How to Import (Restore) All Tasks in Bulk Using Task Scheduler in Windows?
Recently we posted a tutorial about importing and exporting tasks using Task Scheduler in Windows:
How to Import / Export (Backup / Restore) Tasks Using Task Scheduler in Windows?
But there is one limitation in importing and exporting tasks using Task Scheduler. You can import/export only a single task at a time. Task Scheduler doesn’t allow import/export of tasks in bulk.
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So if you have lots of scheduled tasks say 20 in Task Scheduler, you’ll need to perform the same step again and again for all 20 tasks.
Wouldn’t it be great if you can import and export all tasks in a single step?
Actually you can import (restore) all tasks in bulk using “schtasks” command but there is no way to export all tasks in bulk.
In this tutorial, we’ll tell you how to use “schtasks” command to restore all tasks in bulk:
1. First take backup of all tasks using the above mentioned tutorial.
2. Now create a new text file using Notepad and paste following code in it:
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@echo off
echo Importing All Tasks
echo.
schtasks.exe /create /TN “Task 1 Name” /XML “Full_Path_of_Backup_XML_File”
schtasks.exe /create /TN “Task 2 Name” /XML “Full_Path_of_Backup_XML_File”
schtasks.exe /create /TN “Task 3 Name” /XML “Full_Path_of_Backup_XML_File”
echo.
echo Importing Done
echo.
pause
3. Replace “Task 1 Name”, “Task 2 Name”, etc entries with the name of your actual tasks. e.g. “Mother Birthday“.
4. Replace “Full_Path_of_Backup_XML_File” with the location where you saved the backup tasks. e.g. “D:\Tasks Backup\Mother Birthday.xml“.
5. Save the file with any name but the extension must be .BAT. e.g. you can save the file as “Restore Tasks.Bat“. Make sure to use double quotes “” otherwise Notepad will save the file as a text file.
6. That’s it. Once you create the file, run it and it’ll start restoring all the tasks in Task Scheduler.
Now you’ll never need to create all your important tasks each time you install a fresh Windows or work on a new computer. Just import all the tasks on the fly using the above mentioned batch file. 😉
PS: You can use the same Batch file for restoring any number of tasks. Simply add an entry for the desired task mentioning its name and location.
I trying to use this bulk loading of tasks and get an error. What I’m I missing? The tasks load manually just fine Here is my revised bat file.
@echo off
echo Importing All Tasks
echo.
schtasks.exe /create /TN “Task1” /XML “C:\Windows\Tasks\XML”
schtasks.exe /create /TN “Task2” /XML “C:\Windows\Tasks\XML”
schtasks.exe /create /TN “Task3” /XML “C:\Windows\Tasks\XML”
echo.
echo Importing Done
echo.
pause
Thanks for any suggestion.
The “Permission Denied” error I’m getting seems to require a password. Is it possible to include a password?
^^ Yes. Use /P parameter. For example, /P yourpassword
Hi,
I tries Importing all the tasks of one server to another through this technique. But Whenever i run this batch file some of the tasks is displaying an error with “Bad username or Password”, Is there any Solution through which i can specify username and password in the batch file at one go.
Awaiting Your Reply,
Thanks and Regards
Rammohan B
This doesn’t seem to be working any more in Windows 8.1. Can someone verify.
^^ I’m using the same method in my primary Windows 8.1 machine without any problem.
you should run your *.bat file as administrator, then it should work.
Try this to export :
schtasks /query /XML ONE
This document is very helpfull but I have issue woth below given error code.
My system is connected with windows AD domain base.
I request you to please help me ASAP
Importing All Tasks
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Access is denied.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
ERROR: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
Importing Done
Press any key to continue . . .
^^ Open the XML file of the task and make sure the mentioned user account name is same as the current logged in user account name. If not, then correct the user account name in XML file.
Thanks for your response on our request
I am face same issue after given best suggested technical solution, but I faced same issue on the same with below given xml details
2016-07-18T17:24:51.3050737
COVENTYA1\s.shelke
true
<QueryList><Query Id=”0″ Path=”Microsoft-Windows-Backup”><Select Path=”Microsoft-Windows-Backup”>*[System[Provider[@Name=’Microsoft-Windows-Backup’] and EventID=4]]</Select></Query></QueryList>
COVENTYA1\s.shelke
Password
LeastPrivilege
IgnoreNew
true
true
true
true
true
true
false
true
true
false
false
false
P3D
7
“****************************(PATH OF XML FILE******************************************”
^^ The backup XML file should not look like this.
export task sheduler
Create a folder “task” in the desktop
Run Powershell as admin:
Get-ScheduledTask | foreach {
Export-ScheduledTask -TaskName $_.TaskName -TaskPath $_.TaskPath |
Out-File (Join-Path “C:\Users\Me\Desktop\task” “$($_.TaskName).xml”)
}
Import/Restore all tasks tasks
Register-ScheduledTask -Xml (get-content ‘\\chi-fp01\it\Weekly System Info Report.xml’ | out-string) -TaskName “Weekly System Info Report” -User globomantics\administrator -Password P@ssw0rd –Force
This saved a lot of time for me, I was looking for the exactly same script. It imported more than 160 jobs in a jiffy.
Used the DOS cmd command: dir /s /b /o:gn
to list all the path of xml files in a folder.