Workstation Tasks Tab
Workstation Tasks allow you to schedule various tasks that run at the computer.
 | Specify the Workstation Task Start Time/ End Time such that it does not conflict with the Start Time/End Time of the Maintenance Period. If there is a conflict between the Maintenance Period and Deep Freeze Workstation Task, you cannot save the policy without removing the conflict. Deep Freeze Cloud will display a warning message if there is a conflict. |
The following Workstation Tasks are available:
• Windows Update – schedule Windows updates. You can configure additional settings in the Windows Update tab.
• Batch File – run a batch file on the target computer. You can configure additional settings in the Batch File tab.
• Idle Time – shut down or restart the computers if they are idle for a specified period of time.
• Restart – periodically restart computers to bring them to the original configuration or erase unwanted data.
• Shutdown – shut down the computers at a specified time every day to save power.
• Thawed Period – reboot Thawed for a specified period to perform manual software installs, automated software installs via third party tools or other permanent configuration changes.
 | For Windows Update, Thawed Period, and Batch File Tasks, all services will go into Maintenance Mode. Additional settings of the Maintenance Mode will not be applied. |
Each task is covered in detail in the following sections.
 | Overlapping tasks cannot be created in the Workstation Tasks tab. If a newly created task overlaps with an existing task, a message is displayed. |
 | A message can be displayed to the user for a maximum of 5 minutes. There must be a gap of a minimum of 5 minutes between any two tasks. |
 | A Workstation Task is triggered only when Deep Freeze is in a Frozen state. |
Windows Update
Windows Update tasks are scheduled for downloading Windows Updates on the computer. Windows Updates can be downloaded even when the computer is in a Frozen state. A Windows Update task has a Start Time and an End Time. After downloading Windows Updates, the computer reboots in a Thawed state to apply.
The Windows Update task can be scheduled by completing the following steps:
1. Select Windows Update from the Task Type drop-down and click Add.
2. The following options are displayed:
> Name – Specify a name for the task.
> Day – Select the day, or specify if the task will occur on Weekdays or Weekends.
> Start – Select the Start Time.
> End – Select the End Time. The minimum interval is 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can select When Windows Update Completes. If the Windows Update Task is not completed in 6 hours, Deep Freeze will end the task gracefully.
 | If a Windows Update task is set to end When Windows Update Completes, and the computer is turned off at the scheduled start time of the task, the Windows Update task will be triggered for the computer if the computer is powered on within 15 minutes after the scheduled start time. For example, a computer is turned off when the Windows Update task is set to start at 11:40 pm. If the computer is powered on between 11:40 pm to 11:55 pm, the Windows Update task will automatically execute on the computer. |
> Allow user to cancel task- Select the checkbox if the user is allowed to cancel the task before it starts.
> Attempt to wake up locally – Select this option to wake up the computer locally without requiring any communication from the Deep Freeze Cloud Console.
Note that certain hardware profiles do not support this option. If this option is selected, but the computer hardware does not support it, the computer will not wake up automatically.
> Shut down after task – Select the checkbox to shutdown the computer after the task.
> Disable keyboard and mouse – Select the checkbox to disable keyboard and mouse during the task.
> Show message – Select the checkbox to display a message on the computer Before and During the task. Specify the time interval in minutes and enter a brief message to be displayed before the task starts.
3. Click OK. You will be taken to the Windows Update Tab to configure additional settings if it has not been configured earlier.
 | The message This computer will reboot in %d for Windows Update is displayed in the Message to be displayed before the task field. This message can be edited. Add the word minutes in the message after %d to include the word minutes as part of the message. |
 | When scheduling the Windows Update task select the When Windows Update completes option or ensure that you allow a sufficient time frame to permit all required update activities. Review of Microsoft Security Bulletins from the TechNet web site (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin) to consider the appropriate time frame based upon the Critical and Security updates being released. |
 | If you are not using WSUS, Deep Freeze Windows Update process will only apply non-user-intervention Critical and Security updates, as well as Feature updates for Windows 10 and above. If you are using WSUS, all WSUS approved updates will be applied. If you are not using WSUS, Windows Update task will always try to install Feature updates whenever available starting from Windows 10. You can defer installing Feature updates by selecting Choose when updates are installing under Advanced Options of Windows Updates system settings, or enabling local computer policy Select when Preview Builds and Feature Updates are received located in Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Windows Update for Business. Alternatively, to apply other available updates visit the Microsoft Update Catalog site (http://catalog.update.microsoft.com) to obtain KB downloads which can then be applied using a Deep Freeze Batch File Workstation Task. Batch File tasks can also be used to apply other third party software updates. |
 | The Deep Freeze Windows Update tab settings override the Windows Update settings on the computer. |
Batch File
Batch File tasks are scheduled for executing batch files on the computer. A Batch File task has a Start Time and an End Time. During this period, the batch file is executed on the computer. You must configure additional settings in the Batch File tab for the Batch File Task to work. You can configure to shutdown the computer after the Batch File Task is completed. Computers will reboot Frozen after the batch file has been executed.
The Batch File task can be scheduled by completing the following steps:
1. Select Batch File from the Task Type drop-down and click Add.
2. The following options are displayed:
> Name – Specify a name for the task.
> Day – Select the day, or specify if the task will occur on Weekdays or Weekends.
> Start – Select the Start Time.
> End – Select the End Time. The minimum interval is 15 minutes.
> Allow user to cancel the task – Select the checkbox if the user is allowed to cancel the task before it starts.
> Attempt to wake up locally – Select this option to wake up the computer locally without requiring any communication from the Deep Freeze Cloud Console.
Note that certain hardware profiles do not support this option. If this option is selected, but the computer hardware does not support it, the computer will not wake up automatically.
> Shut down after task – Select the checkbox to shutdown the computer after the task.
> Disable keyboard and mouse – Select the checkbox to disable keyboard and mouse during the task.
> Show message – Select the checkbox to display a message on the computer Before and During the task. Specify the time interval in minutes and enter a brief message to be displayed before the task starts.
3. Click OK.
 | The message This computer will reboot in %d for Batch File is displayed in the Message to be displayed before the task field. This message can be edited. Add the word minutes in the message after %d to include the word minutes as part of the message. |
Idle Time
The Idle Time task can be scheduled by completing the following steps:
1. Select Idle Time from the Task Type drop-down and click Add.
2. The following options are displayed:
> Name – Specify a name for the task.
> Restart or Shutdown – Select Restart or Shutdown and specify the idle time in minutes after which the task must take place.
> Start countdown only after the first keyboard and mouse activity – Select this option for the timer to start counting only after the first keyboard or mouse activity. For example, if the idle time is specified as 20 minutes, and this option is selected, the computer task will shut down the computer 20 minutes after the first keyboard and mouse activity.
This option is only available if the Shutdown task is selected.
> Show message – Select the checkbox to display a message. Specify the time interval in minutes and enter a brief message.
 | After the computer is started, the Idle Time counter becomes active only after the first keyboard or mouse activity has been initiated. During a Remote Desktop session, the Idle Time of the controlling computer is used to activate the task. |
3. Click OK.
Restart
The Restart task can be scheduled by completing the following steps:
1. Select Restart from the Task Type drop-down and click Add.
2. The following options are displayed:
> Name – Specify a name for the task.
> Day – Select the day, or specify if the task will occur on Weekdays or Weekends.
> Start – Select the Start Time.
> Allow user to cancel the task- Select the checkbox if the user is allowed to cancel the task before it starts.
> Show message – Select the checkbox to display a message on the computer before the task starts. Specify the time interval in minutes and enter a brief message to be displayed before the task starts.
3. Click OK.
 | The message This computer will reboot in %d seconds is displayed in the Message to be displayed before the task field. This message can be edited. Add the word minutes in the message after %d to include the word minutes as part of the message. |
Shutdown
The Shutdown task can be scheduled by completing the following steps:
1. Select Shutdown from the Task Type drop-down and click Add.
2. The following options are displayed:
> Name – Specify a name for the task.
> Day – Select the day, or specify if the task will occur on Weekdays or Weekends.
> Start- Select the Start Time.
> Allow user to cancel the task – Select the checkbox if the user is allowed to cancel the task before it starts.
> Show message – Select the checkbox to display a message on the computer before the task starts. Specify the time interval in minutes and enter a brief message to be displayed before the task occurs.
3. Click OK.
 | The message This computer will shutdown in %d seconds is displayed in the Message to be displayed before the task field. This message can be edited. Add the word minutes in the message after %d to include the word minutes as part of the message. |
Thawed Period
Thawed Period tasks are scheduled to reboot the computer is in a Thawed state. A Thawed Period is useful for some applications that update automatically at regular intervals. A Thawed Period is also useful for administrators to schedule maintenance and make permanent changes to the computers. This may include installing new software, updating software, configuration changes, and other maintenance functions. A Thawed Period has a Start Time and an End Time.
The Thawed Period can be scheduled by completing the following steps:
1. Select Thawed Period from the Task Type drop-down and click Add.
2. The following options are displayed:
> Name – Specify a name for the task.
> Day – Select the day, or specify if the task will occur on Weekdays or Weekends.
> Start – Select the Start Time.
> End – Select the End Time. The minimum interval is 15 minutes.
> Allow user to cancel task – Select the checkbox if the user is allowed to cancel the task before it starts.
> Attempt to wake up locally – Select this option to wake up the computer locally without requiring any communication from the Deep Freeze Cloud Console.
Note that certain hardware profiles do not support this option. If this option is selected, but the computer hardware does not support it, the computer will not wake up automatically.
> Shut down after task – Select the checkbox to shutdown the computer after the task.
> Disable keyboard and mouse – Select the checkbox to disable keyboard and mouse during the task.
> Show message – Select the checkbox to display a message on the computer Before and During the task. Specify the time interval in minutes and enter a brief message to be displayed before the task starts.
3. Click OK.
 | The message This computer will reboot in %d for Maintenance is displayed in the Message to be displayed before the task field. This message can be edited. Add the word minutes in the message after %d to include the word minutes as part of the message. |
To ensure that the virus definitions are applied permanently, schedule the virus definition update for your Anti-Virus program so that it starts after Deep Freeze successfully starts the Thawed Period task and ends before Deep Freeze ends the Thawed Period task. This ensures that the virus definitions downloaded and updated by the Anti-Virus program stay permanently on the system. Hence the system is fully protected by Anti-Virus and Deep Freeze.
 | Faronics Anti-Virus: Faronics Anti-Virus works with Deep Freeze and does not require a Thawed Period task for updating virus definitions. Faronics Anti-Virus can update virus definitions even when the computers managed by Deep Freeze are in a Frozen state. Other Anti-Virus Programs: All other Anti-Virus programs require scheduling a Thawed Period task to update virus definitions. Refer to your Anti-Virus program user guide for information on how the virus definitions are downloaded. Alternatively, virus definitions can be applied manually when the computers managed by Deep Freeze are in a Thawed state. You can also schedule a no user intervention install of your virus definitions through a Batch File Task. |