Editing Scheduled Tasks
The Scheduled Task Editor allows you to configure automated permissions scans that run on a defined schedule. Scheduled tasks are managed through the Windows Task Scheduler and execute non-interactively (without displaying a window).
Task Properties
Project Path
Specify the fully qualified path to an existing Permissions Reporter project file (.prproj). The scheduled task will load this project's configuration, including folder lists, exclusions, and report settings. You must save your project before scheduling it.
Export
Select one or more export formats and specify output file paths. For each format, provide a fully qualified path including the filename and extension. Relative paths are not supported.
- HTML file - Exports to an HTML file viewable in any web browser.
- XML file - Exports to the native Permissions Reporter format, which can be imported later.
- CSV file - Exports folder report data as comma-separated values.
- Excel file - Exports to an Excel workbook (.xlsx) with separate worksheets for each report type.
- PDF file - Exports to a PDF document.
You can enable multiple export formats simultaneously. Each will be generated during the scheduled run.
Options
- Append date/time to export file names - Automatically appends a timestamp to each export filename (e.g.,
report_20241215_143022.html). This prevents newer exports from overwriting older ones, creating an automatic history. See the Command Line topic for timestamp format details. - Email report file(s) to - Sends the generated export files to the specified recipients as email attachments. Enter one or more email addresses separated by commas. Requires email settings to be configured.
- Zip files - Compresses all export files into a single ZIP archive before attaching to the email. Recommended for large exports or when sending multiple files.
- Set email subject to - Overrides the default email subject line with a custom subject. Enable this option and enter your preferred subject text.
- Save event log file to - Saves the scan's event log to a CSV file at the specified path. Useful for troubleshooting scheduled tasks and maintaining audit trails.
- Use export config - Loads export configuration settings from a previously saved export configuration file (.prcfg). This allows you to specify which report data, columns, and options are included in the export without configuring them individually in the scheduler.
- Purge files older than - Automatically deletes export files older than the specified number of days. Purging applies to all export file types (HTML, XML, CSV, Excel, PDF) in every output folder specified in this task. Files are matched by creation date. This is useful for maintaining a rolling window of reports without manual cleanup.
Note: Scheduled tasks run non-interactively, meaning the Permissions Reporter window is not displayed during execution. The task runs regardless of whether a user is logged in, provided the configured Windows account has appropriate permissions.
Schedule
The Schedule tab configures when and how often the task runs. Select a schedule type and configure the timing:
One Time
Runs once at the specified start date and time, then does not repeat.
Daily
Runs every day at the specified time. Configure the recurrence interval:
- Recur every N day(s) - Set to 1 for every day, 2 for every other day, etc.
Weekly
Runs on selected days of the week. Configure:
- Recur every N week(s) - Set to 1 for every week, 2 for every other week, etc.
- Day selection - Check the days of the week when the task should run (Sunday through Saturday).
Monthly
Runs on specific days or day patterns within selected months. Two scheduling modes are available:
- Day N of the month(s) - Runs on a specific day number (1-31) of selected months. If the month has fewer days than specified, the task runs on the last day of that month.
- The [First/Second/Third/Fourth/Last] [Weekday] of the month(s) - Runs on a relative weekday occurrence (e.g., "The Second Tuesday of the month").
Select which months the task should run by checking the appropriate checkboxes in the month list.
Security Considerations
Scheduled tasks run under a Windows account configured in Task Scheduler. Ensure this account has:
- Read access to all folders being scanned
- Write access to the export output folders
- Appropriate permissions to query Active Directory (if account resolution is enabled)
- Network access to any remote file servers or shares being scanned
For domain environments, a dedicated service account is recommended.