New features of the Scheduled Tasks Control Panel item that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 2 and in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005

This article discusses the new features that are included in the Scheduled Tasks item in Control Panel. These features are new in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).

Note The Windows XP SP2 features and components are included in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005.

Windows XP SP2 includes improvements to the Scheduled Tasks item. The new features that are introduced in Windows XP SP2 let you view hidden tasks. The new features also let you schedule a task to run only when you are logged on to the computer.

View hidden tasks

You can create hidden tasks in programs and then schedule the tasks to run on a computer. You cannot use the Scheduled Tasks item to schedule a hidden task. However, you can view hidden tasks that are run by programs if you log on to the computer by using administrator credentials. To view hidden tasks, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type control schedtasks in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. On the Advanced menu, click View Hidden Tasks.

Schedule a task to run by using the credentials that you logged on with

In Windows XP SP2 and in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, you can schedule a task to run by using the credentials that you are logged on with. You do not have to supply separate credentials for the task. For example, this means that a scheduled task can run by using your credentials even if you locked your computer.

To schedule a task to run by using the credentials that you logged on with, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type control schedtasks in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Right-click the task that you want to configure, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Task tab, click to select the Run only if logged on check box, and then click OK.
   
   Note When you click to select the Run only if logged on check box, the Set Password button becomes unavailable.

If you stay logged on to the computer or to the Tablet PC until the task is scheduled to run, the task uses the credentials that you logged on with.

Important If the task requires administrative credentials, you have to log on to the computer by using administrative credentials for the task to run.

For more information about the functionality changes in Windows XP Service Pack 2, view the "Changes to Functionality in Windows XP Service Pack 2" document. To view this document, visit the following Microsoft Web site: For additional information about how to obtain Windows XP SP2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: