Use Task Scheduler in Windows 11 & 10

To use Task Scheduler in Windows 11 or 10, open it from Start search, choose Create Basic Task, pick a trigger such as Daily, and set Start a program as the action.

This guide covers what each part of a task does, the full wizard, common jobs like startup apps and backups, the command-line route, and fixes for tasks that never run.

Create a basic task in Task Scheduler

The Basic Task wizard is the quickest route and works the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

1. Select Start, type Task Scheduler, and open the best match.
2. In the right-hand Actions pane, select Create Basic Task.
3. Type a Name and an optional Description, then select Next.
4. Choose when the task runs, such as Daily, When the computer starts or When I log on, and select Next.
5. Set the start date and time if the trigger asks for them, then select Next.
6. Select Start a program, select Next, and browse to the program or script file.
7. Review the summary and select Finish.

The new task appears in Task Scheduler Library with the status Ready.

Understanding Task Scheduler in Windows

Task Scheduler runs a program, script or command automatically when a condition you define is met.

Every task needs at least one trigger and one action; the other tabs refine when and how it runs.

Part of a task	What it controls	Examples
Triggers	When the task starts	A time, daily, weekly, monthly, at startup, at logon, when idle, on an event log entry
Actions	What the task does	Start a program, script or batch file
Conditions	Extra requirements before it starts	Only when idle, only on AC power, wake the computer to run
Settings	How it behaves around the run	Run as soon as possible after a missed start, stop after a time limit, restart on failure
Task history	A log of each run	Triggered, started, completed and error events on the History tab
Task Scheduler Library	The folder tree that stores tasks	Your own tasks plus the Microsoft folder of built-in Windows tasks

By default a task stops if it runs longer than 72 hours. Change that on the Settings tab if a job genuinely needs longer.

Is Task Scheduler available for Windows 10?

Yes. Task Scheduler is installed with every supported version of Windows, including Windows 10 and Windows 11, and its service starts each time Windows starts.

Item	Windows 10	Windows 11
Task Scheduler console (taskschd.msc)	Included	Included
Folder in Control Panel	Administrative Tools	Windows Tools
schtasks command	Included	Included
ScheduledTasks PowerShell module	Included	Included

Home and Pro editions both include it. There is nothing to download or switch on.

How to use Task Scheduler in Windows 11 & 10?

Use Create Task instead of the basic wizard when you need several triggers, admin rights or a working folder.

1. Press Win + R, type taskschd.msc, and press Enter.
2. Select Create Task in the Actions pane.
3. On the General tab, enter a name and choose Run only when user is logged on or Run whether user is logged on or not.
4. On the Triggers tab, select New, pick the trigger from Begin the task, and select OK.
5. On the Actions tab, select New, keep Start a program, and enter the program path, any arguments, and the Start in folder.
6. On the Conditions and Settings tabs, clear or set the power, idle and retry options you need.
7. Select OK and enter your account password if Windows asks for it.

The Start in field sets the working directory. Scripts that open files by relative path fail without it.

Test a scheduled task and read its history

1. Select Task Scheduler Library in the left pane and find your task.
2. Right-click the task and select Run.
3. Press F5 to refresh, then read the Last Run Result column. A result of 0x0 means the action exited cleanly.
4. Open the History tab under the task to see whether it was triggered, started and completed.
5. Confirm the result itself, such as the backup file or the log your script writes, because a 0x0 result only reports the exit code.

Modify or delete a scheduled task

1. Open Task Scheduler and select Task Scheduler Library.
2. Right-click the task and select Properties to change triggers, actions, conditions or settings.
3. Select OK to save the changes.
4. To pause a task without losing it, right-click it and select Disable.
5. To remove it, right-click it, select Delete, and confirm with Yes.

Leave the tasks under the Microsoft folder alone unless you know what each one does, since Windows uses them for updates and maintenance.

Other uses of Task Scheduler in Windows 11 & 10

The same task can do very different jobs depending on the trigger, action and settings you pair together.

Job	Trigger or setting	Action
Run a program automatically at startup	At startup	Start a program (runs before anyone signs in)
Open an app when you sign in	At log on, optional delay	Start a program
Run a program at a specific time	One time, Daily, Weekly or Monthly	Start a program
Automatically run PowerShell scripts	Any trigger	Program powershell.exe, argument -File "C:\Scripts\task.ps1"
Run batch files automatically	Any trigger	Start a program pointing at the .bat file, with Start in set
Create automatic backup tasks	Daily or Weekly at a quiet hour	Start your backup script or tool
Run maintenance tasks automatically	On idle, with Start only if the computer is on AC power	Cleanup or maintenance script
Run a task when the computer becomes idle	On idle	Any program
Run a task when a specific event occurs	On an event, with Log, Source and Event ID	Notification or repair script
Restart a program automatically	Settings tab: If the task fails, restart every	The program to keep running
Run tasks with administrative privileges	General tab: Run with highest privileges	Any program that needs admin rights
Automatically stop a task	Settings tab: Stop the task if it runs longer than	Any long-running job

Create a scheduled task with schtasks

Run Command Prompt or Terminal as administrator to create a task without opening the console. This example runs a program every day at 9:00.

schtasks /create /tn "DailyApp" /tr "C:\Apps\myapp.exe" /sc daily /st 09:00

/tn names the task, /tr is the full path of what it runs, /sc sets the schedule type and /st the 24-hour start time. Swap /sc for onstart, onlogon, onidle /i 10 or onevent to use other triggers, and add /rl highest for admin rights.

You should see: The command reports SUCCESS, and DailyApp appears in Task Scheduler Library.

Run schtasks /run /tn "DailyApp" to test it, and schtasks /delete /tn "DailyApp" to remove it.

Create a scheduled task with PowerShell

The ScheduledTasks module builds the action and trigger separately, then registers them as one task.

$Sta = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "C:\Apps\myapp.exe"
$Stt = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Daily -At 3am
Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "DailyApp" -Action $Sta -Trigger $Stt

New-ScheduledTaskAction sets what runs, New-ScheduledTaskTrigger sets when (use -AtLogOn, -AtStartup or -Weekly for other schedules), and Register-ScheduledTask saves it to the Task Scheduler Library.

You should see: PowerShell prints the task with State Ready, and Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName DailyApp returns it.

Task Scheduler task not running in Windows 11 or 10

The task runs from Run but not on schedule

A condition blocks it, often the default rule that a task does not start on battery power.

1. Open the task Properties and select the Conditions tab.
2. Clear Start the task only if the computer is on AC power if it must run on a laptop battery.
3. On the Settings tab, tick Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed.

Last Run Result shows an error code instead of 0x0

The program or script itself failed, or it ran with the wrong working folder.

1. Run the script by hand in PowerShell as administrator or Command Prompt and fix any error first.
2. Add the script's folder to Start in on the action.
3. Check the History tab for the error event and its details.

The task works only while you are signed in

The security context differs when the task runs without a signed-in user.

1. Switch the General tab to Run only when user is logged on and test again.
2. If that works, the problem is the account context: use full paths, not mapped drive letters, and confirm the account has rights to every folder used.

The task stays in Running status

The program never exits, for example a script waiting for input.

1. Find the process in Task Manager and end it.
2. Remove prompts from the script, or set Stop the task if it runs longer than on the Settings tab.

The History tab is empty

Task history is turned off for all tasks.

1. Select Task Scheduler Library.
2. Select Enable All Tasks History in the Actions pane.
3. For full detail, open Event Viewer and go to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > TaskScheduler > Operational.

FAQs about Task Scheduler in Windows 11 & 10

Is Task Scheduler free in Windows 11 and 10?

Yes. Task Scheduler is built into Windows 11 and Windows 10 at no cost, in Home and Pro editions alike. Open it by typing Task Scheduler in Start search or by running taskschd.msc.

What is the difference between Create Basic Task and Create Task?

Create Basic Task is a short wizard with one trigger and one action. Create Task opens the full dialog, where you can add several triggers, run with highest privileges, set a Start in folder and change conditions and settings.

Can Task Scheduler run a task when the computer is asleep?

Yes, if you tick Wake the computer to run this task on the Conditions tab. Windows then wakes from sleep or hibernation at the trigger time, runs the task and can return to sleep afterwards.

Can Task Scheduler run a PowerShell script?

Yes. Set the action program to powershell.exe and put -File followed by the script's full path in Add arguments. Test the script by hand first, since a script that fails interactively also fails as a task.

Why does my scheduled task not run on a laptop?

New tasks do not start on battery power by default. Open the task's Properties, select the Conditions tab, and clear Start the task only if the computer is on AC power, then save the task.

How do I run a scheduled task as administrator?

Open the task's Properties, select the General tab, and tick Run with highest privileges. With schtasks, add /rl highest to the create command. Either way, an administrator account must create or edit the task.

Where are scheduled tasks stored in Windows?

Tasks appear in the Task Scheduler Library inside the console. Windows also keeps each task's definition as a file under C:\Windows\System32\Tasks, but edit tasks through Task Scheduler rather than those files.

How do I stop a scheduled task from running?

Right-click the task in Task Scheduler Library and select End to stop the current run. Select Disable to stop future runs while keeping the task, or Delete to remove it completely.