WinPatrol Help: Scheduled Tasks 1.0

WinPatrol: Scheduled Tasks 1.0

One of the standard features in Microsoft Windows is the ability to schedule programs or tasks to run automatically at pre-defined dates and times. The Task Scheduler is often used to schedule disk management tasks by Microsoft or to schedule other services provided by computer manufacturers. To schedule tasks, go to the Control Panel and launch the Scheduled Tasks applet.

While you may not find anything listed in the Scheduled Tasks list, Scotty the Watch Dog will keep an eye on the Task Scheduler to make sure that no new programs are scheduled to run without your knowledge.

Most versions of Windows now support Scheduled Task 2.0 which is not as insecure as version 1.0. It also includes many actions besides running a program. At this time WinPatrol doesn't monitor version 2.0 tasks but still keeps track of the original Scheduled Tasks which is still supported by all Windows.

Managing Scheduled Tasks

If at some time a new task is scheduled Scotty will alert you of the change. If you've scheduled the task yourself, then just let Scotty know it's ok by clicking "Yes" to keep the scheduled task. If you didn't create the task, you can click "No" to remove it. You can also allow the task to be scheduled and then use the Info... button to learn more.

Info...

WinPatrol provides additional information on Programs, including the company that created the program file as well as the program version. Most legitimate files will usually include copyright and company information that can be displayed by WinPatrol, when available. When it does exist, this information will help you decide if the program is a valid program or not and whether you want to Remove, Disable or keep it.
Some Info screens have additional functionality depending on the type.

As it is often difficult to tell just from a file name or company name whether a program is legitimate, you can click the PLUS Info... button to learn more about a program. Access will connect you to the online WinPatrol database for more information including information collected by the decisions of other WinPatrol fans. WinPatrol PLUS upgrade is required to access the PLUS Info... button.
Click Here for more Info Help

Monitor

This button allows you to configure how frequently Scotty checks for new Scheduled Tasks. You can set this frequency in minutes, and even set it to 0 minutes to disable monitoring. Upgrading to WinPatrol PLUS ignores monitoring at certain times and instead uses real-time monitoring based on internal triggers. This provides better performance.

Remove

Removing a task will not delete any files on your hard drive. It will just remove the scheduled task from the Windows Scheduler so that it doesn't automatically run in the future.

To close or Exit the WinPatrol tab interface click the X in the upper right hand corner or the Close button. WinPatrol will continue monitor changes but the main interface will be removed from memory.