Windows - Maintenance Tasks - Remove Scheduled Task

What the Scheduled Task Remover does

This Automox Worklet™ removes scheduled tasks from Windows Task Scheduler using an exact task name match. The Worklet searches for the specified task and unregisters it from the endpoint, completely removing the task configuration and any associated triggers or actions.

The task removal process is straightforward: if the Worklet finds a task with the exact name you specify, it removes that task and exits successfully. If no matching task exists, the Worklet exits without making any changes.

The task removal process uses an exact name match: if the Worklet finds a task with the specified name, it removes that task and exits successfully. If no matching task exists, the Worklet exits without making changes.

Why remove scheduled tasks from endpoints

Scheduled tasks can accumulate on endpoints over time as applications are installed, updated, or removed. Old or orphaned tasks consume system resources and can create confusion during endpoint audits or troubleshooting efforts. Removing unnecessary tasks helps maintain a clean system state and prevents execution of unwanted or redundant tasks.

Task removal is critical when legacy software is being phased out, when a vendor-supplied task needs to be replaced with a custom one, or when security policies require elimination of deprecated tasks. Using Automox to remove these tasks at scale maintains consistency across your endpoint fleet and eliminates manual intervention.

How scheduled task removal works

1. Evaluation phase: The Worklet queries Task Scheduler using the PowerShell Get-ScheduledTask cmdlet with the task name you specified. If a task with that exact name exists, the Worklet flags the endpoint for remediation.

2. Remediation phase: The Worklet uses the Unregister-ScheduledTask cmdlet with the -Confirm:$false parameter to remove the task without requiring user confirmation. If removal succeeds, the Worklet exits with a success code.

Scheduled task removal requirements

• Windows 10 or later, or Windows Server 2019 or later

• PowerShell 5.0 or later

• Administrative privileges to unregister scheduled tasks

• The exact task name as it appears in Task Scheduler (must be specified as a parameter when running the Worklet)

• The task cannot be currently running or locked by another process

Expected task removal outcome

After successful remediation, the specified task will no longer exist in Windows Task Scheduler. The Worklet produces activity log output confirming the task removal. You can verify the removal by checking Task Scheduler on the endpoint or by running Get-ScheduledTask with the task name as a filter; no results should be returned.

If the task was running scheduled actions or services, those actions will stop being triggered after removal. This can affect endpoint behavior if the task was performing critical maintenance or service management, so verify that task removal aligns with your endpoint management policies before deploying across your organization.

How to validate remove scheduled task changes

1. Run this Worklet on a pilot Windows endpoint and review evaluation output for remove scheduled task.

2. Confirm Automox activity logs show successful completion and exit code 0.

3. Verify endpoint state using checks aligned to evaluation script logic, such as Get-ScheduledTask, Write-Output.

4. Validate remediation effects from script operations such as Get-ScheduledTask, Write-Verbose, Unregister-ScheduledTask, then rerun evaluation for compliance.