# How to set up cron jobs on a Windows VPS (Task Scheduler)
Source: https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/windows-vps/cron-jobs-on-windows
Last reviewed: 2026-07-02
Summary: Task Scheduler is Windows' cron, creating a scheduled job the reliable way (run whether logged on or not, correct start-in folder), the PowerShell and schtasks equivalents, translating crontab thinking to triggers, capturing output so failures aren't silent, and the same discipline the Linux cron guide teaches.

## What this is

Windows' cron is **Task Scheduler**: it runs scripts and programs on a schedule (or at events like startup), and it's the right home for the recurring work on your VPS, [backup scripts](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/windows-vps/backing-up-windows-vps), cleanups, report jobs. This is the setup that *keeps working*, most "my scheduled task doesn't run" stories trace to two checkboxes covered below.

## Creating a job (the GUI way)

Run `taskschd.msc` → **Create Task** (not "Basic Task", the full dialog is worth it):

1. **General tab**: name it, select **Run whether user is logged on or not** (the checkbox, without it the job only runs while you're RDP'd in, which on a server means never), and **Run with highest privileges** if the script needs admin.
2. **Triggers tab**: **New** → Daily at 03:30, or On a schedule of your choice, or **At startup** ([the other classic need](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/windows-vps/windows-services-after-reboot)). Add a random delay if several jobs share a time.
3. **Actions tab**: **Start a program**. For a PowerShell script, the program is `powershell.exe` (or `pwsh.exe`) with arguments:

```
-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Scripts\backup.ps1"
```

and set **Start in** to the script's folder, relative paths inside scripts fail without it, [the same trap as cron's working directory](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/troubleshooting/cron-not-running).

4. OK, enter the account password when prompted (that's what lets it run unattended).

## The command-line ways

One-liner with the classic tool:

```
schtasks /Create /TN "NightlyBackup" /TR "powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\Scripts\backup.ps1" /SC DAILY /ST 03:30 /RU Administrator /RP
```

Or PowerShell-native, script-friendly:

```powershell
$action  = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "powershell.exe" -Argument "-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\Scripts\backup.ps1"
$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Daily -At 3:30am
Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "NightlyBackup" -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -User "Administrator" -Password "yourpassword" -RunLevel Highest
```

(An [AI chatbot](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/support-coverage/software-and-server-management) converts any crontab line you're used to into either form on request.)

## Translating crontab thinking

| Crontab habit | Task Scheduler equivalent |
|---|---|
| `30 3 * * *` | Daily trigger, 03:30 |
| `*/5 * * * *` | Daily trigger + "Repeat task every 5 minutes for a duration of 1 day" |
| `@reboot` | Trigger: At startup ([or make it a real service](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/windows-vps/windows-services-after-reboot)) |
| `flock` (no overlaps) | Settings tab → "Do not start a new instance" (the default) |
| `MAILTO` | Capture output to a log (below), Task Scheduler doesn't email |

## Make failures noisy (the cron lesson applies here too)

Task Scheduler records **Last Run Result** (0x0 = success) and a History tab, but nobody looks until it's been broken for a month, [same story as cron](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/troubleshooting/cron-not-running). So capture output in the script itself:

```powershell
Start-Transcript -Path "C:\Scripts\logs\backup.log" -Append
# ... the actual work ...
Stop-Transcript
```

and for jobs that matter (backups!), end the script with a dead-man's-switch ping so you're alerted when it *stops* running, not just when it errors.

## When the task "doesn't run"

The checklist, in order of likelihood: "Run whether user is logged on or not" wasn't set (it ran only during your RDP sessions), the account password changed since the task was registered (re-enter it in task properties), **Start in** is empty and the script needed its folder, or execution policy blocked the script (the `-ExecutionPolicy Bypass` argument sidesteps that per-task). The History tab plus your transcript log names which.

## Still need help?

You can [open a support ticket](https://vpsdime.com/open-ticket/). So we can help on the first reply, it's worth mentioning:

- the VPS hostname or IP,
- the task's trigger and action (a screenshot of its properties helps),
- the Last Run Result code and anything in the History tab.

## Related questions

- "How do I run a script on a schedule on Windows Server?"
- "What is the Windows equivalent of cron?"
- "Why does my scheduled task only run when I'm logged in?"
- "How do I run a task every 5 minutes on Windows?"
- "How do I log a scheduled task's output?"