = ObjectType('DATE', '2008:06:26:03:00:00')
      oTrig.Flags = 0
      oTrig.StartTime = ObjectType('DATE', '2008:06:26:03:00:00')
      oTrig.Update ()
      oTask.Save

      oSchAgent.Refresh()

      oTrig = 0
      oTask = 0
      oSchAgent = 0
      Exit

Delete a Task

;Delete a Scheduled Tasks
      oSchAgent = ObjectCreate("Scheduler.SchAgent")
      oSchAgent.Refresh()
      sMessage = ''
      For index = 1 To oSchAgent.Count
         objTask = oSchAgent.Job(index)
         sMessage = sMessage : objTask.Name : @TAB
      Next
      m_objScheduler = 0
      taskname = AskItemlist('Scheduled Task to Delete', sMessage, @TAB, @UNSORTED, @SINGLE )
      oSchAgent.Delete(taskname)
      Pause( Taskname ,'The task has been successfully deleted')
      Exit

List Scheduled Tasks

;List Scheduled Tasks
      oSchAgent = ObjectCreate("Scheduler.SchAgent")
      oSchAgent.Refresh
      sMessage = ''
      For index = 1 To oSchAgent.Count
         objTask = oSchAgent.Job(index)
         sMessage = sMessage : objTask.Name : @TAB
      Next
      m_objScheduler = 0
      AskItemlist('Scheduled Tasks', sMessage, @TAB, @UNSORTED, @SINGLE )
      Exit

List Scheduled Tasks - Details

      ;Create a scheduled task List
      outputfile = 'c:\ScheduledTaskListPlus.txt'
      oSchAgent = ObjectCreate("Scheduler.SchAgent")
      oSchAgent.Refresh
      sMessage = ''
      For index = 1 To oSchAgent.Count
         objTask = oSchAgent.Job(index)
         sMessage = sMessage : @CRLF: @CRLF:  '** DETAILS ** ': @CRLF
         sMessage = sMessage : 'Name = ' : objTask.Name : @CRLF
         sMessage = sMessage : 'Comment = ' : objTask.Comment : @CRLF
         sMessage = sMessage : 'Creator = ' : objTask.Creator : @CRLF
         sMessage = sMessage : 'ApplicationName = ' : objTask.ApplicationName : @CRLF
         sMessage = sMessage : 'CommandLine = ' : objTask.CommandLine : @CRLF
         sMessage = sMessage : 'WorkingDirectory = ' : objTask.WorkingDirectory  : @CRLF
         sMessage = sMessage : 'MaxRunTime = ' : objTask.MaxRunTime : @CRLF
         sMessage = sMessage : 'NextRunTime = ' : objTask.NextRunTime : @CRLF

         sMessage = sMessage : @CRLF: @CRLF:  '** FLAGS **' : @CRLF
         sFlags = objTask.Flags
         If sFlags &  1
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_INTERACTIVE" : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags & 2
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_DELETE_WHEN_DONE" :@CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags &  4
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_DISABLED" : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags &  16
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_START_ONLY_IF_IDLE" : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags &  32
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_KILL_ON_IDLE_END" : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags &  64
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_DONT_START_IF_ON_BATTERIES"  : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags &  128
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_KILL_IF_GOING_ON_BATTERIES"  : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags &  256
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_RUN_ONLY_IF_DOCKED"  : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags &  512
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_HIDDEN" : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags &  1024
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_RUN_IF_CONNECTED_TO_INTERNET"  : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags &  2048
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_RESTART_ON_IDLE_RESUME"  : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags & 4096
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_SYSTEM_REQUIRED"  : @CRLF
         End If
         If sFlags & 8192
            sMessage = sMessage : "TASK_FLAG_RUN_ONLY_IF_LOGGED_IN"  : @CRLF
         End If

         sMessage =  sMessage : @CRLF: @CRLF:  "** STATUS** " : @CRLF
         sStatus = objTask.Status
         Select sStatus
            Case 267008
               sMessage = sMessage : "SCHED_S_TASK_READY" : @CRLF
               Break
            Case 267009
               sMessage = sMessage : "SCHED_S_TASK_RUNNING" : @CRLF
               Break
            Case 267010
               sMessage = sMessage : "SCHED_S_TASK_DISABLED" : @CRLF
               Break
            Case 267011
               sMessage = sMessage : "SCHED_S_TASK_HAS_NOT_RUN" : @CRLF
               Break
            Case 267012
               sMessage = sMessage : "SCHED_S_TASK_NO_MORE_RUNS" : @CRLF
               Break
            Case 267013
               sMessage = sMessage : "SCHED_S_TASK_NOT_SCHEDULED": @CRLF
               Break
            Case 267014
               sMessage = sMessage : "SCHED_S_TASK_TERMINATED": @CRLF
               Break
            Case 267015
               sMessage = sMessage : "SCHED_S_TASK_NO_VALID_TRIGGERS": @CRLF
               Break
            Case 267016
               sMessage = sMessage : "SCHED_S_EVENT_TRIGGER": @CRLF
               Break
         EndSelect

         sMessage =  sMessage : @CRLF: @CRLF : '_________________________________________' : @CRLF: @CRLF
      Next
      m_objScheduler = 0

      FilePut(outputfile, sMessage)

      Run(outputfile,'')
      Exit

Run a Scheduled Task

      ;Run a Scheduled Task
      oSchAgent = ObjectCreate('Scheduler.SchAgent')
      oSchAgent.Refresh
      sMessage = ''
      For index = 1 To oSchAgent.Count
         objTask = oSchAgent.Job(index)
         sMessage = sMessage : objTask.Name : @TAB
      Next
      m_objScheduler = 0
      taskname = AskItemlist('Choose Scheduled Task to Run', sMessage, @TAB, @UNSORTED, @SINGLE )
      objTask = oSchAgent.Job(taskname)
      objTask.Run
      Exit

Article ID:   W18268

Filename:   Automating the Task Scheduler.txt

File Created: 2019:08:14:09:34:20

Last Updated: 2019:08:14:09:34:20

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Automating the Task Scheduler

Automating the Task Scheduler

Vista and newer:

Windows XP and older:

Schtasks

COM Interface - TaskScheduler.dll

Sample Code