Alternative to Task Scheduler? (it doesn't work)

Hi,

I'm looking for a free alternative to the Windows Task Scheduler. My
O/S is Win 98SE.

Any ideas appreciated.

In a previous post I asked why Task Scheduler won't work, and the full
details of the problem are below:

-------------------------------------------------------
I put some events in the Task Scheduler, Enabled them, and selected
"Start Using Task Scheduler. I also selected "Notify Me of Missed
Tasks." I rebooted a couple days later and got the following error
message during bootup: "Some tasks were missed because the task
scheduler service was not running..." A task should have ran last
night. The taskmanager status says "Missed," and the log says:

Some tasks may not have executed at their scheduled times
between
5/1/05 1:00:01 AM and 5/10/05 2:17:37 PM, either because the Task
Scheduler Service was not running, or because the computer was
hibernating.
"Task Scheduler Service"
Started at 5/10/05 2:17:37 PM

The Task Scheduler icon is visible, and appears at bootup. System
Information -> Running Tasks shows mstask.exe and taskmon.exe are
running. The O/S is Windows 98SE. IE 6.0.

The computer was not turned off, and there is no "hibernating" mode.
(The standard Windows screensaver is running, and Power Setting ->
Standby/Turn off Monitor/Turn off Hard Disk are all set to Never.)

I get the error message whenever I reboot.

The following tasks are scheduled:
Norton Speed Disk:
C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\NORTON~1\SD32.EXE /F
Windows Maintenance:
C:\WINDOWS\CLEANMGR.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\SCANDSKW.EXE

The tasks are sheduled early AM on different days.

These applications run correctly when selecting 'run' from the task
manager window.

Any ideas on how to get the tasks to run?
--------------------------------

<richard_m919@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1116377646.200402.322870@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> Hi,
>
> I'm looking for a free alternative to the Windows Task Scheduler. My
> O/S is Win 98SE.
>
> Any ideas appreciated.
>
> In a previous post I asked why Task Scheduler won't work, and the full
> details of the problem are below:
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
> I put some events in the Task Scheduler, Enabled them, and selected
> "Start Using Task Scheduler. I also selected "Notify Me of Missed
> Tasks." I rebooted a couple days later and got the following error
> message during bootup: "Some tasks were missed because the task
> scheduler service was not running..." A task should have ran last
> night. The taskmanager status says "Missed," and the log says:
>
> Some tasks may not have executed at their scheduled times
> between
> 5/1/05 1:00:01 AM and 5/10/05 2:17:37 PM, either because the Task
> Scheduler Service was not running, or because the computer was
> hibernating.
> "Task Scheduler Service"
> Started at 5/10/05 2:17:37 PM
>
> The Task Scheduler icon is visible, and appears at bootup. System
> Information -> Running Tasks shows mstask.exe and taskmon.exe are
> running. The O/S is Windows 98SE. IE 6.0.
>
> The computer was not turned off, and there is no "hibernating" mode.
> (The standard Windows screensaver is running, and Power Setting ->
> Standby/Turn off Monitor/Turn off Hard Disk are all set to Never.)
>
> I get the error message whenever I reboot.
>
> The following tasks are scheduled:
> Norton Speed Disk:
> C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\NORTON~1\SD32.EXE /F
> Windows Maintenance:
> C:\WINDOWS\CLEANMGR.EXE
> C:\WINDOWS\SCANDSKW.EXE
>
> The tasks are sheduled early AM on different days.
>
> These applications run correctly when selecting 'run' from the task
> manager window.
>
> Any ideas on how to get the tasks to run?
> --------------------------------[/color]

I don't find task scheduler any use whatsoever. I initially set it up to run
a serious of tasks during the night, but as soon as it comes up against a
what would you like to do question it stops working until it gets an answer.
So it's not much use if you have to keep checking to see what needs
clicking! You would think that there would be a way of setting it up so that
these questions would not stop it working, and it would carry out a pre-set
set of instructions.

Alex

On Wed, 18 May 2005 18:54:26 +0100, "JAT"
<alex@tyrrell2000.free-online.co.uk> wrote:
[color=blue]
>
><richard_m919@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:1116377646.200402.322870@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...[color=green]
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'm looking for a free alternative to the Windows Task Scheduler. My
>> O/S is Win 98SE.
>>
>> Any ideas appreciated.
>>
>> In a previous post I asked why Task Scheduler won't work, and the full
>> details of the problem are below:
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------
>> I put some events in the Task Scheduler, Enabled them, and selected
>> "Start Using Task Scheduler. I also selected "Notify Me of Missed
>> Tasks." I rebooted a couple days later and got the following error
>> message during bootup: "Some tasks were missed because the task
>> scheduler service was not running..." A task should have ran last
>> night. The taskmanager status says "Missed," and the log says:
>>
>> Some tasks may not have executed at their scheduled times
>> between
>> 5/1/05 1:00:01 AM and 5/10/05 2:17:37 PM, either because the Task
>> Scheduler Service was not running, or because the computer was
>> hibernating.
>> "Task Scheduler Service"
>> Started at 5/10/05 2:17:37 PM
>>
>> The Task Scheduler icon is visible, and appears at bootup. System
>> Information -> Running Tasks shows mstask.exe and taskmon.exe are
>> running. The O/S is Windows 98SE. IE 6.0.
>>
>> The computer was not turned off, and there is no "hibernating" mode.
>> (The standard Windows screensaver is running, and Power Setting ->
>> Standby/Turn off Monitor/Turn off Hard Disk are all set to Never.)
>>
>> I get the error message whenever I reboot.
>>
>> The following tasks are scheduled:
>> Norton Speed Disk:
>> C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~1\NORTON~1\SD32.EXE /F
>> Windows Maintenance:
>> C:\WINDOWS\CLEANMGR.EXE
>> C:\WINDOWS\SCANDSKW.EXE
>>
>> The tasks are sheduled early AM on different days.
>>
>> These applications run correctly when selecting 'run' from the task
>> manager window.
>>
>> Any ideas on how to get the tasks to run?
>> --------------------------------[/color]
>
>I don't find task scheduler any use whatsoever. I initially set it up to run
>a serious of tasks during the night, but as soon as it comes up against a
>what would you like to do question it stops working until it gets an answer.
>So it's not much use if you have to keep checking to see what needs
>clicking! You would think that there would be a way of setting it up so that
>these questions would not stop it working, and it would carry out a pre-set
>set of instructions.
>
>Alex
>[/color]
If the taks you run require responses, then Task Scheduler is not the
way to do it. Task Scheduler is simply able to run a program at the
scheduled time, provided the program needs no imput (responses). As
example, my Task Scheduler runs a batch file once a month to remind me
to check something.

If responses (inputs) are needed as you describe, then you need a more
sophisticated program that can run a script (provide the inputs)