Scripting for cleanup utilities run by Task Scheduler on logged of

Guest · Dec 9, 2004

I would like to be able to run the disk cleanup utility, defrag, and restart
our computers overnight using free tools, while the computer is logged off. I
am having trouble getting this to run properly (called from a scheduled task,
with a domain admin account for authentication) on logged off Windows 2000
computers, I have not fully tested this on XP. It seems to run correctly when
it is logged on, but they do not run when the machine is logged off. Has
anyone else gotten this to work? How would I do this? Thank you in advance
for your help!

1] I wrote two scripts, one for windows 2000, and another for windows xp:
---------{snip}------------------
rem "MaintXP.bat"
rem Windows XP script
regedit /s c:\scripts\cleanmgr.reg
cleanmgr.exe /sagerun:1
defrag C: -f
C:\scripts\shutdown.exe /R /T:2
---------{/snip}-----------------

---------{snip}------------------
rem "Maint2k.bat"
rem Windows 2000 script
regedit /s c:\scripts\cleanmgr.reg
cleanmgr.exe /sagerun:1
C:\scripts\AutoDeFrag.exe
C:\scripts\shutdown.exe /R /T:2
---------{/snip}-----------------

2] I downloaded two files:
1) Shutdown.exe: From the Windows 2000 Resource Kit, can be downloaded here
http://www.petri.co.il/download_free_reskit_tools.htm
2) Autodefrag.exe:
http://www.morphasys.com/autodefrag/

3] I created a cleanmgr.reg file that will configure the registry for the
Disk Cleanup Wizard
---------{snip}------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Active Setup Temp Folders]
"StateFlags0001"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Content Indexer Cleaner]
"StateFlags0001"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Downloaded Program Files]
"StateFlags0001"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Internet Cache Files]
"StateFlags0001"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Offline Files]
"StateFlags0001"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Offline Pages Files]
"StateFlags0001"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Old ChkDsk Files]
"StateFlags0001"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Recycle Bin]
"StateFlags0001"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Temporary Files]
"StateFlags0001"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Temporary Offline Files]
"StateFlags0001"=dword:0000000
------------{/snip}-------------------------------------------------------------------------

4] I drop all of these files into C:\scripts directory, and set a scheduled
task to run the respective batch file (depending on what OS it is) at night
when the computer is logged off.

Pegasus \(MVP\) · Dec 9, 2004

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Volum
eCaches\Active Setup Temp Folders]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Volum
eCaches\Content Indexer Cleaner]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Volum
eCaches\Downloaded Program Files]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Volum
eCaches\Internet Cache Files]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Volum
eCaches\Offline Files]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Volum
eCaches\Offline Pages Files]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Volum
eCaches\Old ChkDsk Files]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Volum
eCaches\Recycle Bin]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Volum
eCaches\Temporary Files]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Volum
eCaches\Temporary Offline Files]

I think your script is a recipe for disaster. Defragging is much
like open heart surgery and should be performed sparingly. In
most cases you would not be able to tell the difference without
a stop watch - if at all. If you have a power failure during a
defrag operation then you might lose your whole disk.

Cleaning the registry is even worse: It is in most cases
unnecessary, and it can completely cripple your PC.

Doing these things may give you a warm feeling inside but it
won't to make your PC run better. Have you ever measured
the effect of these actions in a tightly controlled test?

If you wish to persist then you need to be more specific about
the steps that fail in your script. Add some basic diagnostics
like so:

1 @echo off
2 echo %date% %time% Start of cleanup > c:\test.log
3 echo Username=%UserName%, Path=%path%>>c:\test.log
4 regedit /s c:\scripts\cleanmgr.reg 1>>c:\test.log 2>>c:\test.err
5 echo %date% %time% End of cleanup >> c:\test.log

Guest · Dec 9, 2004

Thank you for the reply!
OK, I will consider your warnings on defrag, I've seen debates on its
usefullness or not but Im certain the powers that be here at work will decide
that I will need to defrag our machines!
The other part of my script is intended to delete temp files using the "Disk
Cleanup" wizard ("cleanmgr.exe"). I dont do any registry cleaning in this
script. The regedit command takes the cleanmgr.reg file and imports it into
the registry in order to configure the "dick cleanup" wizard parameters. Is
there a better way to have that run properly when the machine is logged off?
I'll modify the scripts as you shown to generate the standard output to look
back at errors after the scripts run.

Pegasus \(MVP\) · Dec 9, 2004

You can delete any file while the user is logged off by scheduling
a batch file to run in the middle of the night. Its activities would be
restricted to your PC and would not extend to other things, as
suggested in the item between quotes in your latest reply . . .

Guest · Dec 10, 2004

The "disk cleanup" utility is a native windows tool that cleans temp files.
It is cleanmgr.exe. There is a sageset:n argument that sets the registry
http://www.iamnotageek.com/a/64-p1.php. I set that, and exported those to a
..reg file I named cleanmgr.reg. My batch file imports that into the registry.
Then the batch file runs the cleanmgr command that uses those settings from
the registry.

Disk Cleanup Tool	3	Dec 20, 2005
disc cleanup	1	Oct 28, 2007
REG_SZ vs REG_EXPAND_SZ data types for %SystemRoot% in registry	8	Jun 22, 2007
Disk Cleanup; New entries appear	1	Feb 6, 2009
Volume Icon missing - a challenge to you all!	6	Dec 31, 2005
"Upgrade Pack 98" and the "1 minute freeze".	3	Nov 5, 2006
scripting	3	May 16, 2007
Need .reg to get rid of "Other people are logged on" at shutdown	5	Nov 13, 2009

Scripting for cleanup utilities run by Task Scheduler on logged of

Guest

Pegasus \(MVP\)

Guest

Pegasus \(MVP\)

Guest

Ask a Question

Similar Threads