Start apps with the Task Scheduler

Idea and implementation by Peter Häusler (the Swiss Avolites guy), 2021.

You are strongly discouraged from installing any third-party software on Avolites consoles. Doing so will void warranty, will probably result in unreliable behaviour of the console - and you will most likely end in all sorts of lampy hell.

However…

a) you have purchased your console, it is yours, you can do whatever you want with it, and
b) sometimes it's just a necessity to install something on it and make it start automatically.

As Titan consoles run on Windows Embedded which prevents you from doing many things you can do on a standard Windows installation (like, installing services, or autostart programs), you need to find another way of launching an additional app at system start. The example here is loopMIDI being installed and made start automatically on a TNP for a permanent installation.

In the Tools menu (top left) click on Folders.

In the left pane select 'This PC'. Then in the Search box (top-right) type 'task scheduler' and press Enter. (You will have found by now that an external keyboard will save you lots of hassle. If you don't have one then open the onscreen keyboard and press Pause in order to prevent Titan from catching the key strokes).

Doubleclick on the one which lives in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows…

(Another way would be: Tools ⇒ Control Panel ⇒ More… to open Windows Control Panel, than doubleclick on Administrative Tools, than doubleclick on Task Scheduler).

In the Task Scheduler's Action pane (right) click on Create Task…

On the tab General give the new task a name and a description.

On the tab Triggers click at New… and select At log on, to make the task being executed every time the user is looged on.

On the Actions tab click New, select the Action Start a program, and browse to the program (exe file). (In this example we make loopMIDI being started automatically).

The Conditions tab does not require any changes.

On the Settings tab you may want to additionally check Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed. Apart from that the default values are okay.

Confirm the new task's settings and close all windows. Next time you start the console the task will be executed.