Some readers have written with problems using the Scheduled Task feature. They schedule tasks to run automatically, but they get messages that say "the scheduled task did not run because an incorrect password or user name was used." This happens when the user account under which the tasks are scheduled to run has a blank password.

One workaround is to assign a password to the account, which is a good idea for security reasons. However, if you don't want to do that, it is possible to run scheduled tasks without a password.

If you're using XP Pro, you'll need to edit the Local Security Policy. Here's how:

1. Click Start | Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Local Security Policy.
2. In the Local Security Policy console, expand Local Policies and click Security Options.
3. In the right pane, double click the entry that says Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only.
4. By default, this policy is enabled. Click Disabled to disable it.
5. Click OK, and close the Local Security Policy console.