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Which scheduled tasks are safe to disable?


Riffft

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Is there a list of scheduled tasks that are safe to disable? Or even better a list with information about what each task does?

I'm currently on Windows 8 and when I check the advanced mode in the Task Scheduler list, I get this list:

No	Task	AD RMS Rights Policy Template Management (Automated)			\Microsoft\Windows\Active Directory Rights Management Services Client
Yes	Task	AD RMS Rights Policy Template Management (Manual)			\Microsoft\Windows\Active Directory Rights Management Services Client
Yes	Task	AitAgent		aitagent /increment	\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience
Yes	Task	AnalyzeSystem			\Microsoft\Windows\Power Efficiency Diagnostics
No	Task	AUFirmwareInstall			\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
No	Task	AUScheduledInstall			\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
No	Task	AUSessionConnect			\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
No	Task	AutoWake			\Microsoft\Windows\SideShow
No	Task	Background Synchronization			\Microsoft\Windows\Offline Files
Yes	Task	Badge Update			\Microsoft\Windows\WS
Yes	Task	BindingWorkItemQueueHandler			\Microsoft\Windows\NetCfg
Yes	Task	CacheTask			\Microsoft\Windows\Wininet
No	Task	Calibration Loader			\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsColorSystem
No	Task	CCleanerSkipUAC	Piriform Ltd	"C:\Program Files (x86)\CCleaner\CCleaner.exe" $(Arg0)	\
Yes	Task	CleanupTemporaryState	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe Windows.Storage.ApplicationData.dll,CleanupTemporaryState	\Microsoft\Windows\ApplicationData
Yes	Task	ConfigNotification	Microsoft Corporation	%systemroot%\System32\sdclt.exe /CONFIGNOTIFICATION	\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsBackup
Yes	Task	Consolidator	Microsoft Corporation	%SystemRoot%\System32\wsqmcons.exe	\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program
No	Task	Data Integrity Scan			\Microsoft\Windows\Data Integrity Scan
Yes	Task	DesktopStart	Microsoft Corporation	C:\Windows\explorer.exe shell:::{3080F90D-D7AD-11D9-BD98-0000947B0257}	\Event Viewer Tasks
Yes	Task	Extractor Definitions Update Task			\Microsoft\Windows Live\SOXE
Yes	Task	FamilySafetyMonitor	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\System32\wpcmon.exe	\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
Yes	Task	FamilySafetyRefresh			\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
Yes	Task	File History (maintenance mode)			\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory
Yes	Task	ForceSynchronizeTime			\Microsoft\Windows\Time Synchronization
Yes	Task	GadgetManager			\Microsoft\Windows\SideShow
Yes	Task	GatherNetworkInfo		%windir%\system32\gatherNetworkInfo.vbs	\Microsoft\Windows\NetTrace
No	Task	HiveUploadTask			\Microsoft\Windows\User Profile Service
Yes	Task	HotStart			\Microsoft\Windows\MobilePC
No	Task	Idle Maintenance			\Microsoft\Windows\TaskScheduler
Yes	Task	IndexerAutomaticMaintenance			\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
No	Task	Logon Synchronization			\Microsoft\Windows\Offline Files
Yes	Task	LPRemove	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\lpremove.exe	\Microsoft\Windows\MUI
Yes	Task	Maintenance Configurator			\Microsoft\Windows\TaskScheduler
Yes	Task	Manual Maintenance			\Microsoft\Windows\TaskScheduler
Yes	Task	MNO Metadata Parser	Microsoft Corporation	%SystemRoot%\System32\MbaeParserTask.exe	\Microsoft\Windows\Mobile Broadband Accounts
Yes	Task	MobilityManager			\Microsoft\Windows\Ras
Yes	Task	Notifications	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\System32\LocationNotifications.exe	\Microsoft\Windows\Location
Yes	Task	Office 15 Subscription Heartbeat	Microsoft Corporation	%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Office15\OLicenseHeartbeat.exe	\Microsoft\Office
Yes	Task	OfficeTelemetryAgentFallBack	Microsoft Corporation	"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15\msoia.exe" scan upload mininterval:2880	\Microsoft\Office
Yes	Task	OfficeTelemetryAgentLogOn	Microsoft Corporation	"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office15\msoia.exe" scan upload	\Microsoft\Office
No	Task	Optimize Start Menu Cache Files-S-1-5-21-2524706859-1155184403-820686307-1001			\
No	Task	PolicyConverter	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\appidpolicyconverter.exe	\Microsoft\Windows\AppID
Yes	Task	Pre-staged GDR Notification	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\NotificationUI.exe /Applicability	\Microsoft\Windows\Setup
Yes	Task	ProactiveScan			\Microsoft\Windows\Chkdsk
Yes	Task	ProgramDataUpdater	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe aepdu.dll,AePduRunUpdate	\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience
No	Task	Property Definition Sync			\Microsoft\Windows\File Classification Infrastructure
Yes	Task	Proxy	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe /d acproxy.dll,PerformAutochkOperations	\Microsoft\Windows\Autochk
Yes	Task	QueueReporting	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\wermgr.exe -queuereporting	\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting
Yes	Task	Regular Maintenance			\Microsoft\Windows\TaskScheduler
Yes	Task	Scheduled Start	Microsoft Corporation	C:\Windows\system32\sc.exe start wuauserv	\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
Yes	Task	ScheduledDefrag	Microsoft Corp.	%windir%\system32\defrag.exe -c -h -o -$	\Microsoft\Windows\Defrag
Yes	Task	Secure-Boot-Update			\Microsoft\Windows\PI
No	Task	SessionAgent			\Microsoft\Windows\SideShow
Yes	Task	SmartScreenSpecific			\Microsoft\Windows\AppID
Yes	Task	SpaceAgentTask	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\SpaceAgent.exe	\Microsoft\Windows\SpacePort
No	Task	SQM data sender			\Microsoft\Windows\IME
Yes	Task	Sqm-Tasks			\Microsoft\Windows\PI
Yes	Task	SR	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\srtasks.exe ExecuteScheduledSPPCreation	\Microsoft\Windows\SystemRestore
Yes	Task	StartComponentCleanup			\Microsoft\Windows\Servicing
Yes	Task	StartupAppTask	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe Startupscan.dll,SusRunTask	\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience
Yes	Task	Synaptics TouchPad Enhancements	Synaptics Incorporated	"C:\Program Files\Synaptics\SynTP\SynTPEnh.exe"	\
Yes	Task	Sync Licenses			\Microsoft\Windows\WS
Yes	Task	SynchronizeTime	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\sc.exe start w32time task_started	\Microsoft\Windows\Time Synchronization
Yes	Task	Sysprep Generalize Drivers	Microsoft Corporation	%SystemRoot%\System32\drvinst.exe 6	\Microsoft\Windows\Plug and Play
No	Task	SystemDataProviders			\Microsoft\Windows\SideShow
Yes	Task	SystemSoundsService			\Microsoft\Windows\Multimedia
Yes	Task	SystemTask			\Microsoft\Windows\CertificateServicesClient
Yes	Task	Tpm-Maintenance			\Microsoft\Windows\TPM
Yes	Task	UninstallDeviceTask	Microsoft Corporation	BthUdTask.exe $(Arg0)	\Microsoft\Windows\Bluetooth
Yes	Task	UpdateLibrary		"%ProgramFiles%\Windows Media Player\wmpnscfg.exe"	\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Media Sharing
Yes	Task	UPnPHostConfig	Microsoft Corporation	sc.exe config upnphost start= auto	\Microsoft\Windows\UPnP
Yes	Task	UserTask			\Microsoft\Windows\CertificateServicesClient
No	Task	UserTask-Roam			\Microsoft\Windows\CertificateServicesClient
No	Task	VerifiedPublisherCertStoreCheck	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\appidcertstorecheck.exe	\Microsoft\Windows\AppID
Yes	Task	WinSAT			\Microsoft\Windows\Maintenance
Yes	Task	WsSwapAssessmentTask	Microsoft Corporation	%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe sysmain.dll,PfSvWsSwapAssessmentTask	\Microsoft\Windows\Sysmain
Yes	Task	WSTask			\Microsoft\Windows\WS
No	Task	{F3CF5910-F42B-4EC1-AC30-4EEA7F256452}	Microsoft Corporation	C:\Windows\system32\pcalua.exe -a E:\AR_KeyRun.exe -d E:\	\
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I'm sure there would be a list on the web somewhere of what is safe to disable but who has the time, plus the overriding factor is that it's a very subjective matter.  That is, what one person deems safe to disable may not fit with other people and how they use their PC.

 

That list you have shown is the system list of every task MS does in the background, and some of them (probably most really) should be left alone.

The list shown when not in Advanced Mode is the one you can play with and have much more confidence that all of them can be disabled without screwing up MS or the PC - of course whether it is wise to turn some off is entirely up to you (eg: 3rd party security software).

Backup now & backup often.
It's your digital life - protect it with a backup.
Three things are certain; Birth, Death and loss of data. You control the last.

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Well it doesn't necessarely have to be a list of safe to delete items, in fact I would prefer a list that simply tells me what all the windows default scheduled tasks are doing.

For example some entries mention words like "SystemSoundsService", "FileHistory", "Windows Media Sharing", "Bluetooth".

So what I was thinking is that I always keep system sounds muted anway, I never used the file history, I don't use media sharing and I don't need bluetooth.

It just would be great to actually know what all these schaduled tasks do.

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Sadly, there's no substitute for research with this matter.

Not many people I know can remember what all the tasks and services are used for off the top of their memory.

This is an example of how the web is a great discovery tool.

 

From the mere name, it would suggest they can be disabled.  Like you said, you don't use File History, which is MS's new backup process under Win8 but what you need to check is the flow-on effect.  A lot of these things may have dependencies.

Backup now & backup often.
It's your digital life - protect it with a backup.
Three things are certain; Birth, Death and loss of data. You control the last.

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