How to Enable or Disable Scheduled System Maintenance in Windows

information   Information
By default, Windows will automatically run the System Maintenance troubleshooter on a scheduled basis in the background to check for routine maintenance issues, proactively fix detected problems if able, and notifes you if user input is required.

Potential issues checked by System Maintenance:
  • Broken shortcuts - Broken shortcuts are invalid references to programs and other resources. For example, a desktop shortcut for a USB device may be regarded as broken if the USB device is not connected when the System Maintenance troubleshooter performs its maintenance. When there are more than 4 broken shortcuts on the desktop, then all broken shortcuts on the desktop are removed.
  • Troubleshooting history is taking up disk space - Frees up disk space by removing troubleshooting history logs older than 1 month.
  • System time is incorrectly set - Sets the correct system time and synchronize system clock with the time server. When the system time is set incorrectly, features that rely on time measurement such as Product Activation, malware scanners, and browser certificates might not work correctly.
  • Unused desktop icons - Icons and shortcuts on the desktop that have been unused in 3 months are removed.
  • Disk volume errors - Frees up disk space by repairing hard disk volume errors such as bad sectors, lost clusters, cross-linked files and directory errors. These problems can cause the file system to report incorrect volume details and occupy excessive disk space.
  • Error reports are taking up disk space - Frees up disk space by removing error reports and logs older than 1 month.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable automatic scheduled system maintenance in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to turn on/off or enable/disable scheduled system maintenance.
Note   Note
You will always be able to manually run the System Maintenance troubleshooter.

CONTENTS:
  • Option One: To Turn On or Off Scheduled System Maintenance in Troubleshooting Settings
  • Option Two: To Turn On or Off Scheduled System Maintenance using a REG file
  • Option Three: To Enable or Disable Scheduled System Maintenance in Local Group Policy Editor
  • Option Four: To Enable or Disable Scheduled System Maintenance using a REG file





OPTION ONE

To Turn On or Off Scheduled System Maintenance in Troubleshooting Settings


1. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Troubleshooting icon.

2. Click/tap on the Change settings link on the left side in Troubleshooting. (see screenshot below)

Enable or Disable Scheduled System Maintenance in Windows-computer_maintenance_settings-1.jpg

3. Select (dot) On (default) or Off for what you want under Computer Maintenance, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

Enable or Disable Scheduled System Maintenance in Windows-computer_maintenance_settings-2.jpg

4. You can now close the "Change settings" window if you like.






OPTION TWO

To Turn On or Off Scheduled System Maintenance using a REG file


Note   Note
This option does the same thing as Option One above.

The .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ScheduledDiagnostics

EnabledExecution DWORD

0 = Off
1 = On

1. Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.


 2. To Turn On Scheduled System Maintenance

Note: This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_On_scheduled_system_maintenance.reg

Download


 3. To Turn Off Scheduled System Maintenance

A) Click/tap on the download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_Off_scheduled_system_maintenance.reg

Download

4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. If you like, you can now delete the downloaded .reg file.






OPTION THREE

To Enable or Disable Scheduled System Maintenance in Local Group Policy Editor


Note   Note
Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Four below.

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. In the left pane of local group policy editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Troubleshooting and Diagnostics\Scheduled Maintenance

Enable or Disable Scheduled System Maintenance in Windows-computer_maintenance_gpedit-1.jpg

3. In the right pane of Scheduled Maintenance in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Configure Scheduled Maintenance Behavior policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (default), step 6 (enable - troubleshoot only), step 7 (enable - regular), or step 8 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


 5. To Use Default Scheduled System Maintenance Settings

A) Select (dot) Not Configured, click/tap on OK, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot below step 8)


 6. To Enable Scheduled System Maintenance to Troubleshoot Only

A) Select (dot) Enabled, select Troubleshooting Only in the Execution Level drop down, click/tap on OK, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot below step 8)


 7. To Enable Scheduled System Maintenance to Troubleshoot and Fix

A) Select (dot) Enabled, select Regular in the Execution Level drop down, click/tap on OK, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot below step 8)


 8. To Disable Scheduled System Maintenance

Note   Note
This will disable the ability to turn on scheduled system maintenance in Option One and Option Two.

A) Select (dot) Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot below)

Enable or Disable Scheduled System Maintenance in Windows-computer_maintenance_gpedit-2.jpg

9. You can now close the local group policy editor if you like.






OPTION FOUR

To Enable or Disable Scheduled System Maintenance using a REG file


Note   Note
This option does the same thing as Option Three above.

The .reg files below will modify the DWORD values in the registry key below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\ScheduledDiagnostics

EnabledExecution DWORD

(delete) = Not configured (default)
0 = Disable
1 = Enable

EnabledExecutionLevel DWORD

(delete) = Not configured (default)
1 = Troubleshoot only
2 = Regular (Troubleshoot and fix)

2. Do step 2 (default), step 4 (enable - troubleshoot only), step 4 (enable - regular), or step 5 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


 2. To Use Default Scheduled System Maintenance Settings

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

Default_scheduled_system_maintenance.reg

Download


 3. To Enable Scheduled System Maintenance to Troubleshoot Only

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

Enable_scheduled_troubleshoot_only_system_maintenance.reg

Download


 4. To Enable Scheduled System Maintenance to Troubleshoot and Fix

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

Enable_scheduled_regular_system_maintenance.reg

Download


 5. To Disable Scheduled System Maintenance

Note   Note
This will disable the ability to turn on scheduled system maintenance in Option One and Option Two.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 6 below.

Disable_scheduled_system_maintenance.reg

Download

6. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

7. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

8. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

9. If you like, you can now delete the downloaded .reg file.


That's it,
Shawn


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