How to Startup Vista Automatically (and why this is useful)
Using the task scheduler to wake up your computer
For various reasons, it could be quite practical to incorporate an automatic startup into your computer’s daily routine. My old Pentium IV takes about 2 minutes just to boot up and load everything altogether for the computer to become usable. (You should be using the hibernate feature anyway.) Especially since Vista is more demanding, it probably takes quite a while for those old computer to startup. It could be quite troublesome when you have to use your computer for an emergency, only to realize that it takes your computer too long to load… Even more, the setup process is simple and straightforward, involving only a few steps. Before we continue any further, this feature requires you to have a login password to your account. This is a security measure to prevent your computer from being exploited when it is turned off.
What is the Task Scheduler?
If you have worked with Windows at any level, you are most probably aware of the Task Scheduler function. Most often, Windows users fail to make use of this utility because it’s functionality is often underestimated. In the Vista and XP version, this preinstalled utility is able to regulate and initiate all tasks which run on your system. I In Vista, this program is even more advanced because it can respond to other detailed triggering actions which occur on your system. The Vista Task Scheduler can even respond to actions which occur on other computers among your network. If you have time, I recommend playing around with it.
Opening the Task Scheduler
Opening the Task Scheduler can be done in multiple ways, but the easiest way would probably be to type Task Scheduler into the start menu search bar and pressing enter.
Scheduling the Vista Start Up
To start off, you need to open the New Task window. Click on Actions at the top and then click on Create Task from the dropdown menu. Now that you have opened the window, type a name and description for your startup task. Then near the bottom, make sure Run whether user is logged on or not is selected.
In the Triggers tab, you must now choose the time at which the computer will startup. Click on the New… button, and be sure that On a schedule is selected in the dropdown. Choose the time at which you wish for startup to begin. Next, choose the frequency which will be used, whether it be daily, weekly monthly, or on one single occasion.
In the actions pane, you must choose an action which will occur at startup. This can be an opening of a file/program, or a simple welcome message display. If no particular program/file need be opened, choose the message option and specify the welcome message which should be utilized. (For GTD adapters, you can have it open your web browser so you can view your Google Calendar right away.) In the conditions tab, make sure that wake this computer to run this task is checked. If no additional settings are necessary, click OK and proceed to the main window. If you ever need to edit this task, you can view it the Active Tasks portion of the Task Scheduler.
I’ll be talking a bit more about different task scheduler tweaks you can use this month.