How to Use Windows Task Manager
A complete guide to Task Manager: opening it, its main tabs, and closing programs that stop responding.
Task Manager is probably the tool you will use most when something in Windows isn't going right. Here is a complete guide to getting the most out of it.
What you'll learn
- Opening Task Manager 4 different ways
- Understanding each of its tabs
- Closing programs that aren't responding
- Seeing what's using up your resources
Requirements
None special: it comes built into any version of Windows.
Simple explanation
Task Manager is a window that shows you, in real time, everything your computer is running: programs you see on screen and processes running in the background that you don't see.
Step by step
1. Open it however you prefer
- Ctrl + Shift + Esc (the fastest)
- Ctrl + Alt + Del and choose "Task Manager"
- Right-click on the taskbar
- Search for "Task Manager" in the Start menu
2. Get familiar with the main tabs
Processes: what's running right now, sortable by CPU, memory or disk usage. Performance: real-time graphs for each component. Startup: what starts up along with Windows.
3. Close a program that isn't responding
Select the program in the Processes tab and click "End task". It is much safer than forcing a shutdown of the whole PC.
Tip: if you want to go deeper into which processes you can close without worry, we have a guide dedicated just to that: which Windows processes you can close safely.
Common mistakes
Closing system processes (the ones that show up with no icon and technical names) without knowing what they are. If you're unsure about a specific one, check our guide on how to identify an unknown process before ending it.
Warning: ending system processes (not programs you opened yourself) can make Windows unstable. When in doubt, don't close it.
Final summary
Task Manager is your first stop for any slowdown or frozen program. With these 3 basic tabs, you can already diagnose most day-to-day problems.
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave Task Manager open all the time?
Yes, it barely uses any resources and it's useful to have on hand, especially the Performance tab.
Why does Task Manager itself sometimes not respond?
When the system is very overloaded it can take a few seconds to open. If it never responds, check our specific guide on that problem.