PC FixHow to use Task Manager
Task Manager shows what your computer is doing right now. It is the first tool to open when something is slow or stuck.
Five ways to open it
- Ctrl + Shift + Esc: the direct shortcut.
- Ctrl + Alt + Del, then choose Task Manager. Works even when the screen seems frozen.
- Right-click the Start button › Task Manager. On Windows 11 you can also right-click an empty part of the taskbar.
- Press Windows key + R, type
taskmgr, press Enter. - Press the Windows key and type "Task Manager".
If it opens as a small box with only a list of apps, click More details.
Processes: what is running
The main tab lists Apps (programs with windows), Background processes and Windows processes, with columns for CPU, Memory, Disk, Network and, on some PCs, GPU.
- Click a column heading to sort by it. The biggest user rises to the top.
- A darker shade in a cell means heavier use.
- To close a stuck program: select it and click End task. Unsaved work in that program is lost.
- Right-click a process for Open file location (to see where it lives on disk), Search online (to find out what an unfamiliar name is) and Properties.
Leave entries under Windows processes alone. Ending "System", "Windows Logon Application", "Client Server Runtime Process" or "Service Host" entries can crash or sign you out. Windows Explorer is the exception: right-click › Restart is a safe fix for a frozen taskbar.
Performance: the graphs
One graph each for CPU, Memory, Disk, Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and GPU.
| Graph | What to look at | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Utilisation %, and "Up time" | Constantly near 100 per cent means something is working hard or stuck. Up time shows how long since the last full restart |
| Memory | In use and Available | Under about 1 GB available means you are short: close programs or tabs, or consider more RAM |
| Disk | Active time %, and the type shown at top right (SSD or HDD) | 100 per cent active time for long periods makes everything slow. See disk at 100% |
| Wi-Fi / Ethernet | Send and Receive | Shows whether something is using the connection heavily |
| GPU | Utilisation, Temperature | High use in a game is normal; high use on an idle desktop is not |
This tab is also the quickest place to check your hardware: the processor's name, how much RAM is fitted and how many slots are used, and whether the disk is an SSD.
Open Resource Monitor, at the bottom or under the three dots, goes deeper: it lists the exact files being read and the network addresses each program is talking to.
Startup apps: what starts with Windows
Each entry shows Status (Enabled or Disabled) and Startup impact. Select one and click Disable to stop it launching at sign-in; it still works when you open it yourself. Disable chat apps, launchers and updaters you do not need at once. Keep security software, audio and touchpad entries. See slow computer.
App history, Users, Details, Services
- App history: processor time and data used by Store apps over the last month.
- Users: who is signed in and what each account is running. Another signed-in user's programs use memory too.
- Details: every process with its ID, for advanced use. Right-click › End process tree closes a program and everything it started. Analyse wait chain shows what a frozen program is waiting for.
- Services: background services and whether they are running. Right-click › Restart can revive one, such as the print spooler (Spooler). For changing how services start, use
services.msc.
Running a program from Task Manager
Run new task (top of the window, or File › Run new task) opens anything by name: explorer.exe to bring back a lost desktop, cmd or powershell with the administrator box ticked, msconfig, control. This is the way to work when the Start menu is not responding. See Start menu not working.
Unfamiliar names: virus or not?
A strange name is not proof of malware. Right-click › Open file location: genuine Windows processes live in C:\Windows\System32, and ordinary programs in Program Files. A process running from a Temp or Downloads folder, with a random name and high CPU or network use, deserves a full scan with Windows Security.
Useful settings
Under Settings (the gear icon): choose the default start page (Processes or Performance), Always on top so that it stays visible over a frozen full-screen program, and the update speed of the graphs.
Is it safe to end tasks in Task Manager?
For ordinary apps and background programs you recognise, yes; you only lose unsaved work in them. Do not end Windows processes.
Why are there so many "Service Host" entries?
Windows runs each of its background services in a separate host process so that one failing service does not bring down the others. It is normal.
Task Manager will not open. What now?
Try Ctrl + Alt + Del, then Task Manager. If it has been disabled or closes at once, scan for malware from Safe Mode.
For Windows 11 and Windows 10. Written in November 2026. Menus move between updates; use the search box in Settings if a name differs. Back up important files before any step that resets, repairs a disk or opens the computer. This is an independent guide, not connected with Microsoft.