Randomize scheduled task times
- Policy ID
- RandomizeScheduleTaskTimes
- Scope
- Computer Configuration
- Supported on
- At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
- Source
- Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows 11 2026 Update (26H2) (version 1.0)
- Category
- Windows Components › Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Description
This policy setting allows you to configure the randomization of the scheduled scan start time and the scheduled definition update start time.
If you enable or do not configure this policy setting, and did not set a randomization window in the Configure scheduled task time randomization window setting , then randomization will be added between 0-4 hours.
If you enable or do not configure this policy setting, and set a randomization window in the Configure scheduled task time randomization window setting, the configured randomization window will be used.
If you disable this policy setting, but configured the scheduled task time randomization window, randomization will not be done.
Registry
ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- RandomizeScheduleTaskTimesREG_DWORD