General Task Properties
Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista
The general properties of a task are displayed on the General tab of the Task Properties or Create Task dialog box. The general properties of a task include the task name, author, description, security options, the operating system that the task is configured for, and a property that controls whether the task is hidden.
When you create a task in a task folder, you must name the task. No two tasks can have the same name if they are in the same task folder. The task description is optional.
Task security options specify the security context that the task runs under. For more information, see Task Security Context.
By default, hidden tasks are not shown in the Task Scheduler user interface. You can view hidden tasks when Show Hidden Tasks is selected in the View menu. You make a task hidden when you click the Hidden check box on the General tab of the Task Properties or Create Task dialog box.
Task Configuration
Tasks configured for Windows Vista® or Windows Server® 2008 have more functionality than the tasks configured for down-level systems (Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Windows 2000), and because of this, tasks configured for Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 will not work on down-level systems. Tasks configured for down-level systems will work on Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, but certain triggers, actions, conditions, and settings are only available on Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008. Tasks configured for down-level systems do not display, in the Task Scheduler console window, the date and time that the tasks were created. For more information about triggers available for each operating system, see Triggers, and for information about actions available for each operating system, see Actions.
If a task is created on a computer running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, and the task needs to be managed from a remote down-level system (Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Windows 2000), then configure the task for down-level systems. Otherwise, the task should be configured for Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.