Schedule Python Script – Windows 7
Question:
I have a python script which I would like to run at regular intervals. I am running windows 7. What is the best way to accomplish this? Easiest way?
Answers:
A simple way to do this is to have a continuously running script with a delay loop. For example:
def doit():
print "doing useful things here"
if __name__ == "__main__":
while True:
doit()
time.sleep(3600) # 3600 seconds = 1 hour
Then leave this script running, and it will do its job once per hour.
Note that this is just one approach to the problem; using an OS-provided service like the Task Scheduler is another way that avoids having to leave your script running all the time.
You can do it in the command line as follows:
schtasks /Create /SC HOURLY /TN PythonTask /TR "PATH_TO_PYTHON_EXE PATH_TO_PYTHON_SCRIPT"
That will create an hourly task called ‘PythonTask’. You can replace HOURLY with DAILY, WEEKLY etc.
PATH_TO_PYTHON_EXE will be something like: C:python25python.exe. Check out more examples by writing this in the command line:
schtasks /?
Otherwise you can open the Task Scheduler and do it through the GUI.
Hope this helps.
You can use the GUI from the control panel (called “scheduled tasks”) to add a task, most of it should be self-explanatory, but there are two things to watch out for:
-
Make sure you fill in C:python27python.exe as the program path, and the path to your script as the argument.
-
If you choose Run whether user is logged on or not I get an error: The directory name is invalid (0x87010B). Choosing Run only when user is logged on “solves” this issue.
This took me quite a bit to figure out …
I have a python script which I would like to run at regular intervals. I am running windows 7. What is the best way to accomplish this? Easiest way?
A simple way to do this is to have a continuously running script with a delay loop. For example:
def doit():
print "doing useful things here"
if __name__ == "__main__":
while True:
doit()
time.sleep(3600) # 3600 seconds = 1 hour
Then leave this script running, and it will do its job once per hour.
Note that this is just one approach to the problem; using an OS-provided service like the Task Scheduler is another way that avoids having to leave your script running all the time.
You can do it in the command line as follows:
schtasks /Create /SC HOURLY /TN PythonTask /TR "PATH_TO_PYTHON_EXE PATH_TO_PYTHON_SCRIPT"
That will create an hourly task called ‘PythonTask’. You can replace HOURLY with DAILY, WEEKLY etc.
PATH_TO_PYTHON_EXE will be something like: C:python25python.exe. Check out more examples by writing this in the command line:
schtasks /?
Otherwise you can open the Task Scheduler and do it through the GUI.
Hope this helps.
You can use the GUI from the control panel (called “scheduled tasks”) to add a task, most of it should be self-explanatory, but there are two things to watch out for:
-
Make sure you fill in
C:python27python.exeas the program path, and the path to your script as the argument. -
If you choose
Run whether user is logged on or notI get an error:The directory name is invalid (0x87010B). ChoosingRun only when user is logged on“solves” this issue.
This took me quite a bit to figure out …