How to Understand Task Manager

You may close applications, processes and services in the Task Manager.

Microsoft has included the Windows Task Manager in all of its operating systems, excepting Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE and Windows ME. The Task Manager has evolved over the years. Newer versions include a "Services" tab, while Windows XP machines and earlier operating systems do not offer this feature. You may use the Task Manager to open programs, although clicking through to "Run" via the "Start" menu or simply typing the program in the "Start Search" field after clicking "Start" are easier ways to open programs.

Things You'll Need

• Administrator access

Instructions

1. Hold down "Ctrl" + "Alt" + "Del" at the same time to open Task Manager. You may also right-click on the task bar, then left-click on "Task Manager." Double-click the "Task Manager" border to view menus and tabs if using Windows 7.

2. Click on the "Applications" tab if it is not currently highlighted to view a list of currently running programs. Highlight an application, and click on the "End Task" program to force Windows to close the program. Right-click an application and left-click on "Go to process."

3. Examine the file that Windows has highlighted. Windows associates this process with the program you clicked on the Applications tab (the other processes are all programs running in the background).

4. Highlight unneeded processes such as updaters and click "End Process" if you need to free memory or to increase CPU resources.

5. Right-click on the process Windows originally highlighted or choose another process. Left-click on "Go to service(s)."

6. Click on the "Services" button near the bottom of the Task Manager. Click on each service to determine what it does. You may restart, start or stop services by clicking on the service, then selecting your action.

7. Close the Services window. Click on the "Performance" tab. Examine your current CPU and memory usage to determine if you need to increase your resources. Click on "Resource Monitor" for more in-depth information about your computer, including statistics on disk and network performance.

8. Click on the "Networking" tab to examine local area network (LAN) and wireless network statistics.

9. Click on the "Users" tab to examine a list of currently logged-in users. You may sign off users by highlighting the name, then clicking on "Logoff" or click on "Options," then "Show Full Account Name" to view the name of the computer and the username.

Tips & Warnings

• You may select advanced settings for services in the Services window by clicking on "Action" and "Properties" in the menu bar. You should not make adjustments if you are unsure of what the service is.

• Ending system processes or services may make your computer unstable.

References

• Microsoft: Task Manager FAQ
• InformIT: Using Task Manager as a Performance Analysis Tool
• OnlineTechTips: An Introduction to Task Manager (Windows XP)

Resources

• Microsoft: How to Troubleshoot Issues with Windows Task Manager
• Microsoft: What Do the Task Manager Memory Columns Mean?
• Microsoft: Understanding Process Information in Task Manager