The Windows Vista comes with a new & enhanced Task Scheduler service which offers much more control & flexibility when compared to the ones provided in the previous versions of Windows. The Vista Task Scheduler service provides controlled & unattended management of task execution, launched either on schedule or asynchronously in response to events arising out of system state changes. One of the best features provided by the new task scheduler is the ability to schedule tasks even when the system is in Sleep or Hibernate mode. When activated, the system automatically wakes up & performs the scheduled task.
Here, I will show you how you can wake up your system to run a bunch of songs in Windows Media Player at a predefined time on a frequent basis. If you need a musical boost to wake up early in the morning this may serve you best by acting as an alarm.
- From your start menu, go to ‘All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools’ & select the ‘Task Scheduler’ program.
- Select the Create Task option from the Right Side bar of the Task scheduler panel.
- Enter the name & the optional description of the task in the General tab of the Create Task dialog box.
- Select the Triggers tab & create a new trigger. Here, you can set the trigger points & frequency for the task. Select the Daily radio button and schedule date & time for the task to run. Click on Ok.
- Select the Actions Tab & create a new Action. Select the Program to run (Windows Media Player) by clicking on the Browse button. Give all the additional arguments to the command in the ‘Add arguments’ section. For example, the following arguments needs to be given along with the wmplayer for playing the Windows Media Player play list. “/play /close Fully_Qualified_Name_Of_The_Playlist_File”
- Select the Conditions tab & select the Wake the computer to run this task check box.
- Now, Click on Ok to save your Task.
Once you are done with these 7 steps, your system will automatically start the task at the scheduled time even if it is in sleep or hibernate mode.
About the author
Prasanna LM is a programmer & a tech enthusiast working from Bangalore, India. He is a Sun Certified Java Programmer & he is passionate about developing software's using Java & JEE related technologies.
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Windows Vista provides a enhanced Task Scheduler service which makes it possible to run tasks even when your system is in sleep or hibernate mode. The disadvantage is a 5 second delay while Vista manages the switch back to normal power mode. In the event of a power failure you would lose any unsaved data which is stored in RAM. You may also have to re-enter your password to resume after sleep, however that is another configurable setting.
I’ve noted some characteristics when this happens. I might have lots of browser windows and applications open. However this is more of an exception rather than a rule. But this has been happening for a couple of months and is still an unsolved mystery.
Making my system an alarm would be pretty cool. I currently just use my cellphone as an alarm and am tired of waking up to annoying beeps. I would like to make it play some sort of songs to wake me up. Thanks for this.
This is great. Beside setting off the music the scheduled time, I am wondering whether I could schedule other tasks. For instance, blogspot allow blogger to pre-write blogs and schedule blogs to post on certain dates even while you are away on holiday.
This is an interesting feature
However, i still hate Vista for it’s far too underperforming for a desktop O/S. I have a Vista laptop but so pathetic. I miss my XP laptop…
Great feature. Thanks for this. I have got a new Laptop with VISTA. will try this out.
@BradCallen, Yes. There is a short delay for switching back to the normal power mode. I think, that should not be a major issue in majority of the cases. Your problem seems to be an exception. I have never experienced something like that till now.
@FQ, Earlier, I was also fed up of listening to same kind of sound regularly in the early morning. Now, from past few months, I am using task scheduler for my morning alarm. I feel much better than the normal alarm as I can try different varieties.:)
@SP, Yes, By all means. I just gave you an example. You can use task scheduler service to schedule any other task.
@Ajith, Initially I was also not very much comfortable with Vista inspite of using a high end laptop. But, now I have started loving Vista more than XP.
@Nihar, Congrats for your new Vista Laptop. Hope you write more about your Vista experience once you become familiar.
@Prasanna, Right now i am not using the new laptop. WIll write about it after i start using it.
I hope to see you on my blog soon!
Hi Dude,
Landed on your blog after long time. Happy to see lots of improvement.Keep the good work!
@Nihar, hey, I have been a regular visitor to your blog. Will surely continue to keep an eye on all of your future posts.
@Ashish, Hi man, welcome back & thanks for your encouraging words.
Very cool, I do not believe this function exists in Windows XP, at least I have tired to find it and could not
Hey
Still i am not using vista window and yesterday my friend came and said to me that he has recently installed the vista and running very good but to me i will take more time to install the vista at the present time in my pc xp is running that is giving good performance.
@CLC, Yeah. This feature was not available with XP. It had only a basic task scheduler.
Very Good Idea Great feature. Thanks for this. I will inform to my friends about VISTA. will try this one.
succes……
Well I missed a feature like that in xp. I mean I often wanted my pc to start doing something while I was at work so I had to download 3rd party applications just for that. It was very annoying.
Came to your blog from google. I have used vista only two times. But i was not aware of these features of vista. Very informative blog. Thankyou
wow. really cool. I tried it just now on my vista and yep. its working. i needed this one, thanks a lot. good post
I have not used vista yet. I will be installing it within a week. Then i’ll try this feature.
thanks for the post
eyeopener ideas about Vista Task Scheduler service ! never got that things on hacking sites @buddies@
This is really cool. I tried it just now on my vista and done. its working. thanks a lots. great post.
This is awesome. There always were ways of scheduling tasks for sleep mode but now it’s just so much easier. No 3rd party software, no problems. But I guess it won’t make up for the flaws that vista bring to the table (mostly huge system requierments).
well well now this makes the task of scheduling even more fantastic. without any involvement of any extra plugin or software. I am sure there are similar vista based applications that are unknown to me.
Dear Friend i must point out that you have worked very hard in making this post on such a complex issue, so easily understandable to all of us. i think wit no need to have any external plugins this application would become more popular.
Bringing a computer out of hibernate can be quicker but if you might have a storm while you are away from the computer and have it plugged into the mains, it could get damaged so is better shut down and unplugged.
Hello, There is a setting you have posted that I’d had to change to make this work. When I try to schedule a task, any tasks, the only way it will work is if “Run when user is logged on” is checked (Under General Tab). When, as in your tutorial, the other “whether or not….” is checked it does not run. This happened in both Vista and Windows 7. Is there a setting I am missing?
Thanks