Vista Tutorial - Task Scheduler - Wake Up Computer

**Brink** · **METHOD ONE:**

How to Have a Task Wake up the Computer to Run in Vista Task Scheduler

Information

This will show you how to create or modify an existing task in Task Scheduler so it will wake up the computer from a sleep mode and run. This way you can have the task wake up the computer and run automatically for when it is convenient for you instead. For a description of all of the default tasks in Vista, see: Microsoft Help and Support: KB939039

Tip

Sometimes the scheduled task will not wake the computer up even with everything set as it is below. It can sometimes be caused by your administrator account having a password created for it. A workaround is to remove the password for this account. Warning though, removing the password will leave you less secure.

RELATED LINKS:

METHOD ONE:
Create a New Task to Wake Up the Computer to Run

1. For how to create a new task in Task Schedular, see: How to Create a Task in Vista Task Scheduler
NOTE: Be sure to check Run with highest privileges in step 10, and At Startup in step 12 in that tutorial link.
A) Use Option Two below as a guide with the link above for how to set the settings to have the new task wake up the computer to run.

METHOD TWO:
Change an Existing Task to Wake Up the Computer to Run

NOTE

For more details about any of the settings below and other settings not shown here to change , see: How to Create a Task in Vista Task Scheduler

Tip

If you want to stop a task from waking up the computer than uncheck the Wake the computer to run this task box in step 10 below.

1. Open the Start Menu.
A) In the white line (Start Search) area, type taskschd.msc and press Enter.

B) Go to step 3.

OR

2. Open the Control Panel (Classic view).
A) Click on the Administrative Tools Icon.

B) Click on Task Scheduler.

3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.

4. In the right pane, click on View and click on Show Hidden Tasks to check it. (See screenshot below step 7)

5. In the left pane, click on the arrow on the Task Scheduler Library folder, Microsoft folder, and Windows folder to expand them.

6. Click on the folder for the existing task you wish to change.
NOTE: For example, the Windows Defender folder, or one that you have created from OPTION ONE above.

7. In the middle pane, right click on the listed MP Scheduled Scan and click on Properties.
NOTE: For example, it would be MP Scheduled Scan for Windows Defender.

8. Under the General tab, check the Run with highest privileges box. (See screenshot below)

9. Select (dot) Run whether user is logged on or not.

10. Click on the Conditions tab and check the Wake the computer to run this task box. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: For more details on the other options, see the Step Seven section here: How to Create a Task in Vista Task Scheduler
If you want to stop a task from waking up the computer than uncheck the Wake the computer to run this task box.

OPTION ONE:
Change the Schedule for the Task to Run

NOTE

This will show how to change when and how often you want the selected task to run. If you do not want to changed this, then proceed to the OPTION TWO section below instead.

11. Click on the Triggers tab and click on the listed trigger that you wish to change to highlight it. (See screenshot below step 12)

12. Click on the Edit button.

13. Change the schedule to when and how you want the task to run. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: For more details about these options, see the Step Five section here: How to Create a Task in Vista Task Scheduler

14. When done, click on OK. (See screenshot above)

OPTION TWO:
How to Set the Task to Attempt to Run Again if it Fails

NOTE

This will show you how to set the task to automatically attempt to run again if it fails when scheduled and to run automatically the next time you have the computer awake and running if all attempts to run failed. If you do not wish to do this, then proceed to step 18 instead.

15. Click on the Settings tab. (See screenshot below step)

16. Check the Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed box.
NOTE: This will allow the scheduled task to run the next time you have the computer awake and running if the scan was missed due to it not being able to run at it's scheduled time or failed the attempt to restart in step 17.

17. Check the If the task fails, restart every box.
A) Select how often and how many times you want the task to attempt to run again if it failed to run when scheduled for some reason.
NOTE: For more details on the other options, see the Step Eight section here: How to Create a Task in Vista Task Scheduler

18. Click on OK to apply changes. (See screenshot above)
NOTE: This will also apply for the window that you are still in if you skipped some of the options above. EX: Screenshot below steps 10, 13, or 17.

19. Close Task Scheduler. (See screenshot below step 7)

That's it,
Shawn

**bruce_andrews** · 08-04-2008

That part is fine. My question is:

How do you keep the computer awake? The default seems to be around 1 minute. That is the scheduler starts the task and then goes back to sleep. If the task takes longer than 1 minute (e. g. defragment or disk backup) the computer goes back to sleep before the task can complete.

I have not been able to find a way to delay a fixed amount of time for sleep - or more preferable - wait for the task to complete. I think the scheduler is missing an option here.

**Brink** · 08-04-2008

Hello Bruce, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You could use this tutorial to set how long the computer will wait to go back to sleep after a unattended wakeup. Set it for how long you believe it will take your task to complete.

Sleep Return Timeout for Unattended Wake Up

Hope this helps,
Shawn

**bruce_andrews** · 08-04-2008

Thanks Shawn:

I looked for an hour thru the registry for these values. Who would think they would title them as 'index's! (I kept looking for 'delay', 'timeout' and such values).

I did find another posting (after looking for a week!) that there is a power plan setting that 'fixes' this problem. It is for setting the multi-media to 'do not allow the computer to sleep' while sharing media. Again - what a title. It seems to have noting to do with the scheduler - but in fact does keep the computer awake while doing a disk backup.

Thanks!

**Brink** · 08-04-2008

Your welcome Bruce. LOL, they are strange titles that do not relate to their function.

Thank you for sharing the other results that you found to. Is it the Allow the computer to enter Away Mode or Prevent idling to sleep setting for the multi-media that you used?

Thank you,
Shawn

**bruce_andrews** · 08-04-2008

Prevent idling to sleep. Of course my computer will not now go to sleep if I walk away from it. (Haven't tried forcing sleep yet - just found this a half day ago)

There has to be a better overall way (like having the scheduler 'fixed'.)

**Brink** · 08-04-2008

It should go to sleep if you manually do it with that setting.

I agree, there should be a easier to use option in Task Scheduler for this. For now the only workarounds I know of is your method, or adjusting the unattended wakeup time to allow time for the task.

**bruce_andrews** · 08-05-2008

Another voice on the subject.

I wrote a comment on a Microsoft documentation site about this problem. The reply is below:
---------------------
Thanks for the background information. You might also want to try setting the priority of the task. I don't think this can be done through the Task Scheduler UI, but if you modify the xml for the task (probably the easiest option), or if you create it programmatically, then you can set the priority (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa381855(VS.85).aspx). I haven't tried this myself, but by setting the priority to something like 4 (an interactive task), then my hope would be that the running task process would keep the computer from sleeping.

If you want to modify the task XML to set the priority, first export the task to an xml file, and then in the XML under the <Settings> element, you can specify a <Priority> element with a value.
Let me know if you need any help with changing the priority and I can help provide an example.

Chris
----------------------------------------

This, of course, does not SOLVE the overall problem - just (possibly) another way.

08-04-2008
bruce_andrews Newbie Join Date: Aug 2008 Vista Home Premium SP 1 64-bit 5 posts	Re: Task Scheduler - Wake Up Computer That part is fine. My question is: How do you keep the computer awake? The default seems to be around 1 minute. That is the scheduler starts the task and then goes back to sleep. If the task takes longer than 1 minute (e. g. defragment or disk backup) the computer goes back to sleep before the task can complete. I have not been able to find a way to delay a fixed amount of time for sleep - or more preferable - wait for the task to complete. I think the scheduler is missing an option here.
My System Specs

08-04-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Task Scheduler - Wake Up Computer Hello Bruce, and welcome to Vista Forums. You could use this tutorial to set how long the computer will wait to go back to sleep after a unattended wakeup. Set it for how long you believe it will take your task to complete. Sleep Return Timeout for Unattended Wake Up Hope this helps, Shawn
My System Specs

08-04-2008
bruce_andrews Newbie Join Date: Aug 2008 Vista Home Premium SP 1 64-bit 5 posts	Re: Task Scheduler - Wake Up Computer Thanks Shawn: I looked for an hour thru the registry for these values. Who would think they would title them as 'index's! (I kept looking for 'delay', 'timeout' and such values). I did find another posting (after looking for a week!) that there is a power plan setting that 'fixes' this problem. It is for setting the multi-media to 'do not allow the computer to sleep' while sharing media. Again - what a title. It seems to have noting to do with the scheduler - but in fact does keep the computer awake while doing a disk backup. Thanks!
My System Specs

08-04-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,806 posts	Re: Task Scheduler - Wake Up Computer Your welcome Bruce. LOL, they are strange titles that do not relate to their function. Thank you for sharing the other results that you found to. Is it the Allow the computer to enter Away Mode or Prevent idling to sleep setting for the multi-media that you used? Thank you, Shawn
My System Specs

08-04-2008
bruce_andrews Newbie Join Date: Aug 2008 Vista Home Premium SP 1 64-bit 5 posts	Re: Task Scheduler - Wake Up Computer Prevent idling to sleep. Of course my computer will not now go to sleep if I walk away from it. (Haven't tried forcing sleep yet - just found this a half day ago) There has to be a better overall way (like having the scheduler 'fixed'.)
My System Specs

08-05-2008
bruce_andrews Newbie Join Date: Aug 2008 Vista Home Premium SP 1 64-bit 5 posts	Re: Task Scheduler - Wake Up Computer Another voice on the subject. I wrote a comment on a Microsoft documentation site about this problem. The reply is below: --------------------- Thanks for the background information. You might also want to try setting the priority of the task. I don't think this can be done through the Task Scheduler UI, but if you modify the xml for the task (probably the easiest option), or if you create it programmatically, then you can set the priority (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa381855(VS.85).aspx). I haven't tried this myself, but by setting the priority to something like 4 (an interactive task), then my hope would be that the running task process would keep the computer from sleeping. If you want to modify the task XML to set the priority, first export the task to an xml file, and then in the XML under the <Settings> element, you can specify a <Priority> element with a value. Let me know if you need any help with changing the priority and I can help provide an example. Chris ---------------------------------------- This, of course, does not SOLVE the overall problem - just (possibly) another way.
My System Specs

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