Taskplaner/Taskscheduler COM UDF

Allow2010 · December 26, 2011

Hi all,

i needed an UDF for using the Windows Taskplaner / Task Scheduler.

Everything i found was

based on at.exe (outdated) or
based on schtasks.exe (limited in functionality) or
using WMI (which can not see task that were not created with WMI and is also limited)

The only good solution i found was here: http://www.autoit.de/index.php?page=Thread&postID=214517#post214517

But it only had a Create Function.

With my limited knowledge i tried creating more functions and it seems to work quite OK.

You can try it out with TestTaskSchedulerUDF(). WinVista or higher is required.

All feedback is welcome, but please be kind, i do not have much practise and i am well aware that there is room for improvment.

Edit: added new version of the code with more functions:
Edit2: updated UDF fixed bugs
Edit3: added info for multiinst parameter (_TaskCreate)
Edit4: updated UDF (some bugfixes)
Edit5: added version info to UDF, added changes/additions suggested in this thread (_TaskIsEnabled(), _TaskEnable(), _TaskDisable() and $duration for _TaskCreate())
Edit6: added new version that does not use a COM errorhandler (this version can be mixed with other com functions with or without errorhandler, but requires current autoit beta 3.3.9.4 or newer) - see this post for details: (if you do not need other COM routines, there is no need to change from the last version to this one, but all newer version will be without errorhandler...)
Edit7: added version 5.2 with new TaskCreate option $starwhenavailable

Edit8: added version 5.3 fixed versioncompare problems and some typos (now runs with latest beta 3.3.9.22)

Edit9: added version 5.4 (the COM errorhandler is back :-))

As long as there is no feedback this will be the last update...for me it works like it should and i can manage all my tasks just fine!
Keep in Mind that Autoit does not support using more than one ComError Function so be careful if you use other com udfs that need a com errorfunction - this is not a problem when using the taskplanerCOMneh.au3 version (neh=no error handler) No longer true - use lates version with errorhandler

Now we have:

Func _TestTaskSchedulerUDF()
Func _TaskSchedulerAutostart();check if the schedulerservice is set to autostart
Func _TaskIsValidPlatfrom() ;check if os and autoit versions are OK for use with this udf
Func _TaskFolderCreate($folder);Create folder - only folders that do not already exist can be created without error
Func _TaskFolderDelete($folder);Delete folder - only folders that do exist and that are empty can be deleted without error
Func _TaskFolderExists($folder = "");check if a TaskFolder exists
Func _TaskExists($taskname, $folder = "");check if a Task exists
Func _TaskStop($taskname, $folder = "");stop a task
Func _TaskStart($taskname, $folder = "");start a task
Func _TaskIsRunning($taskname, $folder = "");check if a Task is running
Func _TaskIsEnabled($taskname, $folder = "");check if a Task is enabled
Func _TaskEnable($taskname, $folder = "");Enable Task
Func _TaskDisable($taskname, $folder = "");Disable Task
Func _TaskDelete($taskname, $folder = "");delete an existing task
Func _TaskListall($folder = "", $hidden = 1);get a list of all tasks in a given taskfolder (Tasknames only) List is a string with names separeted by "|"
Func _TaskCreate($taskname, $TaskDescription, $TriggerEvent, $StartTrigger, $EndTrigger, $DaysOfWeek, $DaysOfMonth, $MonthOfYear, $WeeksOfMonth, $DaysInterval, $Interval, $RepetitionEnabled, $LogonType, $RunLevel, $Username, $Password, $Program, $WorkingDirectory = "", $Arguments = "", $RunOnlyIfNetworkAvailable = True, $active = True, $multiinst = 0, $nobatstart = False, $stoponBat = False, $hidden = False, $idle = False, $WakeToRun = False, $timelimit = "P1D", $priority = 5, $duration="", $StartWhenAvailable = True)

taskplanerCOMneh5.2.zip

taskplanerCOM_neh5.3.zip

taskplanerCOM_5.4.zip

Edited October 7, 2015 by Allow2010

ChrisN · December 26, 2011

This topic should probably be in the Example Scripts forum, not the ActiveX/COM Help and Support forum.

P.S. I don't have vista so I can't test it

Allow2010 · December 26, 2011

as this is very fresh and i could very well need some help to improve it, i think it is no yet ready to be an example-)

>WinVista or higher is required.

>>P.S. I don't have vista so I can't test it

hmm, but you probaly have something newer than Vista? Or are you still running W2000/9x?

Edited December 26, 2011 by Allow2010

ChrisN · December 26, 2011

hmm, but you probaly have something newer than Vista? Or are you still running W2000/9x?

Nope. WinXP

Allow2010 · December 27, 2011

:-) Forgot about XP:-)

Well the COM based method is (IMHO) the best solution as long as no os support below Vista is needed.

I could not find a solution that offers the same possibillities on all OS version.

Allow2010 · December 27, 2011

Update: added more functions to first post

Allow2010 · December 30, 2011

as i noticed the code is a bit stupid:-)

If one function fails, every function returns a failure...will fix that and post a new version...

Edited November 24, 2012 by Allow2010

Allow2010 · December 30, 2011

This page here http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa381341%28v=VS.85%29.aspx

tells me that i can get a returncode

Return value

If this method succeeds, it returns S_OK. Otherwise, it returns an HRESULT error code.

but $result = $oFolder.CreateFolder($folder) seems to return

[out] ITaskFolder **ppFolder

so any idea how i can get the return code? Thanks !

Allow2010 · December 30, 2011

updates udf in first post.

fixed bugs, changed some names and comments

my question above is still open...help from some com professional is welcome.-)

Allow2010 · December 31, 2011

Updated first post with some info and updated UDF (changed parameter help only)

KaFu · December 31, 2011

Looks really nice ! And yeah, maybe a Mod better moves this to the example forum.

Melba23 · January 1, 2012

Allow2010,

Do you want it moved?

M23

Allow2010 · January 1, 2012

as i am not sure if it is good enough to be an example, its up to you.-)

Melba23 · January 1, 2012

Allow2010,

You will get many more hits here - could help you make it even better.

M23

Edited January 1, 2012 by Melba23
Wrong button too soon!

Allow2010 · January 3, 2012

added new version to first post with some bugfixes/changes for latest AutoIt version

Edited January 3, 2012 by Allow2010

NDog · April 19, 2012

I am impressed with your UDF and I think it is much better than schtasks.exe

I want to create a daily task, which

starts at 6:30
repeats every 6 hours, for a duration of one day

At the moment I can create a daily task which starts at 6:30, repeats every 6 hours but indefinately. I would like to change that to a duration of one day if possible?

_TaskCreate("Smart-Net\SmartRAS Monitor Script", "Report in info about the Smart-RAS to SNID", 2, "2000-01-01T06:30:00", "", "", "", "", "", 1, "PT6H", True, 1, 0, $username,$password, """"&$app&"""", "", "", False, True,0,True,True,False,False,False,"P3D",5)

EDIT

Have modified the UDF to support $Duration

If $RepetitionEnabled Then
  $oTriggerRepetition = $oTrigger.Repetition()
  $oTriggerRepetition.Interval() = $Interval
  $oTriggerRepetition.Duration() = $Duration
 EndIf

Now I am running this code to do what I need

_TaskCreate("Smart-Net\SmartRAS Monitor Script", "Report in info about the Smart-RAS to SNID", 2, "2000-01-01T06:30:00", "", "", "", "", "", 1, "PT6H","P1D", True, 1, 0, $username,$password, """"&$app&"""", "", "", False, True,0,True,True,False,False,False,"P3D",5)

Thanks for the code, its extremely useful. BTW if others want to modify the code I recommend using powershell script here to enumerate the schedule task objects

Edited April 19, 2012 by NDog

Allow2010 · April 23, 2012

thanks...good addition...

martin · April 23, 2012

Looks like a useful UDF Allow2010. Thanks

A very small suggestion: The _TaskCreate function has a dayof month parameter which has to be some power of 2. It would be easier (for me at least) if this parameter were just the actual day of the month. To keep it compatible with previous versions you could say that if a negative value is used it means the actual day number (1 - 31). Use -32 for "last day". Then in the function you could have

if $DaysOfMonth < 0 then
 $DaysOfMonth = 2^(-$DaysOfMonth - 1)

guinness · May 17, 2012

Just came across this today and have to say very impressive. Thanks for posting it. There is room for improvement e.g. _TaskSchedulerAutostart() can be consolidated into one line or three if you count Func and EndFunc.

Func _TaskSchedulerAutostart()
    Return RegRead("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesSchedule", "Start") > 0 ; Returns True or False.
EndFunc   ;==>_TaskSchedulerAutostart

Edited May 17, 2012 by guinness

Attckdog · July 9, 2012

Thanks for this, I have been using it successfully wish a few more options were there tho

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