Windows Tip: Disabling system tasks

May 17, 2007 —

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I'm sure you've all heard by now that the official name for Windows Server Code-Name "Longhorn" will be Windows Server 2008. Well, once I finished my work as lead author for the Windows Vista Resource Kit, I had the privilege of working with Microsoft Press on another project, namely their first book about Windows Server 2008. But before I indulge in some shameless self-promotion concerning this upcoming title, here's a tip.

Ever had a scheduled task on your computer that you can't disable or configure? This can happen if an application running under the built-in SYSTEM account creates the task, and even if you are logged on as the local administrator you may not be able to configure the task. If you find yourself in this situation, you can try doing the following:

1. Open a command prompt using local administrator credentials and type at <time> /interactive cmd.exe where <time> is about two minutes in the future, expressed in 24-hour notation (e.g. 13:25). In about two minutes, a second command prompt window will appear, running in the SYSTEM security context.

2. In the second command prompt window, type "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" and a copy of Internet Explorer will open, again using the SYSTEM account as its security context.

3. Type My Network Places in the address bar to open My Network Places in the Explorer window. Then click Entire Network, then double-click Microsoft Windows Network, then the icon representing your workgroup or domain, then the icon representing your computer, and finally double-click on the Scheduled Tasks folder on your machine to display a list of scheduled tasks and you can right-click on the task you want to configure.

Now back to my shameless self-promotion. What's really cool about my upcoming book Introducing Windows Server 2008 is that almost a hundred members of the Windows Server product team contributed their expertise to the book, either by writing "From the Experts" sidebars on various technical topics or by reviewing content for accuracy. What this means is that about a quarter of the book was written by those who know Windows Server 2008 best-the team that developed the product. So although the book is based on a pre-release version (Beta 3) of Windows Server 2008, you can expect the content to be almost 100% accurate for RTM since we strived as much as possible to ensure technical accuracy for this title.

Here's a breakdown of the chapter titles so you can see what's covered in this book:

1. Introduction

2. Usage Scenarios

3. Windows Server Virtualization

4. Managing Windows Server 2008

5. Managing Server Roles

6. Windows Server Core

7. Active Directory Enhancements

8. Terminal Services Enhancements

9. Clustering Enhancements

10. Implementing Network Access Protection

11. Internet Information Services 7.0

12. Other Features and Enhancements

13. Deploying Windows Server 2008

14. Additional Resources

I'll be publishing a few brief excerpts from this book as tips over the next couple of weeks to show you what's in store if you purchase this book, but if you're interested in getting a head start on learning what Windows Server 2008 is all about, pre-order the book today.

ITworld.com