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I'm having a problem creating a scheduled task on Windows Server 2003.

The task needs to run at system start and then every 15 minutes after that, unless it's already running.

Sounds easy! But I can't seem to get it right. I can get it to run at startup, and I can get it to start at a specified time and then every 15-minutes. But I don't want to have to set a specific time that it starts running at every 15-minutes.

I'm hoping I'm just over-thinking it and am missing something simple!

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I think you're technically right in thinking that you can't set it to run every 15 minutes after a boot, but why does it matter so much? E.g Task Manager

Will run the task every 15 minutes of every day. You can add in a new schedule alongside it to run on startup aswell. Worst case scenario there being that the task may run twice in less than 15 minutes for the first time after boot.

If that really is an issue, then the only alternative way I can think of is to come up with a script which runs at startup which creates the new scheduled tasks. You may be able to use this page as a starting point:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313565

So, to clarify:

1) Server boots

2) Scheduled tasks runs batch file

3) Batch file deletes the previous boots scheduled tasks (You can use an ID number to differentiate)

4) Batch file creates a new task to run at 15 minute intervals today

5) Batch file runs the task

You may be able to skip some of that by just having the bootup scheduled task run the 'real' task for the first time. It will then run every 15 minutes from that point. However, it still doesn't preclude the possibility of running it more than once in 15 minutes.

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  • Thanks, I used the 'two tasks' method, kinda. I actually used one task but with two schedules. Same effect. I was hoping I was just missing a way to do the 'start on boot' and 'run every xx minutes' but I guess not. :) Thanks!
    – DaveKub
    Oct 25, 2011 at 17:59

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