To take advantage of what the MMC framework has to offer, you add any of the available standalone snap-ins to a console. A console is simply a container for snap-ins that uses the MMC framework. Dozens of preconfigured snap-ins are available from Microsoft, and they provide the functionality necessary for administration. Third-party tools from independent software vendors also now use MMC snap-ins.

Although you can load multiple snap-ins into a single console, most of the preconfigured consoles have only a single snap-in. For example, most of the tools on the Tools menu in Server Manager consist of a preconfigured console with a single snap-in—even the Computer Management tool, as shown in Figure 5-1, consists of a preconfigured console with the Computer Management snap-in added to it.

Figure 5-1. This is a preconfigured console with a snap-in added to it.

The many features of the Computer Management snap-in are good examples of how snap-ins can have nodes and extension components. A node defines a level within the console or within a snap-in. Computer Management has a root node, which is labeled Computer Management, and three top-level nodes, which are labeled System Tools, Storage, and Services And Applications. An extension component is a type of snap-in that extends the functionality of an existing snap-in. Computer Management has many extensions. In fact, each entry under the top-level nodes is an extension—and many of these extensions can themselves have extensions.

These particular extensions are also implemented as standalone snap-ins, and when you use them in your own console, they add the same functionality as they do in the preconfigured administration tools. You’ll find that many extensions are implemented as both extensions and standalone snap-ins. Many doesn’t mean all: some extensions are meant only to add functionality to an existing snap-in, and they are not also implemented as standalone snap-ins.

Keep in mind that extensions are optional and can be included or excluded from a snap-in by changing options within the console when you are authoring it. For example, if you didn’t want someone to be able to use Disk Management from within Computer Management, you could edit the extension options for Computer Management on that user’s computer to remove the entry for Disk Management. The user would then be unable to manage disks from within Computer Management. The user would still, however, be able to manage disks by using other tools.

An MMC has two operating modes: author mode and user mode. In author mode, you can create and modify a console’s design by adding or removing snap-ins and setting console options. In user mode, the console design is frozen, and you cannot change it. By default, the prepackaged console tools for administration open in user mode, and this is why you are unable to make changes to these console tools.

When you open a console that is in author mode, you have additional options on the File menu that help you design the interface. You can use these options to create new consoles, open existing consoles, save the current console, add or remove snap-ins, and set console options. In contrast, when you are working with one of the preconfigured console tools or any other tool in user mode, you have a limited File menu. With user mode, you can access a limited set of console options or exit the console—that’s it.

In author mode, you also have a Favorites menu, which you can use to add and organize favorites. The Favorites menu does not appear in user mode.

When you are finished designing a console tool, you should change to user mode. Console tools should be run in user mode, and author mode should be used only for configuring console tools. Three user-mode levels are defined:

A console’s mode is stored when you save the console and is applied when you open the console. In author mode, you can change the console mode by using the Options dialog box, which you open by selecting Options from the File menu. You cannot change the mode when a console is running in user mode. That doesn’t mean you can’t change back to author mode, however, and then make further changes as necessary.

To open any existing console tool in author mode, press and hold or right-click the tool’s icon and choose Author. This also works for the preconfigured administration tools. Just navigate to the %SystemDrive%ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsAdministrative Tools folder, press and hold or right-click the related shortcut, and then choose Author. You will then have full design control over the console, but remember that if you make changes, you probably don’t want to overwrite the existing .msc file for the console. So, instead of choosing Save from the File menu after you make changes, choose Save As and save the console with a different name. For best results and easy access to the modified console, be sure to follow the techniques discussed later in the chapter in the Saving the console tool section.

As Figure 5-2 shows, the MMC window consists of the console tree, the main pane, and an optional actions pane. The left pane is the console tree. It provides a hierarchical list of nodes available in the console. At the top of the tree is the console root, which could be specifically labeled Console Root or, as with the preconfigured tools, be simply the snap-in name. Generally, snap-ins appear as nodes below the console root. Snap-ins can also have nodes, as is the case with Computer Management. In any case, if there are nodes below the console root, you can expand them by tapping or clicking the plus sign to the left of the node label or by double-tapping or double-clicking the node.

Figure 5-2. MMC windows are customizable.

The main pane is also referred to as the details pane, and its contents change depending on the item you’ve selected in the console tree. When you are working with one of the lowest-level nodes in the console tree, you’ll sometimes have two views to choose from in the details pane: standard or extended view. The difference between the two is that the extended view typically provides quick access links to related, frequently performed tasks and a detailed description of the selected item. These are not displayed in the standard view.

One way to start a console tool is to select it on the Tools menu in Server Manager or double-tap or double-click its icon on the desktop or in File Explorer. You can also start console tools from the Search box, the command prompt, and the Windows PowerShell prompt. The executable for the MMC is Mmc.exe, so you can open the MMC by typing mmc in the Search box and then pressing Enter or by entering mmc at a command prompt. Either way, you’ll end up with a blank (empty) console you can use to design your custom administration tool.

To use an existing console, you can specify the console file to open when the MMC runs. This is, in fact, how the preconfigured tools and any other tools that you create are started. For example, if you press and hold or right-click the shortcut for Computer Management in the %SystemDrive%ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsAdministrative Tools folder and then select Properties, you’ll see that the target (the command that is run) for the menu item is as follows:

%windir%System32Compmgmt.msc /s

The first part of the target (%windir%System32Compmgmt.msc) is the file path to the associated Microsoft Saved Console (.msc) file. The second part of the target (/S) is a command parameter to use when running the MMC. It follows that you can run the MMC by specifying the file path to the .msc file to use and any necessary command parameters by using the following syntax:

mmc FilePath Parameter(s)

Here, FilePath is the file path to the .msc file to use, and Parameter(s) can include any of the following parameters:

Most console tools are found in the %SystemRoot%System32 directory. This puts them in the default search path for executables. Because there is a file type association for .msc files, specified files of this type are opened using Mmc.exe; you can open any of the preconfigured tools stored in %SystemRoot%System32 by specifying the file name followed by the .msc extension. For example, you can start Event Viewer by typing eventvwr.msc.

This works because of the file association that specifies that .msc files are executed using Mmc.exe. (You can examine file associations by using the ASSOC and FTYPE commands at the command prompt.)

Some console tools aren’t in the %SystemRoot%System32 directory—or the search path, for that matter. For these tools, you must type the complete file path.

Generally, the preconfigured MMC consoles available on a server depend on the roles, role services, and features that are installed. As you install additional roles, role services, and features, additional tools for administration are installed, and these tools can be both console tools and standard tools. You don’t have to rely on roles, role services, and features installation for tool availability, however. You can, in fact, install the complete administrative tool set on any full-server installation regardless of the roles, role services, or features being used.

Follow these steps to install the complete administrative tool set:

These tools are then available on the Tools menu in Server Manager and can also be started quickly in the Search box or at the command prompt by typing only their file name (in most cases). At times, you might find it quicker to open consoles from the command line. For example, on a server optimized for handling background services and not programs being run by users, you might find that navigating the menu is too slow. To help you in these instances, Table 5-1 provides a list of the key console tools and their .msc file names. Note that some of the MMCs won’t be available even if you install all the Remote Server Administration tools. Tools for certain server roles and features are only available when those roles and features are installed.

Some snap-ins can be set to work with local or remote systems. If this is the case, you see the name of the computer with focus in parentheses after the snap-in name in the console tree. When the snap-in is working with the local computer, you see (Local) after the snap-in name. When the snap-in is working with a remote computer, you see the remote computer name in parentheses after the snap-in name, such as (CORPSERVER01).

Generally, regardless of which type of snap-in you are using, you can specify the computer you want to work with in one of two ways. Within the MMC, you can press and hold or right-click the snap-in node in the console tree and then select Connect To Another Computer. This opens the Select Computer dialog box, as shown in Figure 5-3.

Figure 5-3. Specifying the computer you want to work with.

If you want the snap-in to work with the computer the console is running on, select Local Computer. Otherwise, select Another Computer and then type the computer name or Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer you want to use. If you don’t know the computer name or IP address, tap or click Browse to search for the computer you want to work with.

Some snap-ins that can be set to work with local and remote systems can be started from the command line with the focus set on a specific computer. This is a hidden feature that many people don’t know about or don’t understand. Set the focus when you start a console from the command line by using the following parameter:

/computer=RemoteComputer

Here, RemoteComputer is the name or IP address of the remote computer you want the snap-in to work with, such as:

compmgmt.msc /computer=corpserver01

or:

services.msc /computer=corpserver32

Several hidden options are available with the Active Directory–related snap-ins. For Active Directory Users And Computers, Active Directory Sites And Services, and Active Directory Domains And Trusts, you can use the /Server parameter to open the snap-in and connect to a specified domain controller. For example, if you want to start Active Directory Users And Computers and connect to the CorpSvr02 domain controller, you could do this by typing the following:

dsa.msc /server=CorpSvr02

For Active Directory Users And Computers and Active Directory Sites And Services, you can use the /Domain parameter to open the snap-in and connect to a domain controller in the specified domain. For example, if you want to start Active Directory Users And Computers and connect to the cpandl.com domain, you could do this by typing the following:

dsa.msc /domain=cpandl.com

The first step in building a custom console tool is to create the console you’ll use as the framework. To get started, open a blank MMC in author mode. Type mmc in the Search box and then press Enter. This opens a blank console titled Console1 that has a default console root, as shown in Figure 5-4.

Figure 5-4. Open a blank console with the default console root.

If you want your custom tool to be based on an existing console, you can open its .msc file and add it to the new console. Select Open on the File menu and then use the Open dialog box to find the .msc file you want to work with. As discussed previously, most .msc files are in the %SystemRoot%System32 directory. Any existing console you choose will open in author mode automatically. Keep in mind that you generally don’t want to overwrite the existing .msc file with the new .msc file you are creating. Because of this, when you save the custom console, be sure to choose Save As rather than Save on the File menu.

If you want to start from scratch, work with the blank console you just opened. The first thing you want to do is rename the console root to give it and the related window a more meaningful name. For example, if you are creating a console tool to help you manage Active Directory Domain Services, you could rename the console root Active Directory Management. To rename the console root and the related window, press and hold or right-click the console root and select Rename. Type the name you want to use and then press Enter.

Next, consider how many windows the console tool must have. Most console tools have a single window, but as shown in Figure 5-5, a console can have multiple windows, each with its own view of the console root. You add windows to the console by using New Window on the Window menu. After you add a window, you’ll probably want the MMC to tile the windows automatically, as shown in Figure 5-5. You can tile windows by selecting Tile Horizontally on the Window menu. You don’t have to do this, however; anytime there are multiple windows, you can use the options on the Window menu to switch between them.

Figure 5-5. Although consoles can have multiple windows, most consoles have a single window.

While you are thinking about the organization of the tool and the possibility of using additional views of the console root, you should also consider the types of snap-ins that you want to add to the console. Each of the tools listed in Table 5-1 is available as a standalone snap-in you can add to the console. If you’ve installed any third-party tools on the computer, these tools might have standalone snap-ins you can use. Many other snap-ins are also available from Microsoft.

Again, think of snap-in types or categories, not necessarily specific snap-ins you want to use. You might want to organize the snap-ins into groups by creating folders for storing snap-ins of a specific type or category. For example, if you are creating a console tool for managing Active Directory, you might find that there are four general types of snap-ins you want to work with: General, Policy, Security, and Support. You would then create four folders in the console with these names.

Folders are implemented as a snap-in you add to the console root. To add folders to the console root, follow these steps:

After you add folders, you must rename them. Press and hold or right-click the first folder and choose Rename. Type a new name and then press Enter. If you are following the example, rename the folders: General, Policy, Security, and Support. When you are finished renaming the folders, follow a similar process to add the appropriate snap-ins to your console.

Some snap-ins prompt you to select a computer to manage, as shown in Figure 5-7.

Figure 5-7. This Services dialog box is where you specify which computer a snap-in will manage.

If you want the snap-in to work with whichever computer the console is running on, select Local Computer. Otherwise, select Another Computer and then type the computer name or IP address of the computer you want to use. If you don’t know the computer name or IP address, tap or click Browse to search for the computer you want to work with.

Some snap-ins are added by using wizards with several configuration pages, so when you select these snap-ins, you start the associated wizard, and the wizard helps you configure how the snap-in is used. One particular snap-in that uses a wizard is Link To Web Address. When you add this snap-in, you start the Link To Web Address Wizard, as shown in Figure 5-8, and the wizard prompts you to create an Internet shortcut. Here, you type the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) you want to use, tap or click Next, enter a descriptive name for the URL, and then tap or click Finish. Then, when you select the related snap-in in the console tree, the designated webpage appears in the details pane.

Figure 5-8. You add snap-ins with multiple configuration pages by using a wizard.

While you are adding snap-ins, you can also examine the available extensions for snap-ins. In the Add Or Remove Snap-ins dialog box, choose a previously selected snap-in and then tap or click Edit Extensions. In the Extensions For dialog box, all available extensions are enabled by default, as shown in Figure 5-9. So, if you want to change this behavior, you can select Enable Only Selected Extensions and then clear the individual check boxes for extensions you want to exclude.

Figure 5-9. You can enable all extensions or selected extensions.

Figure 5-10 shows the example console with snap-ins organized using the previously discussed folders:

Figure 5-10. A custom console is organized with snap-ins in four folders.

When you are finished with the design, you are ready to save your custom console tool. Before you do this, however, you should consider a few final design issues:

Setting the console mode before saving

When you are finished authoring the console tool, select Options on the File menu. In the Options dialog box, as shown in Figure 5-11, you can change the console mode so that it is ready for use.

Figure 5-11. On the Console tab of the Options dialog box, you select a console mode and determine whether users can change the console.

In most cases, you’ll want to use User Mode - Full Access. Full access has the following characteristics:

• Users have a Window menu that enables them to open new windows; they can also press and hold or right-click a node or snap-in and choose New Window From Here to open a new window.

• Users can press and hold or right-click and choose New Taskpad View to create a new taskpad view.

With user mode set to Limited Access, Multiple Window, the console has the following characteristics:

• Users have a Window menu that allows them to arrange windows; they also can press and hold or right-click a node or snap-in and choose New Window From Here to open a new window.

• Users cannot press and hold or right-click and choose New Taskpad View to create a new taskpad view.

With user mode set to Limited Access, Single Window, the console has the following characteristics:

• Users do not have a Window menu and cannot press and hold or right-click a node or snap-in and choose New Window From Here to open a new window.

• Users cannot press and hold or right-click and choose New Taskpad View to create a new taskpad view.

To prevent user selections from changing the view, you find two handy options when you select Options from the File menu:

• Do Not Save Changes To This Console. Select this option to prevent the user from saving changes to the console. Clear this option to change the view automatically, based on the user’s last selection in the console before exiting.

• Allow The User To Customize Views. Select this option to enable users to add windows focused on a selected item in the console. Clear this option to prevent users from adding customized views.

Setting the console icon before saving

While you are working in the Options dialog box, you might consider setting custom icons for your console tools. All the console tools developed by Microsoft have their own icons. You also can use these icons for your console tools, or you could use icons from other Microsoft programs quite easily. In the Options dialog box (which opens when you select Options on the File menu), tap or click Change Icon. This opens the Change Icon dialog box, as shown in Figure 5-12.

In the Change Icon dialog box, tap or click Browse. By default, the Open dialog box should open with the directory set to %SystemRoot%System32. In this case, type shell32.dll as the File Name and tap or click Open. You should now see the Change Icon dialog box with the Shell32.dll selected, which enables you to choose one of several hundred icons registered for use with the operating system shell. (See Figure 5-13.) Choose an icon, tap or click OK, and then tap or click OK to close the Options dialog box. From then on, the icon will be associated with your custom console tool.

Figure 5-12. You can assign an icon to or change an icon for a console tool.

Figure 5-13. There are many icons to choose from.

Basically, taskpads enable you to create a page of tasks you can perform quickly by tapping or clicking the associated shortcut links rather than using the existing menu or interface provided by snap-ins. You can create multiple taskpads in a console, each of which you access as a taskpad view. Control Panel is an example of a console that has a taskpad. As with most taskpads, the Control Panel has two purposes: it provides direct access to the commands or tasks so that you don’t have to navigate menus, and it limits your options to a set of predefined tasks you can perform.

You create taskpads when you are working with a console tool in author mode. Taskpads can contain the following items:

Taskpad commands are also called tasks. You run tasks just by tapping or clicking their links. In the case of menu commands, tapping or clicking the links runs the menu commands. For shell commands, tapping or clicking the links runs the associated scripts or programs. For navigation components, tapping or clicking the links displays the designated navigation views. If you have multiple levels of taskpads, you must include navigation components to enable users to get back to the top-level taskpad. The concept is similar to having to create a home link on webpages.

Figure 5-14 shows a taskpad created for the Active Directory Users And Computers snap-in that has been added to the custom tool created earlier in the chapter.

Figure 5-14. This is a custom console with a taskpad that uses a vertical list.

As you can see, the task page view is labeled Active Directory Management, and it provides the following commands:

Taskpads can be organized in several ways. By default, they will have two views: an extended taskpad view and a standard view. The extended view contains the list of tasks you’ve defined and can also contain the console items being managed. The standard view contains only the console items being managed. When you create the taskpad, you have the option of hiding the standard view by selecting the Hide Standard Tab check box.

The extended view of the taskpad can be organized using a vertical list, a horizontal list, or no list. In a vertical list, as shown previously in Figure 5-14, taskpad commands are listed to the left of the console items they are used to manage. This organization approach works well when you have a long list of tasks and you still want users to be able to work with the related snap-ins.

With a horizontal list, as shown in Figure 5-15, the console items managed by the taskpad are listed above the taskpad commands. This organization style is best when you want to display multiple columns of taskpad commands and still be able to work with the related snap-ins.

Figure 5-15. A custom console with a taskpad that uses a horizontal list.

In some cases, you might not want to show the console items being managed by the taskpad in the same view as the tasks. In this case, you can specify that no list should be used. When you choose the No List option, the taskpad commands are shown by themselves on the taskpad tab (Active Directory Management in the example), and users can tap or click the Standard tab to access the related console items.

When you select the No List option, you can limit users’ options to the tasks you’ve defined and not allow users to access the console items being managed. To do this, you specify that the Standard tab should be hidden. From then on, when working with the console items being managed, users can perform only the tasks defined on the taskpad, such as shown in Figure 5-16.

Figure 5-16. By using the No List style and hiding the Standard tab, you can limit user options.

Any console tool that has at least one snap-in can have an associated taskpad. To create a taskpad, you must open the console in author mode and then follow these steps:

If you want to create multiple taskpads, you can repeat this procedure. For the example console, you might want to have a taskpad for each folder; in that case, you would create three additional taskpads. Any additional taskpads you create can be placed at the same place in the console tree or at a different part of the console tree. You access multiple taskpads placed at the same part of the console tree by using the tabs provided in the details pane.

As long as you are in author mode, any taskpad you created can easily be edited or removed. To edit a taskpad view, press and hold or right-click the item where you defined the taskpad and then select Edit Taskpad View from the shortcut menu. This opens a Properties dialog box containing two tabs:

You create tasks by using the New Task Wizard. By default, this wizard starts automatically when you finish creating a taskpad view. You also can start the wizard by using the taskpad Properties dialog box. On the Tasks tab, tap or click New. Alternatively, in your MMC, press and hold or right-click the folder or console item where you defined the taskpad and then select Edit Taskpad View from the shortcut menu.

After the New Task Wizard is started, tap or click Next and then select the command type as follows:

The subsequent screens you see depend on the type of task you are creating.

Creating menu command tasks

After choosing to create a menu command, select a source for the command, as shown in Figure 5-20. You specify the source of the command as a node from the console tree or from the list in the results pane for the item selected when you started the wizard. If you choose Node In The Tree as the source, select a snap-in in the console tree and then choose one of the available commands for that snap-in. The available commands change based on the snap-in you’ve selected.

Figure 5-20. Select a command source and then choose from the list of available commands.

Next, you set the name and description for the task. The name is used as the shortcut link designator for the task. The description is displayed as text under the shortcut link or as an InfoTip, depending on the way you configured the taskpad.

On the Task Icon page, you can choose an icon for the task. Select Icons Provided By MMC to choose any of the icons the MMC provides. Tap or click an icon to select it and to display what the icon symbolizes and its alternate meanings. If you want to use a different set of icons, select Custom Icon and then tap or click Browse. This opens the Change Icon dialog box. Tap or click Browse to open the Open dialog box. By default, the Open dialog box should open with the directory set to %SystemRoot%System32. In this case, type shell32.dll as the File Name and tap or click Open. You should now see the Change Icon dialog box with the Shell32.dll selected, which enables you to choose one of several hundred icons registered for use with the operating system shell.

When you tap or click Next again, the wizard confirms the task creation and shows a current list of tasks on the taskpad if you tap or click Finish to finalize the creation of the current task. If you want to create another task, select the When I Click Finish, Run This Wizard Again check box and then repeat this process. Otherwise, just tap or click Finish.

Creating shell command tasks

After choosing to create a shell command, specify the command line for the task, as shown in Figure 5-21.

Figure 5-21. Set the command line for the script or program you want to run.

The options are as follows:

• Command. The full file or Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path to the command you’ve chosen to run, such as C:ScriptsCheckpol.bat or \Corpserver01ScriptsCheckpol.bat. The command can be a shell or batch script or a program. If you don’t know the path to use, tap or click Browse and then use the Open dialog box to find the program you want to run.

• Parameters. The command-line parameters you want to pass to the script or program. Tap or click the right arrow beside the parameters field to display variables you can use. (These are related to the snap-in you selected originally when creating the taskpad.) Select a variable to add it to the list of command-line parameters.

• Start In. The startup (or base) directory for the script or program you’ve chosen, such as C:Temp.

• Run. The type of window the script or program should run within: a normal, minimized, or maximized window.

Next, you set the name and description for the task. The name is used as the shortcut link designator for the task. The description is displayed as text under the shortcut link or as an InfoTip, depending on the way you configured the taskpad.

Next, you can choose an icon for the task. As discussed previously, you can select Icons Provided By MMC or Custom Icon. If you use custom icons, you probably want to use the Shell32.dll in the %SystemRoot%System32 directory to provide the custom icon.

When you tap or click Next again, the wizard confirms the task creation and shows a current list of tasks on the taskpad if you tap or click Finish to finalize the creation of the current task. If you want to create another task, select the When I Click Finish, Run This Wizard Again check box and then repeat this process. Otherwise, just tap or click Finish.

Creating navigation tasks

Navigation tasks are used to create links from one taskpad to another or from a taskpad to a saved console view. Before you can create navigation tasks, you must save a console view or a view of a particular taskpad to the Favorites menu. To do this, while in author mode, navigate down the console tree until the taskpad or item to which you want to navigate is selected and then select Add To Favorites on the Favorites menu. In the Add To Favorites dialog box, shown in Figure 5-22, type a name for the favorite and then tap or click OK. Then you can create a navigation task on a selected taskpad that uses that favorite.

You create the navigation task by using the New Task Wizard. In the New Task Wizard, choose Navigation as the task type. Next, select the favorite to which you want users to navigate when they tap or click the related link. As shown in Figure 5-23, the only favorites available are the ones you’ve created as discussed previously.

Figure 5-22. Save the current view of the console tool to the Favorites menu.

Figure 5-23. Select the previously defined favorite you want to use.

Next, you set the name and description for the task. The name is used as the shortcut link designator for the task. The description is displayed as text under the shortcut link or as an InfoTip, depending on the way you configured the taskpad. If you are creating a link to the main console tool page, you might want to call it Home.

Next, you can choose an icon for the task. As discussed previously, you can select Icons Provided By MMC or Custom Icon. If you created a link called Home, the MMC provides a Home icon to use. If you use custom icons, you probably want to use the Shell32.dll in the %SystemRoot%System32 directory to provide the custom icon.

When you tap or click Next again, the wizard confirms the task creation and shows a current list of tasks on the taskpad if you tap or click Finish to finalize the creation of the current task. If you want to create another task, select the When I Click Finish, Run This Wizard Again check box and then repeat this process. Otherwise, just tap or click Finish.

Arranging, editing, and removing tasks

As long as you are in author mode, you can edit tasks and their properties by using the taskpad Properties dialog box. To open this dialog box, press and hold or right-click the folder or item where you defined the taskpad and then select Edit Taskpad View from the shortcut menu. On the Tasks tab shown in Figure 5-24, you can do the following:

• Arrange tasks. To arrange tasks in a specific order, select a task and then tap or click Move Up or Move Down to set the task order.

• Create new tasks. To create a new task, tap or click New and then use the New Task Wizard to define the task.

• Edit existing tasks. To edit a task, select it and then tap or click Modify.

• Remove tasks. To remove a task, select it and then tap or click Remove.

Figure 5-24. Use the Tasks tab in the taskpad Properties dialog box to arrange, create, edit, and remove tasks.