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How Do I Make a Program Run on a Schedule?

Q: How do I set up a program to run when I'm not at the keyboard?

A: Use the Windows 2000 Task Scheduler. From the Start menu, choose Settings, Control Panel, then click the Scheduled Tasks icon. Click Add Scheduled Task to open the wizard. The process is straightforward, and in two parts: Pick the application to run, then set the time you want it to launch.

If you don't see the application in the wizard's list, click the Browse button to search your hard drive. You can also use the Browse button find a specific document that you want to open at a scheduled time. Once you've settled on an app or file, click Next.

Choose a frequency for this chore: daily, weekly, monthly, one time only, at start-up, or whenever you log on. Depending on the frequency you pick, the next screen in the wizard lets you fine-tune the time. If you chose weekly, for instance, you can name the days of the week, the time of the day, and how many weeks between occurrences.

You also need to specify a Windows 2000 user and, if necessary, enter that person's password. To access the power scheduling options, check the box labeled "Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish" on the wizard's final screen. Click the Settings tab of the dialog box that pops up and finesse the task by checking or clearing boxes. For example, you could end the task after it has run for, say, an hour and ten minutes.

Let's put the Task Scheduler to work by automating one of the most tedious chores in Windows 2000: defragmenting the hard disk.

Oops. Actually, you can't, at least not without some help. The geniuses at Microsoft didn't include command-line control of the bundled Disk Defragmenter (it's in Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools), so it won't launch unattended. So grab the freeware AutoDeFrag for Windows 2000 from the Web and stick the small file in the C:\WINNT folder. Now you can schedule Disk Defragmenter:

1. Open the Schedule Task Wizard, double-click Add Scheduled Task, and click Next.
   
   
2. Click Browse, locate the WINNT folder, then double-click the AutoDeFrag file.
   
   
3. Set when you want the drive to defragment, click Next, then select the start time and date.
   
   
4. Enter your Administrator's user name and password, and click Next.
   
   
5. Finally, check the "Open advance properties..." box, and in the Run field, add the drive you want to defrag with: C:\WINNT\AutoDeFrag.exe C:
   
   
6. Click Finish and you're done!