Task history cluttering the History tab in the Task Scheduler? Here is how to delete task scheduler history in Windows 10 & 11.
Windows Task Scheduler lets you track and log all the events during a task’s run using Task Scheduler History feature. You can view each task’s history from the History tab of the scheduled task. i.e., select a scheduled task and then click on the “History” tab. In general, the task history gives a verbose log of each event. These events allow you to keep an eye on what the task is doing. Most of all, the task history gives you a lot of information for troubleshooting in case of misconfigurations or unexpected behavior.
As good as the task history feature is, it will grow too large if you don’t watch it. Depending on how big the task history log is, it can sometimes slow down when the system when viewing the task history or make it harder to find and troubleshoot a specific event.
In those cases, deleting the task history gives you some breathing room and clears the clutter for effective troubleshooting. Let me show you how to delete task scheduler history in Windows 10 and 11 operating systems without delay.
Delete task history in Windows
Windows logs scheduled task activities as events in the Event Viewer. For example, when a scheduled task is fired, it is logged as an event to the Event Viewer. The same is true for successful, failed, or error-prone scheduled tasks. So, to delete the task history, we need to delete the Task Scheduler’s Event Viewer log. As soon as you do that, the entire task scheduler history is cleared. Here is how to do it.
- Open the Event Viewer application.
- Go to the “Event Viewer (Local) > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > TaskScheduler” folder on the sidebar.
- Double-click on the “Task Scheduler” folder.
- Right-click on the “Operational” entry.
- Select the “Clear log” option.
- Click the “Clear” button.
- Right-click on the “Maintenance” entry.
- Next, select the “Clear log” option.
- Press the “Clear” button.
- The entire Task Scheduler history is cleared.
Detailed steps:
Search for “Event Viewer” in the Start menu and open it. Next, use the sidebar to go to the “Event Viewer (Local) > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > TaskScheduler” folder. Here, double-click on the Task Scheduler to find the Maintenance and Operational entries.
Right-click on the “Operational” entry and select the “Clear log” option.
When prompted, click the “Clear” button. If you want to be safe, click the “Save and Clear” option. It allows you to save the history log before deleting it.
Next, right-click on the “Maintenance” entry and select the “Clear log” option. Click the “Clear” button when prompted.
Finally, close the Event Viewer window.
That’s it. As soon as you delete the Task Scheduler Event Viewer logs, the task history is deleted. If you open a scheduled task property and go to the “History” tab, you will no longer see the task history. Of course, if the task is triggered or running, you will see new entries as they happen.
If you don’t want Task Scheduler to log events, disable history in Task Scheduler.
Can I delete the history of a specific scheduled task?
No, you cannot delete the history of a specific scheduled task. Microsoft did not include any option to delete individual history entries of a particular scheduled task. That being said, you can use the Event Viewer’s filter option to filter out the events you need or don’t need.
That is all. It is that simple to clear history in Task Scheduler.
I hope that helps.
If you need help, comment below. I will do my best to help you.
