Laptops For Dummies, 6th Edition
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Keeping your computer in tip-top shapes helps you avoid system crashes. If you’re the forgetful type, you can even set a reminder for your computer’s maintenance tasks.

  1. Choose Start→Control Panel→System and Security and then click Schedule Tasks in the Administrative Tools window.

    The Task Scheduler dialog box appears.

    The Task Scheduler dialog box in the Windows Control Panel.
  2. Choose Action→Create Task.

    The Create Task dialog box appears.

    The Windows create task window.
  3. Enter a task name and description. Choose when to run the task.

    You have two choices: only when you are logged on or whether you’re logged on or not.

  4. Click the Triggers tab and then click New.

    The New Trigger dialog box appears.

  5. Choose a criteria and any settings in the Begin the Task drop-down list. Click OK.

    You can use the settings to specify how often to perform the task as well as when and at what time of day to begin.

  6. Click the Actions tab and then click New.

    The New Action dialog box appears.

  7. Choose the action that will occur from the Action drop-down list and click OK.

    Your choices include starting a program, sending an e-mail, or displaying a message. Depending on what you choose here, different action dialog boxes appear. For example, if you want to send an e-mail, you get an e-mail form to fill in.

  8. Click the Conditions tab and enter any other settings.

    If you want to set conditions in addition to those that trigger the action that control whether it should occur, the Conditions tab is where you do so.

  9. Click the Settings tab and make settings that control how the task runs. After you complete all settings, click OK.

    Your task is now saved.

If you like a more wizard-like interface for building a new task, you can choose the Create Basic Task item from the Action menu. This walks you through the most basic and minimal settings you can make to create a new task.

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