How to Open Windows Task Manager: Menus, Shortcuts, & More

Download Article

Fast and easy ways to see running apps and services in Windows

Download Article

• Ctrl + Shift + Esc
|
• Ctrl + Alt + Del
|
• Taskbar Menu
|
• Power User Menu
|
• Windows Search
|
• Control Panel
|
• Run Dialog Box
|
• Command Prompt
|
• File Explorer
|
• Pin to the Taskbar
|
• Make a Desktop Shortcut
|
• Video
|
• Q&A
|
• Tips

|Show more|Show less

Trying to open the Windows Task Manager to end a process or check your computer's performance? The Task Manager allows you to view various activities that occur on your PC. You can monitor running applications, CPU and RAM usage, startup apps (Windows 8 and 10 only), and services. You can also end unresponsive or frozen applications! This How.com.vn article will show you various ways to open the Task Manager in Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11, including quick keyboard shortcuts.

Things You Should Know

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to immediately open the Task Manager.
• Alternatively, right-click the Taskbar and select "Task Manager" to open it.
• You can also press Windows Key + X to open the Power User menu and select "Task Manager."

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 11:

Ctrl + Shift + Esc

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Press the Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Esc keys together. This keyboard shortcut will open the Task Manager in a new window.

   • You're ready to look through your processes and end tasks! Clearing tasks that you don't need to run is a great way to speed up a slow windows computer.
Advertisement

Method 2

Method 2 of 11:

Ctrl + Alt + Del

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Press the Ctrl+Alt+Del keys together. This will open the Windows Security screen.
2. 
   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. This will open the Task Manager in a new window.
Advertisement

Method 3

Method 3 of 11:

Taskbar Menu

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Right-click an empty space on the taskbar. The taskbar is the bar running along the bottom of the screen that contains your Start menu. Doing so will show a context menu.
2. 
   2
   Choose Task Manager or Start Task Manager. It's towards the bottom of the context menu. This will open the Task Manager in a new window.

   • You're done! You're ready to close unresponsive programs and change process priorities.
Advertisement

Method 4

Method 4 of 11:

Power User Menu

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Right-click on the Start

   

   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.
2. 
   2
   Choose Task Manager from the list of options. This will open the Task Manager in a new window.

   • Alternatively, press the T keyboard key.
Advertisement

Method 5

Method 5 of 11:

Windows Search

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Launch the search feature. Follow these steps depending on your Windows version:

   • Windows 11: Press the Start
     
     button.
   • Windows 10: Click the cortana/search bar/icon. If it's hidden, then press the Start
     
     button.
   • Windows 8.1: Press ⊞ Win+Q.
   • Windows 7 and Vista: Click the Start
     
     button.
   • Windows XP: This method will not work.
2. 
   2
   Type task manager.
3. 
   3
   Select Task Manager. This will open the Task Manager in a new window.
Advertisement

Method 6

Method 6 of 11:

Control Panel

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Press ⊞ Win+S to open Windows Search. This method uses the built-in Control Panel app to open the Task Manager.
2. 
   2
   Type "control panel" in the search bar and select Control Panel. This will open the Control Panel in a new window.
3. 
   3
   Type "task manager" in the top right search bar. This will show you a list of results related to the task manager.
4. 
   4
   Click Task Manager. It's under the "System" section of the search results. You're done! The Task Manager will open in a new window.
Advertisement

Method 7

Method 7 of 11:

Run Dialog Box

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open the Run dialog box. Press ⊞ Win+R together.
2. 
   2
   Type taskmgr.
3. 
   3
   Press ↵ Enter or click OK. This will open the Task Manager in a new window.
Advertisement

Method 8

Method 8 of 11:

Command Prompt

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell. This can be done by searching for the respective application and selecting it from the results.
2. 
   2
   Wait for the app to fully load. You should see copyright text at the top and your user folder path.
3. 
   3
   Type taskmgr.
4. 
   4
   Press the ↵ Enter key. This will open the Task Manager in a new window.
Advertisement

Method 9

Method 9 of 11:

File Explorer

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open File Explorer. It's the yellow folder in the taskbar.
2. 
   2
   Click the address bar.
3. 
   3
   Type %SystemDrive%\Windows\System32.
4. 
   4
   Press ↵ Enter or click → to the far right of the address bar.
5. 
   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.
Advertisement

Method 10

Method 10 of 11:

Pin to the Taskbar

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open File Explorer.
2. 
   2
   Click the address bar.
3. 
   3
   Type %SystemDrive%\Windows\System32.
4. 
   4
   Press ↵ Enter or click → to the far right of the address bar.
5. 
   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.
6. 
   6
   Right-click the Task Manager icon in the Taskbar. This will open an options menu.
7. 
   7
   Select Pin to taskbar. This will make it so that the Task Manager always appears in the Taskbar, even when it's closed. You can click the Task Manager icon to reopen it.
Advertisement

Method 11

Method 11 of 11:

Make a Desktop Shortcut

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open File Explorer.
2. 
   2
   Click the address bar.
3. 
   3
   Type %SystemDrive%\Windows\System32.
4. 
   4
   Press ↵ Enter or click → to the far right of the address bar.
5. 
   5
   Right-click "Taskmgr" in the System 32 folder. It might have ".exe" at the end of the name depending on your file viewing settings. An options menu will appear.

   • You'll need to scroll down past the folders, which are always placed at the top.
6. 
   6
   Select Create shortcut. This will create a desktop shortcut for the Task Manager.

   • In Windows 11, you may need to click Show more options to access the Create shortcut option.
7. 
   7
   Double-click the Task Manager shortcut. This will open the Task Manager in a new window.
Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

• Question

  Is it normal for a redundancy (17x) of "Microsoft Windows System Protection Background Tasks" to be running all the time?

  

  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.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

  YesNo

  Not Helpful 1Helpful 2
• 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

  Top Answerer

  You have a virus. You should follow the directions on How to Remove a Virus, and then you should reset your browser.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

  YesNo

  Not Helpful 4Helpful 8
• 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?

  

  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.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

  YesNo

  Not Helpful 0Helpful 1

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Tips

• For more helpful Windows features, check out how to take a screenshot and how to zoom out the screen.
  Thanks

  Helpful1Not Helpful0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Advertisement

Video