In a world of smart technology, we are missing out on a bunch of things if we are not doing automation right. Android has the Tasker app for automation that is now getting a new Rules feature; iOS already has a powerful Shortcuts app to automate a multitude of tasks and more. But those are smartphones, what about PCs? Well, Windows 10 has a similar tool called Task Scheduler which allows you to perform a host of tasks based on time, events, and various other conditions. So in this article, we bring you a detailed guide on how to automate tasks on Windows 10. Along with that, we have also shared a basic tutorial on PowerShell in the next section. Now having said that, let’s begin the article without further delay.
Before moving forward, let me summarily explain some broad points of this article. To automate tasks on Windows 10, there are essentially two methods. The first one is a native tool called Task Scheduler which is quite easy and straightforward. And the next method is automation through PowerShell which is a bit complex, but also feature-rich. Now having gone through the outline of the article, let’s jump right in.
The best way to learn something is by solving problems. So, here we will implement a basic task. For example, let’s say every time we turn on our computer, it opens a browser and then heads to some cool websites. So all we have to do is automate this routine task so that we can save time and boatloads of clicks. Let’s begin.
- The UI may look a bit daunting in the beginning, but just follow my instructions and you will be off to the races. Now, click on “Create Task” on the right panel.
Define the Action
Now, switch to the “Actions” tab and click on the “New” button. Here, choose “Start a program” from the drop-down menu as we will be opening Google Chrome.
Next, click on the “Browse” button and select Chrome from desktop or any location.
beebom.com theverge.com https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX2Ja6eBQeGaS
Having done that, switch to the “Conditions” tab and uncheck both the options under the “Power” section. It will allow the PC to run the task irrespective of battery or charging status.
Further, you can test the task manually if it’s running properly by pressing the “Run” button on the right panel. If it’s working fine then restart your computer and you will have your series of tasks automated in no time. Enjoy!
In the above section, we learned how to automate tasks using Task Scheduler. But there is a native scripting tool on Windows 10 called PowerShell which is quite advanced and versatile. You can go about doing anything with a few commands. I know many users dread seeing the blue screen of PowerShell, but believe me, it’s quite easy once you get the whiff. Let me just say, it’s not hardcore programming so do not worry.
Apart from that, in terms of performance, Task Scheduler is quite fast because it executes everything from the app. However, its scope is relatively limited as you can’t delve deep into other programs and features. So, if you have a small task at hand then Task Scheduler is great. However, PowerShell is very dynamic and can interact with many programs at once, but it’s relatively slow at executing those commands. So basically, on one hand, you get faster execution but have limited scope and on the other hand, you get versatile support, but slower execution. Nevertheless, here we will go through the same example as above to check how both fare against each other.
Get Started with PowerShell Syntax
Let me begin with an example. What you are seeing below is a PowerShell command to open multiple websites in Chrome. Here, Start-Process is a command to start a program and chrome.exe is the executable name of the program. After that, websites are provided with a blank space under double-quotes. Very similar to Task Scheduler, right? Easy peasy.
Now that you have understood the syntax and what different arguments of PowerShell command mean, let’s begin with the steps.
- Steps to Create PowerShell Script
- Open a Notepad file and paste the below command.
Steps to Create PowerShell Script
Now, go to “File” on Notepad and click on “Save As”. Here, give a name to your script and then add .ps1 extension at the end. PS1 is the extension of PowerShell scripts. Also, make sure to keep the file name as one word.
Having done that, open Task Scheduler and create a new task by following steps 1-5 mentioned in the above section. Once you are in the “Action” tab, choose “Start a program” from the drop-down menu and type powershell.exe in the Program/Script box.
C:\Users\Beebom\Desktop\browser.ps1
