What is Task Manager?

Task Manager is one of the most powerful built-in utilities in Windows. It gives you a complete overview of all processes, apps and services running on your computer, including information on how much processor, memory and disk they use. With Task Manager you can close frozen programs, track down performance problems and analyze how your system behaves.

Whether you want to stop a program that is no longer responding, find out why your computer is slow, or are simply curious about what is running in the background: Task Manager is the tool you need. In Windows 11, Task Manager got a modern look with improved functionality.

Opening Task Manager

There are several ways to open Task Manager:

Keyboard shortcuts

  • Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Opens Task Manager directly (recommended)
  • Ctrl + Alt + Delete: Opens a security screen where you can choose Task Manager

Other methods

  • Right-click the taskbar and choose Task Manager
  • Right-click the Start button and choose Task Manager
  • Search for 'Task Manager' in the Start menu
  • Press Windows + X and choose Task Manager from the menu

The Task Manager tabs

Task Manager in Windows 11 has several tabs, each with its own function:

Processes

The Processes tab shows all active apps and background processes:

  • Apps: Programs you are actively using with a window
  • Background processes: Programs running in the background
  • Windows processes: Essential system processes

For each process you can see how much CPU, memory, disk, network and GPU it uses. Click a column header to sort and identify the heaviest processes.

Performance

This tab shows real-time graphs of your system performance:

  • CPU: Processor usage and speed
  • Memory: RAM usage and availability
  • Disk: Activity of your hard drive or SSD
  • Wi-Fi/Ethernet: Network usage
  • GPU: Graphics card usage

App history

Shows historical CPU and network usage per app. Useful for seeing which apps have used the most resources over time.

Startup apps

Here you can manage programs that start automatically. See our article on startup programs for more details.

Users

If multiple users are signed in, this tab shows their usage. You can also sign out other users here (with administrator rights).

Details

An extensive list of all processes with technical details such as process ID, status and more. This is for advanced users.

Services

Shows all Windows services and their status. Services are background programs that perform important system functions.

Closing a frozen program

The most-used feature of Task Manager is closing programs that are no longer responding:

Method 1: Using the Processes tab

  1. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc
  2. Find the program that is not responding in the list
  3. Programs that are not responding are often marked with '(Not responding)'
  4. Select the program by clicking it
  5. Click End task at the top right
  6. The program is closed

Method 2: With a right-click

  1. Open Task Manager
  2. Right-click the frozen program
  3. Choose End task from the context menu

Warning

If you force a program to close, you may lose unsaved work. First try to close the program normally, and only use Task Manager if the program really is no longer responding.

Tracking down performance problems

Task Manager is excellent for diagnosing slow performance:

Identifying high CPU usage

  1. Open the Processes tab
  2. Click the CPU column header to sort by CPU usage
  3. See which processes use the most CPU
  4. If a process uses an abnormal amount of CPU (and that is not normal for that program), consider closing it

Checking memory usage

  1. Sort the Processes list by Memory
  2. Check which apps use the most memory
  3. Look on the Performance tab to see how much memory is still available
  4. If memory is almost full, close programs you are not using

Analyzing disk activity

If your computer is slow while CPU and memory look normal, the disk may be the bottleneck:

  1. Sort by Disk on the Processes tab
  2. Identify which processes read or write a lot
  3. Windows Search indexing and updates can temporarily cause a lot of disk activity

Advanced features

Task Manager offers even more options for advanced users:

Open file location

To see where a program is installed:

  1. Right-click a process
  2. Choose Open file location
  3. File Explorer opens the folder containing the program file

Search online

If you don't know what a process is:

  1. Right-click the process
  2. Choose Search online
  3. Your browser opens with search results about that process

Viewing the process tree

Some processes start other processes. To see this:

  1. Go to the Details tab
  2. Right-click a process
  3. Choose Go to details or view the process tree

Changing priority

You can adjust a process's priority to give it more or fewer system resources:

  1. Go to the Details tab
  2. Right-click a process
  3. Choose Set priority and select a level

Be careful: changing priorities can cause system instability.

Tips and tricks

Get the most out of Task Manager with these tips:

Always on top

To keep Task Manager visible at all times:

  1. Click the gear icon (Settings) in Task Manager
  2. Turn on Always on top

Choosing the default tab

Choose which tab you want to see by default when it opens:

  1. Go to Settings in Task Manager
  2. Choose your preferred tab under 'Default start page'

Quick look via the taskbar

You can minimize Task Manager to the system tray for quick access to performance information.

Conclusion

Task Manager is an indispensable tool for every Windows user. Whether you need to close a frozen program, want to find out why your computer is slow, or want to manage startup programs: Task Manager gives you the information and control you need. By getting to know its various tabs and features, you can quickly diagnose and solve problems and keep your computer performing at its best. Make it a habit to use Task Manager whenever you have questions about what is happening on your computer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open Task Manager quickly?

The fastest way is the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc. This opens Task Manager directly. Alternatively, you can right-click the taskbar or Start button and choose Task Manager.

What happens when I end a task?

The program is closed immediately, regardless of whether it was still busy or had saved its data. Unsaved work is lost. Only use this feature for programs that are no longer responding.

Why is a process using 100% of my CPU?

This can be normal for intensive tasks such as video editing or games. If an unexpected program constantly uses a lot of CPU, this may point to a problem or even malware. Research the process online before you take action.

Can I safely close Windows processes?

No, be very careful with Windows processes. Closing essential system processes can make your computer crash or become unstable. Only close processes that you are sure are not essential to Windows.

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