Task Scheduler depreciated features

You can still use Task Scheduler to pop up a message whenever you want. Just have it start a batch file at the time you want and have it do a

msg "%username%" Some message to display

The batch file would be created at the time the scheduled task is created so the message would be specific to that task or you could create a generic batch file and pass it the message to display.

msg "%username%" %*

You can also follow directions here (How to make a beep.txt) to create a beep.txt or alarm.txt or whatever you want to call it and add this to the batch file to sound an alarm when the message is displayed:

msg "%username%" %*
type beep.txt

So if the batch file was named ShowSchedMsg.bat then you would call it from the scheduler as:

ShowSchedMsg.bat Message you wanted displayed now and a window would popup on the Desktop



and the alarm (or a tone) would sound.

Thanks, Rich. I would need to find instructions, because I've only ever created basic tasks, mostly displaying messages. If there are any tips or links you can give me to get me started, that would be very helpful! In the meantime, I'll google around...

I updated my previous post to add some detail. The Task Scheduler entry is pretty straight forward. I just set one up for 9:05PM and I'm waiting to see if it triggers ok.

It worked but it didn't beep. I'll fix that then upload the batch file and beep.txt file and some images of the scheduled task to look at.

To create the scheduled task:

1. Press the Windows key, type sched, select Task Scheduler at top left.
2. Click on Action, then Create Task.
3. On the General tab, give it a name, I called it Schedule Reminder.
4. For Description I entered Call ShowSchedMsg.bat to display a message in a popup box on the Desktop.
5. On the Triggers tab, set it for On a schedule and One time and the day/month/year and time (hh:mm:ss AM|PM) the task should be run.
6. On the Actions tab, Action should be Start a program, Program/script should be the full path to wherever you put ShowSchedMsg.bat. For me that was: C:\ztruk\ShowSchedMsg.bat
7. Add arguments (optional): is where your message goes. I tried It is now 9:05PM and set the task to start at 9:05PM and it worked perfectly.

Note: for each of the above, if the window is blank, click the New button at the bottom to create the entry the first time. Use the Edit button to make changes after that.

A calendar program would be much simpler.

Can't get the beep to work from Task Scheduler. Works fine when called from Command Prompt, no beep if called from a Run box of Task Scheduler.

Here is the simplistic batch file: ShowSchedMsg.bat
@Echo off
type %userprofile%\beep.txt
msg %username% %*

This is beep.txt: in Hex (from How to make a beep.txt)
070D0A

Don't know why it doesn't work from Run of Scheduler. I'll work on it and see what I can figure out.

Still doesn't beep does it?