10 Hidden Tricks of Task Manager You Might Not Know

1. Launching Task Manager

Here are 5 simple and effective ways to launch Task Manager that Mytour recommends for you. Choosing how to open Task Manager is up to your preference and desire.

Method 1: Using the shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Del

This is the simplest way to open Task Manager that most users know. However, on Windows 10, you can't use the Ctrl + Alt + Del shortcut to open Task Manager directly. Instead, use this shortcut to open a new window, where you'll find the Task Manager option. Your task is to click to open Task Manager.

Method 2: Utilize the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc

Use the Ctrl + Shift + Esc shortcut to directly open Task Manager without going through other options.

Method 3: Through the Taskbar

Right-click on any empty space on the Taskbar, then select Task Manager.

Method 4: Through the Power User Menu (also known as the WinX Menu)

Press the Windows + X key combination or right-click on the Start button to summon the Power User Menu, then click on Task Manager.

Method 5: Through the Run command window

Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run command window, then type taskmgr into it and press Enter to open Task Manager.

Alternatively, you can type taskmgr into the File Explorer address bar or in the Search box on the Start Menu. If using Win 10, you can find out how to open Task Manager on Win 10 here. For opening Task Manager in Windows 11, refer to it here.

See also: How to open Task Manager in Windows 11

2. Identifying the causes of application hang-ups, freezes

Normally, users seldom use Task Manager, if at all, unless there's an application hanging or freezing. In such cases, you can use Task Manager to kill the app. However, if you encounter similar issues upon subsequent openings, it's likely that the program isn't frozen but simply needs time to process tasks.

Overusing the task kill function for an active application can lead to data loss, and in severe cases, you may not be able to restore everything to its original state. That's why it's advisable to be patient and see if the frozen application can recover on its own.

The Analyze Wait Chain feature in Task Manager can help you identify why an application isn't responding (with the process being the main culprit). This feature is only available in the Details tab.

3. Restarting Windows Explorer

Sometimes, in certain cases where some parts of the system aren't responsive (such as the Taskbar, File Explorer, Start Menu, etc.), but applications are functioning well. In this case, restarting the computer may fix the issue, but simply restarting Windows Explorer can also resolve the issue. Restarting Windows Explorer will kill your tasks and automatically restart.

If Windows freezes but other applications are still working fine, you can apply the solution of restarting Windows Explorer to fix the issue.

4. Monitoring System Performance and Resources

Task Manager not only provides you with an overview of running processes and applications but also offers some tools to monitor system performance and how your system resources are allocated.

Some options in the Performance tab:

- Resource Monitor: Click on Open Resource Monitor at the bottom corner of the window to open Resource Monitor. Here, you can view real-time system data: active threads, disk response time, RAM consumption by processes, etc.

- Overview Modes: Right-click anywhere on the sidebar in the left pane, select Hide Graphs to conceal graphs and choose Summary View to hide everything on the sidebar.

Alternatively, right-click anywhere on the right pane, select Graph Summary View to hide everything on the current graph.

- Diagnostic Info: For any selected system resource (such as CPU, RAM, disk, etc.), right-click on it and select Copy to capture diagnostic screenshots to the clipboard. Paste it anywhere, like on Notepad or email, to identify and troubleshoot issues.

- Network Details: Choose a network, right-click on it, select View Network Details to see real-time information about network usage, send and receive speeds, etc.

- Other Useful Details: Each resource type has interesting and potentially useful details, such as System Uptime in CPU, RAM Slots Used in Memory, and Read/Write Speeds in Disk.

5. Online Search for Suspicious Processes

Suppose you discover suspicious processes that you haven't known or heard of before appearing in Task Manager.

Windows can help you search for these processes online. All you need to do is right-click on that process and select Search Online. This action will open a search tab in your browser, with the application name and process name, helping you determine whether the process is safe or a potential virus.

If the search results show that the process is related to malware, it's best to take additional steps to scan and remove any potential malware on your computer.

6. Adding Additional Display Columns

By default, the Task Manager window only displays 5 columns when listing processes: Name, CPU, Memory, Disk, and Network. While these columns show important details, you can add up to 6 additional columns by right-clicking in the header area.

Additional columns include: Type (or process type), Status, Publisher, PID (or process ID), Process Name (usually the name of executable files), and Command Line (the command and parameters used when running the process).

The Process Name column is useful for detecting suspicious applications, where you can find process names matching application names. The Publisher column is also helpful when identifying suspicious processes.

The Startup tab also adds additional columns to assist in troubleshooting (such as CPU and Disk I/O columns) or just to see which processes are still running on the system (the Running column).

7. Switching between Values and Percentages

When browsing through the list of processes, the CPU column only displays as %, but the other 3 default columns can switch between absolute values and %.

Displaying % helps you understand how much each process occupies in % of the total available system resources. For instance, if Opera occupies 40MB RAM, it means the application only occupies 2% of the total RAM on the system.

To switch between values and percentages, right-click on any process, then navigate on the Resource Values menu, choose the type of system resource you want to change, and select Values or Percents.

8. Easier Management of Windows Applications

Task Manager stands as the most efficient tool for managing Windows applications today. To facilitate easier application management, click the downward arrow next to the application listed under the Apps section in the Processes tab that you want to manage.

Right-click on that application, and a window will appear on the screen containing 5 options for app operation:

- Switch To: Focuses on the application and minimizes Task Manager on the Taskbar.

- Bring to Front: Focuses on the application without minimizing Task Manager. This option doesn't work if another application is 'Always on Top.'

- Minimize: Shrinks the application without displaying the application window.

- Maximize: Maximizes the application without displaying the application window.

- End Task: Completely terminates the application.

9. Open Application File Location

Do you often find yourself needing to navigate to the installation location of a specific program or application? Suppose in cases where you need to tweak some configuration files or add new theme files for that specific program.

Of course, you can gather information through File Explorer, but this method requires you to go through many steps and takes a lot of time. Instead, if the program is running, you can rely on the support of Task Manager to accomplish that.

In the Task Manager window, right-click on any process and select Open File Location. This action will take you to the folder containing the executable file of the process directly (if the file is displayed under the Process Name column, and if you have opened the column).

You can apply the above method for Apps, Background Processes, and Windows Processes, as well as other processes displayed in the Processes tab.

10. Open Command Prompt Directly

In Task Manager, you can access the File Menu, choose Run New Task to open the Run command window. This is the best way to restart a frozen or hung Windows Explorer in previous Windows versions.

Alternatively, press Ctrl while clicking Run New Task to open the Command Prompt window.

Moreover, there are many ways to open Command Prompt, and usually users seldom use this method to open Command Prompt. If you're unsure how to open Command Prompt on a Windows computer, readers can refer to Mytour's article on how to open CMD, 6 ways to start Command Prompt on Windows 7.

Here are 10 Task Manager tricks you might not know about that Mytour has introduced to help you better understand the features and usefulness of Task Manager in managing tasks on your computer.

If you want to activate God Mode on Windows 11, you can refer to this article. You will perform quickly and effectively, using God Mode efficiently.

See more: How to activate God Mode on Windows 11