Windows Task Scheduler: changing task-priority
The default priority of processes run using Task Scheduler in Windows is below-normal. To be more precise, the default task-priority is 7 which comes under the below-normal process-priority category.
| Task Priority | Priority Category |
|---|---|
| 0 | Real-time |
| 1 | High |
| 2-3 | Above Normal |
| 4-6 | Normal |
| 7-8 | Below Normal |
| 9-10 | Idle |
Below-normal priority works fine in most cases since Task Scheduler is primarily meant for running background tasks. But there may be cases where you want to run a normal task or even a task that you want to finish as soon as possible. For instance, I often use Task Scheduler to schedule TV recordings; this is a task which requires higher than normal priority on many computers.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to change the task-priority from within the Task Scheduler GUI. Here is one of the relatively easier ways to change the task-priority. Right click on the task in Task Scheduler and export the task as an XML file.
Modify the element named priority in the XML file to the task-priority you want. For example, you could set priority to 5 for setting normal priority.
Delete the original task from Task Scheduler
Choose the import task option either from right-click menu or actions sidebar to import the task back.
