Task Scheduler – batch off/on specific tasks?

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ChrisGreaves
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Task Scheduler – batch off/on specific tasks?

Post by ChrisGreaves »

TaskScheduler01.png
This should strike fear into all our hearts: I have been exploring Win7HP Task Scheduler and am contemplating A Few Harmless Changes™.
Specifically, I notice my hard-drive full-on for about five minutes after a reboot, and figure that Windows is busy telling itself how important it is.
More specifically I see tasks that are Enabled to report errors back to Microsoft. And to report performance and efficiency.
I believe that Microsoft does not care a rats regurgitated repast about me or my system. Not twelve years later.

Mouse-clicking my way through the list, one by one, to read the description, make my own decision Enable/Disable, click, click again etc is boring and
repetitive.

(1) Does there exist an easy-to-read list of this host of tasks. (If not I could make one, one time task)
(2) Can such a list be modified to make a script or batch file of some sort. (probably YES)
(3) What sort of command would I have to issue – either DOS cmd or Wscript command – to read & report the status (en/disabled) of each task.
(4) What sort of command would I have to issue – either DOS cmd or Wscript command – to (a) disable and (b) enable a task.

It seems to me that a batch job to disable a set of tasks would allow me to observe my re-booting and, should terror prevail, enable them back again.
A System Restore will provide a means of re-enabling to a set state, and I should make a restore point before starting, but a batch/script file that would let me mess around for an hour or so would be a lot faster,
Thanks
Chris
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Last edited by ChrisGreaves on 02 Nov 2019, 17:53, edited 1 time in total.
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Argus
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Re: Task Schedulern – batch off/on specific tasks?

Post by Argus »

ChrisGreaves wrote:This should strike fear into all our hearts: I have been exploring Win7HP Task Scheduler and am contemplating A Few Harmless Changes™.
:scream: :shocked: :hiding:
ChrisGreaves wrote: (1) Does there exist an easy-to-read list of this host of tasks. (If not I could make one, one time task)
(2) Can such a list be modified to make a script or batch file of some sort. (probably YES)
(3) What sort of command would I have to issue – either DOS cmd or Wscript command – to read & report the status (en/disabled) of each task.
(4) What sort of command would I have to issue – either DOS cmd or Wscript command – to (a) disable and (b) enable a task.
Try schtasks (info: schtasks /? and schtasks /Change /?).
(In the final and last version of Windows (10) one can also use Get-ScheduledTask (and other commands) in Powershell, not for us in Windows 7, I think.)

Woody (at askwoody.com), and other people write about this at times, such as with the July patches and in September.
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3 ... tches.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.howtogeek.com/428265/window ... telemetry/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think there are some lists out there if you do search (similar to "Windows 7" telemetry tasks list), but I would be careful relying on random posts in forums, and especially using scripts. I've disabled some manually.
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