Task Scheduler - Create Task to Display a Message Reminder

How to Display a Message Reminder in Windows with Task Scheduler​

   Information

This will show you how to create yourself, or another user or group, a message reminder scheduled to display for when and how often you like in Windows 7 or Vista using Task Scheduler.

All users on the computer will be able to do this.

   Note

The steps may look long and complicated, but this is really quite easy to do. I just included a lot of details to help make it easy.

   Warning

The message reminder might not always appear on top of the current active window if you just happen to be typing or clicking in the window (ex: Internet Explorer) at the same time when the message reminder displays causing the message reminder to no longer be the active window and not on top.

The message reminder will also have a icon on the taskbar to indicate that it has displayed.

You could also use what Dwarf's posted below to avoid this as well.

EXAMPLE: Message Reminder
NOTE: This is the type of message reminder pop-up dialog that will be displayed on your desktop with your message title and message you set for when and how often in Task Scheduler.




Here's How:
1. Open the Start Menu, type taskschd.msc, and press Enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes (Windows 7) or Continue (Vista).

3. In the left pane, click on Task Scheduler Library folder to select it, then click on Create Task in the right pane. (see screenshot below)

4. In the General tab, type in a Name and Description for this task to help let you know what it's for. (see screenshot below)

5. If you wanted to change what user or group this message reminder will display for other than than the default of your user account, then click on the Change User or Group button and follow the steps in the screenshot below to select a user or group. If not, then skip this step and go to step 6.
NOTE: The steps are numbered in the order to follow for how to select a different user or group. The Users group would be for all users.

6. Click on the Triggers tab, and click on the New button. (see screenshot below)

7. If not already selected, then select On a schedule. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You could select what event you would like or works better for you instead, but I'm just using this one as an example. If you select a different option, then you will have different setting to set instead of the ones in steps 7A-7B below.


A) Select how often you want the message reminder to display. (see screenshot below)

B) Depending on what you selected in step 7A, select and set when (ex: date and time) you want the message reminder to display. (see screenshots below)


C) When finished, click on OK. (see screenshot above)
8. Click on the Actions tab, and click on the New button. (see screenshot below)

9. In the Action drop down menu, select Display a message. (see screenshot above)
NOTE: See red warning box at the top of the tutorial.

10. Type in a Title and Message that you want displayed in the message reminder, and click on OK. (see screenshot above)

11. Click on the Conditions tab, uncheck the Stop if the computer switches to batter power box, and uncheck the Start the task only if the computer is on AC power box. (see screenshot below)

12. Click on the Settings tab, check the Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed box, and check the If the task fails, restart every: box. (see screenshot below)

13. Click on OK. (see screenshot below)

14. You will now see this task listed in the Task Scheduler Library folder. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You will always be able to edit or delete this task.

15. Close Task Scheduler. You're message reminder will now display for the user or group and when you have it set for in this task.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• Task Scheduler - Create New Task
• Task - Create to Run a Program at Startup and Log On
• Task Scheduler - Put Computer into Standby Mode
• How to Create a Task that will Shut Down the PC Automatically
• How to Create a Task to Wake up the Computer to Run in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Create a Elevated Program Task Shortcut without a UAC Prompt

 

[Dwarf]

Another great Tutorial, Shawn.

In some cases, the message might not appear on top of the current window. In order to alleviate this, a slight change needs to be made at Step 9. Instead of selecting the action Display a message, choose Start a program instead. This allows you to have greater flexibility, as you can have the same message appear for all users, for some users (and nothing for the others), or different messages for each user.

The basic code for the program (a .vbs file) is as follows:

[B]MsgBox "Don't forget to create yourself an example message today at SevenForums.com", vbSystemModal[/B]

For more information, please see Section TWO of this Tutorial: Task Scheduler - Windows 8 Forums

 

[Brink]

Thank you Dwarf for another option. I added a warning for this.

 

[Chris4]

In some cases, the message might not appear on top of the current window. In order to alleviate this, a slight change needs to be made at Step 9. Instead of selecting the action Display a message, choose Start a program instead. This allows you to have greater flexibility, as you can have the same message appear for all users, for some users (and nothing for the others), or different messages for each user.

The basic code for the program (a .vbs file) is as follows:

[B]MsgBox "Don't forget to create yourself an example message today at SevenForums.com", vbSystemModal[/B]

For more information, please see Section TWO of this Tutorial: Task Scheduler - Windows 8 Forums

Thank you very much for this! I found the Task Scheduler reminder message to be quite useless, as it displays underneath everything so I never see it, so the vbs option is perfect.

 

[cybersun]

POPPING UP ON TOP

Hello Shawn,

Do you know any trick to get the POP UP WINDOW of that message to POP UP ON TOP OF THE OTHER opened windows? Also do you know how we could assign a louder sound?

It is working real neat but I would dearly like to add these two features...

Regards,

cybersun

 

[Brink]

Hello Cybersun,

You could use the alternative option in the red warning box at the top of the tutorial to use a .vbs file to run with a task instead for it to appear on top.

I don't remember what sound event (Alert ?? maybe) the task message pop-up belongs to, but it would be in Sounds to change it to play whatever sound (.wav) file you like.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/285-sounds-change.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[cybersun]

Is this all the code there is to it?

MsgBox "Don't forget to create yourself an example message today at SevenForums.com", vbSystemModal

I assume this can be written in any text editor and save as for instance: MSG01.VBS?

PLease confirm, as I am no at all familiar with VBS.

How is the VBS file written? ANy comment field indicators?

Does it need to be saved to a specific folder or can it be run from any?

thanks for your help

PS: can you also let me know of a good site to refer to for VBS?

cybersun

 

[Brink]

Yes, that would be correct. You would just copy and paste that in notepad, then save it as whatever.vbs. Afterwards, use Task Scheduler to run the .vbs file how you like.

MsgBox "[COLOR=red][B]Whatever message you want[/B][/COLOR]", vbSystemModal

I think the sound event is "System Notification".

The link below can give you the basics about VBS files.

VBScript - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[cybersun]

Thanks Brink, It worked fine. I will get a little more litterate with VBS before adventuring further ahead! But id does look like a promising option to do even more stuff in conjunction with the TASK SCHEDULER.

Regards,

cybersun

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome cybersun.

 

[Junks]

Hi

I'm new to this & struggling a bit

I managed to do the schedule as per the first instruction but cannot figure out the VBS bit. Can anyone help?

There are 6 cars in the family & I'm trying to schedule reminders for the MOT's for each car as I've found I'm forgetting to check them.

I have put the C:\logonscript.vbs in as the started program but not sure what to do with the actual message now, also how will the program differentiate between other messages??

Thanks in advance

Junks

 

[Brink]

Hello Junks, and welcome to Seven Forums.

To use the VBS option, you would use it with Section TWO of this Tutorial instead: Task Scheduler - Windows 8 Forums

To create the VBS file itself, you would type this below in notepad, then save it as say logonscript.vbs in C: since that's what you typed in Task Manager already. Afterwards, you can use Task Scheduler to run the .vbs file how you like.

MsgBox "[COLOR=red][B]Whatever message you want[/B][/COLOR]", vbSystemModal

If you wanted a different message per user account, the you would need to create a separate VBS file and task for each user. In Task Scheduler, you would click on the Change User or Group button like below for each new task to specify what user you want this task to run for.



Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Junks]

Thanks for the reply Shawn - I did check section two beforehand but didn't really understand the vbs section at all with all the codes that were written in there, I really wanted to be able to have several different messages come up at different times of the year (normally only one instance at a time) on one user account but I can only see how this would work for one message per user account - I guess its a bit beyond my capabilities so maybe I'll just stick to using a post it on my desk!! Thanks for trying to help anyway

 

[Brink]

Well, if you like, you could also have a log on message that you can change as needed, but it does show for all users that log on and not a different one per user.

Logon Title and Text Message - Vista Forums

 

[Junks]

Ok Shawn thanks but I don't think that would do what I need, its probably not possible to do what I want with this system but thanks for your help

 

[OvenMaster]

This message reminder thing is nearly perfect since my Works 6 calendar won't pop up messages in Windows 7.
Now, if only the taskbar button flashed when it shows up, I wouldn't care if the message got buried under my already-opened windows...

 

[Brink]

Ok Shawn thanks but I don't think that would do what I need, its probably not possible to do what I want with this system but thanks for your help

It's possible, but you would just need to do what was posted above to create a separate task and VBS file for each user you want a different message for, then set each one how often you want them to display.

When finished, you could change the message anytime you like by editing the VBS file and saving it.

 

[Junks]

Ok Shawn thanks but I don't think that would do what I need, its probably not possible to do what I want with this system but thanks for your help

It's possible, but you would just need to do what was posted above to create a separate task and VBS file for each user you want a different message for, then set each one how often you want them to display.

When finished, you could change the message anytime you like by editing the VBS file and saving it.

Sorry, didn't make it clear, only one user but several alerts needed throughout the year - possible do you think? Maybe something in Outlook would be easier? Thanks for your time (and patience!!)

 

[Brink]

It's no problem.

I agree that using the calendar feature in Outlook would be much easier for this.

To use Task Scheduler, you would need to create a separate task per alert. If you wanted a different message per alert, then you would also need to create a separate VBS file to use with each task for the alert.

 

[Junks]

I'll try Outlook calendar then Shawn since I use that every day anyway, not very up on all this technical malarky!! Thanks matey

Phil