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Time Trigger Example (XML)

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The XML in this example defines a task that starts Notepad at a specific time.

To register a task that is defined in XML, you can use either the ITaskFolder::RegisterTask function (TaskFolder.RegisterTask for scripting) or the Schtasks.exe command-line tool. If you use the Schtasks.exe tool (located in the C:\Windows\System32 directory), then you can use the following command to register the task: schtasks /create /XML <path to the XML file containing the task definition> /tn <task name>.

To define a task to start Notepad at a specific time

The following XML example shows how to define a task with a single execution action (starting Notepad), a single time trigger that starts the task at a specified time, and several other task settings that affect how the task is handled by the Task Scheduler.

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<!--
This sample schedules a task to start notepad.exe at a specific time.
-->
<Task xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2004/02/mit/task">
    <RegistrationInfo>
        <Date>2005-10-11T13:21:17-08:00</Date>
        <Author>AuthorName</Author>
        <Version>1.0.0</Version>
        <Description>Task starts after at a specified time.</Description>
    </RegistrationInfo>
    <Triggers>
        <TimeTrigger>
            <StartBoundary>2005-10-11T13:21:17-08:00</StartBoundary>
            <EndBoundary>2006-01-01T00:00:00-08:00</EndBoundary>
            <Enabled>true</Enabled>
            <ExecutionTimeLimit>PT5M</ExecutionTimeLimit>
        </TimeTrigger>
    </Triggers>
    <Principals>
        <Principal>
            <UserId>Administrator</UserId>
            <LogonType>InteractiveToken</LogonType>
        </Principal>
    </Principals>
    <Settings>
        <Enabled>true</Enabled>
        <AllowStartOnDemand>true</AllowStartOnDemand>
        <AllowHardTerminate>true</AllowHardTerminate>
    </Settings>
    <Actions>
        <Exec>
            <Command>notepad.exe</Command>
        </Exec>
    </Actions>
</Task>

TaskScheduler Schema Elements

The following are some important elements to keep in mind when using this example:

  • RegistrationInfo: Contains registration information about the task.
  • Triggers: Defines the trigger that starts the task.
  • TimeTrigger: Defines the time trigger. In this case, three child elements are used: the start and end boundaries that specify when the trigger is activated and deactivated, and the execution time limit that specifies the maximum amount of time in which the task can be started by the trigger. The StartBoundary element is a required element for time triggers.
  • Principal: Defines the security context that a task runs under.
  • Settings: Defines the task settings that the Task Scheduler uses to perform the task.
  • Actions: Defines the actions that the task performs (in this case, running Notepad).

Using the Task Scheduler