How to Enable Task Manager in Windows XP

The Windows XP Task Manager is a powerful tool that controls Windows' vital functions, as well as the presence of applications in system memory. With the Task Manager, you can open and control whichever processes are installed on your computer. You can also control logins. As it is such a powerful tool, there are times when you'll want to enable or disable the task manager for use by specific profiles.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Windows XP
• Administrator privileges

Enable Task Manager in Windows XP

1. Start Windows in your normal manner.
2. Click "Start." Then highlight and click "Run."
3. Type "REGEDIT" into the text bar and press "Enter."
4. Navigate through the registry, looking for the following directory: "HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies\ System."
5. Right-click on the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" and click "New" from the context menu to include a new string. This is only necessary when the necessary directory is not currently present in the registry. By default, Windows XP Home Edition does not include the necessary directory string.
6. Click on the "DisableTaskMgr" phrase and delete it. This is the simplest way to do it, but it makes it more of a challenge to repair in the future. You will need to manually reenter the string if you didn't back up first.
7. Change the numbers in the boolean section of the entry from one to zero. This will enable the Task Manager in Windows XP. Note that the zero is essentially equivalent to a positive entry in this regard, as the initial string is a negative.
8. Change the string manually from the "Run" window of the Start Menu, without having to access the Registry Editor. Simply type "REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableTaskMgr /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f" into the text field and press "Enter."

Tips & Warnings

• Back up your registry prior to making any major changes to the system. The easiest way to back up the registry is to use Windows XP's system restore feature. It will save the registry as it was prior to the changes you make.
• Avoid ending processes that are running under the direction of the system, as opposed to those processes running for a particular user. System processes are enabled to help keep the computer running correctly. Closing such applications can cause errors or instability in Windows XP.
• Be very careful whenever you are editing the system registry. Syntax errors in the registry can cause serious errors to occur.

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