How to Open Windows Task Manager

Fast and easy ways to see open apps, programs, and services in Windows

The Windows Task Manager allows you to view and monitor various activities that occur on your computer. Examples of information available in Task Manager are running applications, CPU and RAM usage, startup apps (Windows 8 and 10 only), and services. Of course, you can also perform tasks like ending applications (Task Manager is often used to close frozen apps). This article will show you various ways of opening Task Manager in Windows.

Method 1
Method 1 of 8:

Taskbar Context Menu

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    1
    Right-click an empty space on the taskbar. Doing so will show a context menu.
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    2
    Choose Task Manager or Start Task Manager. It's towards the bottom of the context menu.
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    3
    Finished.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 8:

Power User Menu (Windows 10 and 8)

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    Right-click on the Start
    Image titled Windowsstart.png
    button.     It's located at the lower-left corner of your screen. This brings up the Power User Menu.
    • You can also press ⊞ Win+x together to do this.
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    2
    Choose Task Manager from the list of options.
    • Alternatively, press the T keyboard key.
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    3
    Finished.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 8:

Ctrl + Shift + Esc Keyboard Shortcut (Direct Access)

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    Press the Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Esc keys together.
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    Finished.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 8:

Windows Security (Ctrl + Alt + Del) Screen

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    Press the Ctrl+Alt+Del keys together.
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    2
    Choose "Task Manager" from the list of choices. If you're running an older Windows version, it might be listed as "Start Task Manager".
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    3
    Finished.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 8:

Windows Search

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    Launch the search feature. Follow these steps depending on your Windows version:
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    2
    Type task manager.
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    3
    Select the appropriate result. The listing should have the words "task manager" within the result.
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    4
    Finished.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 8:

Run Dialog Box

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    Open the Run dialog box. Press ⊞ Win+R together.
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    2
    Type taskmgr.
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    3
    Hit ↵ Enter or click OK.
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    4
    Finished.
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Method 7
Method 7 of 8:

Command Line (Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell)

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    Open Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell. This can be done by searching for the respective application and selecting it from the results.
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    2
    Wait for the app to fully load. You should see copyright text at the top and your user folder path.
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    3
    Type taskmgr.
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    4
    Submit the command. Hit the ↵ Enter key.
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    5
    Finished.
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Method 8
Method 8 of 8:

File Explorer

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    Open File Explorer.
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    2
    Click the address bar.
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    3
    Type %SystemDrive%\Windows\System32.
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    4
    Hit ↵ Enter or click → to the far right of the address bar.
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    5
    Find "Taskmgr" and open it. It might have ".exe" at the end of the name depending on your file viewing settings.
    • You'll need to scroll down past the folders, which are always placed at the top.
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    6
    Finished.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Is it normal for a redundancy (17x) of "Microsoft Windows System Protection Background Tasks" to be running all the time?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    No that is not normal. This process is very taxing on the CPU processor of your computer. If it is running this test consistently then it probably means your Windows Operating System has corrupted files and you would need to do a fresh install of the operating system. You can also try to boot it in safe mode and try some trouble shooting there. If that doesn't work, back up your data in safe mode and bring your computer to a repair shop instead of sending it back to the manufacturer.
  • Question
    My Windows 10 system keeps saying my computer is locked because my IP address is being used without my knowledge that contains websites that can steal my identity and that contain identity theft.
    R2_d2000
    R2_d2000
    Top Answerer
    You have a virus. You should follow the directions on How to Remove a Virus, and then you should reset your browser.
  • Question
    Windows 10 keeps saying: "The code cannot proceed because AppVlsvSubsystems32.dll was not found." I tried to reinstall the program but my computer still isn't working. What can I do to fix this?
    AmongUsIsC00l
    AmongUsIsC00l
    Community Answer
    Try downloading AppVlsvSubsytems32.dll and put it in your system and system32 folders. If this fails, then you probably need a new Windows installation.
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/12445/windows-keyboard-shortcuts
  2. https://www.howtogeek.com/66622/stupid-geek-tricks-6-ways-to-open-windows-task-manager/

About This Article

Luigi Oppido
Co-authored by:
Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 250,048 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 19
Updated: August 17, 2022
Views: 250,048
Categories: Windows | Basic Computer Skills
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