To help keep everything running smoothly, Windows automates many maintenance tasks in the background, including checking for updates and removing temporary files. These rely on the Task Scheduler, a tool which can also be customised with scripts of your own.  At its most basic, this can be used to open certain apps when specific criteria are met. But you can get more advanced, with the ability to run almost any command you’d run in Windows PowerShell.  We’re using a Windows 11 device for the purposes of this tutorial, but it’s the exact same method on Windows 10. 

How to automatically open any app in Windows

The app will now open at the specific time, or as soon as possible after your device is turned on. This can be repeated as many times as you’d like. 

How to automatically run a command in Windows

If you’re willing to put in some time and effort, you can set Windows to carry out more complex tasks automatically. In theory, any command that works in Windows PowerShell can be automated.  Here, we’ll be setting Windows to automatically lock your device at 6pm each workday. This is an easy way to signal that you should stop working, without risking losing any of your work. 

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As the resident expert on Windows, Senior Staff Writer Anyron’s main focus is PCs and laptops. Much of the rest of his time is split between smartphones, tablets and audio, with a particular focus on Android devices.