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Run Scheduled Tasks more than 72 hours

Windows 2000 Server allows you to schedule tasks using two utilities. Administrators who like to

automate tasks will remember the AT command that allows scheduling from the command prompt.

Other administrators may prefer Scheduled Tasks, a graphical utility located in the Start menu's

System Tools folder.



Both scheduling utilities work hand in hand. If you schedule a task with the AT command, it will

show up in the Scheduled Tasks user interface. This happens because tasks scheduled with the AT

command are converted to the tasks for the Scheduled Tasks application.



Scheduled Tasks has one drawback: Tasks are run for only 72 hours. When that time passes, tasks

are automatically stopped. If your tasks run for more than 72 hours, install Service Pack 3 and

change this value:



Open the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet

\Services\Scheduled.

Add a new value with the type REG_DWORD and name it AtTaskMaxHours. You can specify the

number from 1-999. Typing 0 for data will indicate no limit, which means that the task is never

stopped.

Exit the Registry Editor.



Note: Before making any registry edit, be sure to first back up the registry so that you can restore

it if something goes wrong.

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