soongmak Posted November 12, 2003 Report Share Posted November 12, 2003 I get more and more annoyed with running those boring but necessary tasks like scanning my computer for viruses and spyware and defragging the hard disc. I would like to run these tasks once a week automatically overnight, but to no avail. When I use the built in task scheduler for windows xp I can start the program, but not the tasks within. Very frustrating! Does anyone have a solution for this problem? I run windows XP and the tasks I would like to run are: - a complete virus scan on my system using Mcafee; - a spy scan using spybot; - defrag both my c and d drives using the windows defragger. All suggestions are welcome! Cheers, soongmak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 13, 2003 Report Share Posted November 13, 2003 :: Well both Mcafee and spybot should be able to be configured to run at a set time from within their own setup/config. And the defrag is set up through either the task scheduler or the defrag utility itself. If you can't use the scheduler ........... may want to have windows do a self diagnostic to find the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelgianBoy Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 SOONGMAK, I posted here 2 days ago, I guess I dissapeared with the unsuccesfull changeover Anyway, I have the exact same question to the board....... how do we do this ????????? Cheers ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlton68 Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 Like LaoHuLi said, your virus scan should come with an option to schedule certain activities at given times. With Spybot it is a little more difficult I'd say. It doesn't need that long so I don't have the need to run it in batch mode. Start Spybot in advanced mode, go to settings and click 'check on program start' and 'fix problems on program start'. Guess Spybot doesn't come with an own scheduler so you have to schedule somehow that the program should be started at certain times. Not sure, but there should be some forums out there where you can find better manuals. And defragging your harddrives once a week? Unless you're installing and uninstalling lot's of programs and creating and deleting lots of files this is not neccessary. Of course it depends on how you use your machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soongmak Posted November 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 Laohuli, it's not that I can not use the built in task scheduler, the scheduler is IMO simply not equipped to execute tasks from within the program. The defragger itself can not be configured to start defragging when you start the program, so the task scheduler is useless in that respect. Mcafee I can configure to scan at a certain time... I overlooked that one. I have also looked at a scripting program that will execute a script that will start the defragmentation. My problem is now that my computer will not wake up from either "standby" or "sleeping" mode to execute those tasks. I think this may have something to do that I have two user accounts on my computer and that after waking up, the computer goes back to the "welcome" screen. I am close to giving up now. I don't see how I can work around this one. Cheers, soongmak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 OK. why bother putting your computer 'to sleep or standby ? just go to your power setting in control panel and set the monitor and hard disks to shut down after x minutes. Leave windows running. Now go get a copy of Norton works, get the other Virus shit off, install Norton and it has a scheduler for virus scan and a defrag progran much better than the windows one. But as was mentioned unless you do a LOT of program installs and deletes, Once a monthe for a defrag is probably enough unless your hard drives are maxed out. Just tuen it on before you go to bed once a month and it will be done when you get up. Personally I think you are in overkill mode....relax a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soongmak Posted November 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 just go to your power setting in control panel and set the monitor and hard disks to shut down after x minutes. So how is that different from standby? I thought that standby meant that the power is cut off to the hardware you're not using (harddisk and monitor). Thanks, but I'll pass on Norton if you don't mind. It is harder to erase Norton from your hard drive than any virus known to mankind! Personally I think you are in overkill mode....relax a bit Alai wah? :: That's what I am trying to achieve here, by automating those tasks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 21, 2003 Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 guess what I am trying to say is you seem to be a little too concerned about some things. As I said, defrag once a month is probably lots. Just fire it up before you go to bed. Virus scans run in the background when you are online, so unless you are borrowing a lot of discs from others, there is no place to get them. Do a full scan, then just keep you virus protection updated...should be automatic. If you need a free always on, auto virus protector I would recommend www.avast.com Running spybot once a week should give you piece of mind. So I hardly see what needs automating. Once month you run Defrag overnight. Virus scan is full atuo (Avast) Spybot is once a week max. Just the way I do it, anyway it works for me, and I don't find it a hassle in any way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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