SyncToy - Automated Schedule

Transcription

1 SyncToy - Automated Schedule While SyncToy does not have a built-in option to run on an automated schedule, the Scheduled Tasks tool in Windows can be used to launch the SyncToy application on a set schedule. 1. In the lower left corner of the screen, click the Start button, select Programs, then select Accessories, then select System Tools, and click Scheduled Tasks. The Scheduled Tasks window will open. 2. Double-click the Add Scheduled Task button. The Scheduled Task Wizard window will open. Click the Next button. 4. Rather than scroll through the program listing, click the Browse button. 5. Navigate to the SyncToy folder set at installation. By default, SyncToy is installed in the Program Files folder. Open the SyncToy folder and select the SyncToyCmd.exe file. Click the Open button.

2 6. Enter a name for the task and select when to SyncToy should launch. (In the following example, the Scheduled Task is named SyncToy Cmd and set to run Daily.) Click the Next button. 7. At the next screen, select the time, frequency and start date. Click the Next button. 8. Scheduled Tasks must be run under a user local account. (By default, the uniquename of the current user is entered as the user name.) Enter a uniquename and corresponding password for the computer. Click the Next button.

3 9. Once the task is scheduled, place a check in the Open advanced properties... box. Click the Finish button. 10. A new window will open with the name given to the Scheduled Task. 1. Click the Task tab. Note the entry in the Run: field. At the end of the entry in the field, add -R after the quotes. The -R parameter by itself will run all active folder pairs. To run a single folder pair, add the name of the folder pair after the -R parameter; e.g., adding -R Backup to the entry will only schedule the Backup folder pair, as set in SyncToy, to run. If the folder pair name contains a space, surround the name with quotation marks; e.g., use -R "Important Stuff" to schedule the Important Stuff folder pair to run.

4 2. Click the Schedule tab. Confirm the schedule set earlier is correct. Use the following procedure to schedule a task to run at multiple times. Otherwise, proceed to the next step. 1. Place a check in the Show multiple schedules box. Click the Apply button. 2. At the top of the window, a dropdown menu will appear with the list of schedules associated with the task. To add an additional schedule, click the New button. The lower section in the window will populate with the new schedule option. Adjust the frequency and time for the additional schedule. The entry in the dropdown menu will update automatically with the new schedule. To set a Start or End Date, click the Advanced button. Click the Next button. To delete an existing schedule, select the schedule from the dropdown menu and click the Delete button. Click the Settings tab. At the bottom of the window is the Power Management section. Enable the desired power management settings by placing a check in the appropriate box. Dont start the task if the computer is running on batteries. This will configure the task so it doesnt start the backup if you are not plugged into a power source. Stop the task if battery mode begins. This will stop the task if you unplug the computer. Wake computer to run this task. In order for a task to run, the computer must be powered on; the machine will not boot to start a scheduled task. Checking this option will wake the computer from a sleep state to run the task. The first two settings are selected by default to avoid depleting a battery while running a scheduled task. Both options should normally remain selected. 4. After configuring the settings, click the OK button.

5 11. In the window, the scheduled task should appear in the list. Verify the schedule and run time. To change the schedule Scheduled Tasks or any of the options of the task, double-click the task.