The Task Scheduler does the things you were asking, but an application run this way isn't as robust as a Windows service - particularly regarding unattended operation, which is really the crux of what you are trying to do. It's a good temporary work-around, but I'd make it very clear via documentation and emails that this should not be considered a permanent solution.

Woody Z
http://www.learntoprogramnow.com
How to use a forum to help solve problems
My blog... please visit

What are the pitfalls with this approach?

One important issue is if the app crashes there is no mechanism for restarting it. A service can be automatically restarted, or have other actions taken, such as rebooting the computer or running a specific file for logging, sending emails, running diagnostics, etc.

There are administration tools for checking the status of windows services, as well as for doing things such as starting and stopping services remotely, and taking care of various logging requirements.

Also, it is much harder for a user to accidently stop a service. This is a problem only in cases where a user might be logged on to a system. The app you are discussing would show up in the task manager and if it has a user interface, it could be showing on the screen. The user could accidently or purposefully shut down the app.

There are other issues as well. Essentially it all comes down to robustness of the solution.





Woody Z
http://www.learntoprogramnow.com
How to use a forum to help solve problems
My blog... please visit