Simple Ways to Set Up a Cron Job on a Windows Server
Cron jobs have become extremely useful for a number of reasons. They save you from doing repetitive tasks every day, which can add up to several hours or more during the week. They also remove the element of human error, so that the job always gets done right, and much more. Cron jobs have also become a staple of many popular PHP scripts. For whatever the reason, there is a good chance that you need to set up a cron job, or will need to in the future.
If you are using a Windows-based system, this can seem like an impossible task. Cron jobs are primarily reserved for unix based systems, which means that with a Windows system, you need to look for an alternate solution. Here is a look at several simple solutions that are available for a Windows-based system.
Windows Task Manager
Windows has a program known as the Task Manager and it can be used to easily create the equivalent of a cron job. In order to do this, there are two fundamental steps that need to be followed. First, you must open the Task Manager and select the application that you wish to use, such as Firefox, Chrome, or Internet Explorer. You will also add the task name, date and time that it is to be run, etc.
Once you have set up the basics of the task, the second step is actually configuring the "cron job". To do this, you need to go to the tasks settings page and after the text that is already there, enter the address to your websites task.php and make sure that it is in double quotations. This should be all that needs to be done. If you want to test it, set the time for one minute from now and see if it runs correctly.
Use a Server Monitoring Service
Once you have created your web page that performs the function that you need completed, find a server monitoring service that you trust. Then you can point the server monitoring service at the web page that you need. Every time that the service checks your web page, it will cause your cron job to run. Many of these services will run at any time interval that you set, so you will be in complete control.
Use Specifically Designed Software
There are a number of great pieces of software that have been designed specifically for automating tasks in a Windows environment. One tool that has stood at recently was created is known as Visual Cron. Visual Cron was designed to provide advanced file/script execution for Windows. It is very easy to install and use. This option is great for the less-tech savvy as it is designed so that no programming are required. However, this type of software has become very popular, even for the advanced programmer.
CRONw
CRONw is a program that can be found at sourceforge.net. It is a compilation of "Perlie things" that are used to create the core functions of a *nix style CRON within a Windows system. In order for it to be used effectively, users will need Windows and at least Perl Version 5.6 as well as the CRONw program. The latest version is known as "Sapphire Gloss" and has a strong support forum to help users with any questions they may have.
In short, even though you may not have a Unix-based system, setting up cron-like jobs doesn't have to be difficult. Many of these options will even work if you have a shared hosting account with limited Cron abilities. While, all of these options included only brief overviews, they should get you on the right path to getting your scheduled tasks set up quickly and securely.
I'll try CRONw
thank you for all the great info in this article. this is the exactly what I was looking for. I was looking for a better alternative to task scheduler. I'll try CRONw. sourceforge name behind it guarantees quality product.
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