How Do I Schedule a Windows Service in Task Scheduler?

You can schedule a Windows service in Task Scheduler by following these steps:

1. Open Task Scheduler

• Open the Start menu and search for "Task Scheduler".
• Select the Task Scheduler app from the search results.

2. Create a New Task

• In the Task Scheduler library, click Create Basic Task in the right pane.
• Enter a name for the task and a brief description.
• Click Next.

3. Choose a Trigger

• Select the frequency for the task to run. Options include:
  • Daily
  • Weekly
  • Monthly
  • One time
• Specify the time and date for the task to run.
• Click Next.

4. Choose an Action

• Select Start a program.
• In the Program/script field, enter the path to the executable file for the Windows service you want to schedule.
• In the Add arguments (optional) field, you can add any necessary command-line arguments for the service.
• Click Next.

5. Set Other Options (Optional)

• You can set additional options, such as:
  • Open the properties dialog for this task when I click Finish.
  • Run whether user is logged on or not.
  • Run with highest privileges.
• Click Finish.

6. Verify Task Settings

• Once the task is created, you can verify the settings by clicking on the task in the Task Scheduler library.
• The General tab shows the task name, description, and trigger.
• The Actions tab shows the program to be executed.
• You can modify the settings as needed.

7. Start the Task

• To start the task immediately, right-click on the task and select Run.

Example

Let's say you want to schedule the "MyService.exe" service to run daily at 2:00 AM. You would follow these steps:

1. Create a new task called "MyService Daily Task" with the description "Runs MyService.exe daily at 2:00 AM".
2. Set the trigger to Daily and specify the time as 2:00 AM.
3. Set the action to Start a program and enter the path to "MyService.exe" in the Program/script field.
4. Finish the task creation process.

Now, "MyService.exe" will run daily at 2:00 AM.

Note: You may need to adjust the settings based on your specific needs and the requirements of the Windows service you are scheduling.