Task Manager ( Windows ) - wikipedia Task Manager ( Windows ) Task Manager A component of Microsoft Windows Screenshot of Task Manager in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update showing the Performance tab Details Type Task manager, system monitor and startup manager Included with Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and onwards Replaces System Monitor Related components Resource Monitor, MSConfig Task Manager, previously known as Windows Task Manager, is a task manager, system monitor, and startup manager included with Microsoft Windows systems. It provides information about computer performance and running software, including name of running processes, CPU load, commit charge, I / O details, logged - in users, and Windows services. Task Manager can also be used to set process priorities, processor affinity, start and stop services, and forcibly terminate processes. The program can be started in recent versions of Windows by pressing ⊞ Win + R and then typing in taskmgr. exe, by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete and clicking Start Task Manager, by pressing Ctrl + ⇧ Shift + Esc, or by right - clicking on the Windows taskbar and selecting `` Task Manager ''. Task Manager was introduced in its current form with Windows NT 4.0. Prior versions Windows NT, as well as Windows 3. x, includes the Task List application, is capable of listing currently - running processes and killing them, or creating a new process. Windows 9x has a program known as Close Program which lists the programs currently running and offers options to close programs as well shut down the computer. Contents 1 Functionality 1.1 Summary mode 1.2 Processes and details 1.3 Performance 1.4 App History 1.5 Startup 1.6 Users 2 History 2.1 Windows 9x 2.2 Windows XP 2.3 Windows Vista 2.4 Windows 8 3 Weakness 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Functionality Task Manager on Windows XP, showing the System Idle Process Summary mode In summary mode, Task Manager shows a list of currently running programs that have a main window. It has a `` more details '' hyperlink that activates a full - fledged Task Manager with several tabs. Right - clicking any of the applications in the list allows switching to that application or ending the application 's task. Issuing an end task causes a request for graceful exit to be sent to the application. Prior to Windows 10, what is shown in the summary mode was shown in tab named `` Applications ''. Processes and details The Processes tab shows a list of all running processes on the system. This list includes Windows Services and processes from other accounts. Prior to Windows XP, process names longer than 15 characters in length are truncated. Beginning with Windows XP, the Delete key can also be used to terminate processes on the Processes tab. By default the processes tab shows the user account the process is running under, the amount of CPU, and the amount of memory the process is currently consuming. There are more columns that can be shown. Starting with Windows 10, the Processes tab divides the process into three categories : Apps : Programs with a main window Windows processes : Components of Windows itself that do not have a main windows, including services Background process : Programs that do not have a main window, including services, and are not part of the Windows itself This tab shows the name of every main window and every service associated with each process. Both a graceful exit command and a termination command can be sent from this tab, depending on whether the command is sent to the process or its window. The Details tab is a crude version of the Processes tab, and acts similar to the Processes tab in Windows 7 and earlier. Right - clicking a process in the list allows changing the priority the process has, setting processor affinity ( setting which CPU ( s ) the process can execute on ), and allows the process to be ended. Choosing to End Process causes Windows to immediately kill the process. Choosing to `` End Process Tree '' causes Windows to immediately kill the process, as well as all processes directly or indirectly started by that process. Unlike choosing End Task from the Applications tab, when choosing to End Process the program is not given warning nor a chance to clean up before ending. However, when a process that is running under a security context different from the one of the process which issued the call to TerminateProcess, the use of the KILL command line utility is required. ) Performance The Performance tab shows overall statistics about the system 's performance, most notably the overall amount of CPU usage and how much memory is being used. A chart of recent usage for both of these values is shown. Details about specific areas of memory are also shown. There is an option to break the CPU usage graph into two sections : kernel mode time and user mode time. Many device drivers, and core parts of the operating system run in kernel mode, whereas user applications run in user mode. This option can be turned on by choosing Show kernel times from the View menu. When this option is turned on the CPU usage graph will show a green and a red area. The red area is the amount of time spent in kernel mode, and the green area shows the amount of time spent in user mode. The Performance tab also shows statistics relating to each of the network adapters present in the computer, although in Windows XP through Windows 7, this information was in a separate tab called Networking. By default the adapter name, percentage of network utilization, link speed and state of the network adapter are shown, along with a chart of recent activity. App History The App History tab is introduced in Windows 8 and shows information about what is nowadays referred to as Universal Windows Platform apps. Windows controls the life cycle of these apps more tightly. This tab is where the data that Windows has collected about them can be viewed. Startup The Startup tab is also introduced in Windows 8 and takes over the duty of managing software that start with Windows shell. ( Previously, MSConfig was in charge of this task. ) Users The Users tab, also introduced in Windows XP, shows all users that currently have a session on the computer. On server computers, there may be several users connected to the computer using Terminal Services. As of Windows XP, there may also be multiple users logged onto the computer at one time using the Fast User Switching feature. Users can be disconnected or logged off from this tab. History This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2017 ) Windows 9x A Close Program dialog box comes up when Ctrl + Alt + Delete is pressed in Windows 9x. Also, in Windows 9x, there is a program called Tasks ( TASKMAN. EXE ) located in the Windows directory. TASKMAN. EXE is rudimentary and has fewer features. The System Monitor utility in Windows 9x contains process and network monitoring functionality similar to that of the Windows Task Manager. ( Also, Tasks program is called by clicking twice on desktop if Explorer process is down. ) Windows XP In Windows XP only, a Shutdown menu is present that provides access to Standby, Hibernate, Turn off, Restart, Log Off, and Switch User. Windows Vista Windows Task Manager has been updated in Windows Vista with new features, including : A `` Services '' tab to view and modify currently running Windows services and start and stop any service as well as enable / disable the User Account Control ( UAC ) file and registry virtualization of a process. New `` Image Path Name '' and `` Command Line '', and `` Description '' columns in the Processes tab. These show the full name and path of the executable image running in a process, any command line parameters that were provided, and the image file 's `` Description '' property. New columns showing DEP status and virtualization status. Virtualization status refers to UAC virtualization, under which file and registry references to certain system locations will be silently redirected to user - specific areas. By right - clicking on any process, it is possible to directly open the Properties of the process 's executable image file or of the directory ( folder ) containing the process. The Task Manager has also been made less vulnerable to attack from remote sources or viruses as it must be operating under administrative rights to carry out certain tasks, such as logging off other connected users or sending messages. The user must go into the `` Processes '' tab and click `` Show processes from other users '' in order to verify administrative rights and unlock these privileges. Showing processes from all users requires all users including administrators to accept a UAC prompt, unless UAC is disabled. If the user is not an administrator, they must enter a password for an administrator account when prompted to proceed, unless UAC is disabled, in which case the elevation does not occur. By right - clicking on any running process, it is possible to create a dump. This feature can be useful if an application or a process is not responding, so that the dump file can be opened in a debugger to get more information. The Shutdown menu containing Standby, Hibernate, Turn off, Restart, Log Off and Switch User has been removed. The Performance tab shows the system uptime. Windows 8 A compilation of images of different parts of taskmgr. exe included in Windows 8 ( TOC in the bottom - right ) In Windows 8, Windows Task Manager has been overhauled and the following changes were made : The tabs are hidden by default. This view only shows applications and their associated processes. Resource utilization in the Processes tab is shown with various shades of yellow, with darker color representing heavier use. The Performance tab is split into CPU, memory, disk, ethernet, and wireless network ( if applicable ) sections. There are overall graphs for each, and clicking on one reaches details for that particular resource. The CPU tab no longer displays individual graphs for every logical processor on the system by default. It now can show data for each NUMA node. The CPU tab now displays simple percentages on heat - mapping tiles to display utilization for systems with many ( 64 or more, up to 640 ) logical processors. The color used for these heat maps is blue, with darker color again indicating heavier utilization. Hovering the cursor over any logical processor 's data now shows the NUMA node of that processor and its ID. A new Startup tab has been added that lists running startup applications. The Processes tab now lists application names, application status, and overall usage data for CPU, memory, hard disk, and network resources for each process. The application status can be changed to suspended. The normal process information found in the older Task Manager can be found in the new Details tab. Weakness Task Manager is a common target of computer viruses and other forms of malware ; typically malware will close the Task Manager as soon as it is started, so as to hide itself from users. Variants of the Zotob and Spybot worms have used this technique, for example. Using Group Policy, it is possible to disable the Task Manager. Many types of malware also enable this policy setting in the registry. Rootkits can prevent themselves from getting listed in the Task Manager, thereby preventing their detection and termination using it. See also Resource Monitor Process Explorer Taskkill Tasklist Windows Task Scheduler References ^ Jump up to : `` How to end task on the items that are running in the background ''. Nuance Communications. June 22, 2002. Jump up ^ Magic 15 with GetProcessesByName on Windows 2000 Jump up ^ `` Cannot End Service Processes with Task Manager ''. Support. Microsoft. 2007 - 02 - 27. Archived from the original on March 8, 2007. Retrieved 2012 - 12 - 06. Jump up ^ Sinofsky, Steven ( October 27, 2011 ). `` Using Task Manager with 64 + logical processors ''. Building Windows 8. Microsoft. Jump up ^ Serban, Alex ( October 24, 2011 ). `` How to Get the Most out of New Windows 8 Task Manager ? ''. ITProPortal. Future Publishing. Jump up ^ `` Task Manager, MSCONFIG, or REGEDIT disappears while opening ''. Ramesh 's website. December 19, 2005. External links How to use and troubleshoot issues with Windows Task Manager, Microsoft Help and Support Windows 8 Task Manager In - Depth, Gavin Gear, Blogging Windows Microsoft Windows components Management tools App Installer Command Prompt Control Panel Applets Device Manager Disk Cleanup Disk Defragmenter Driver Verifier Event Viewer IExpress Management Console Netsh Performance Monitor Recovery Console Resource Monitor Settings Sysprep System Configuration System File Checker System Information System Policy Editor System Restore Task Manager Windows Error Reporting Windows Ink Windows Installer PowerShell Windows Update Windows Insider WinRE WMI Apps Alarms & Clock Calculator Calendar Camera Character Map Cortana Edge Fax and Scan Feedback Hub Get Help Groove Music Magnifier Mail Messaging Maps Media Player Movies & TV Mobility Center Money News Narrator Notepad OneDrive OneNote Paint Paint 3D People Phone Companion Photos Quick Assist Snipping Tool Speech Recognition Skype Sports Sticky Notes View 3D Store Tips Voice Recorder Wallet Weather Windows To Go Windows Story Remix WordPad Xbox Shell Action Center Aero AutoPlay AutoRun ClearType Explorer Search Indexing Service IFilter Saved search Namespace Special folder Start menu Taskbar Task View Windows Spotlight Windows XP visual styles Services Service Control Manager BITS CLFS Multimedia Class Scheduler Shadow Copy Task Scheduler Error Reporting Wireless Zero Configuration File systems CDFS DFS exFAT IFS FAT NTFS Hard link Junction point Mount Point Reparse point Symbolic link TxF EFS ReFS UDF Server Domains Active Directory DNS Group Policy Roaming user profiles Folder redirection Distributed Transaction Coordinator MSMQ Windows Media Services Rights Management Services IIS Remote Desktop Services WSUS SharePoint Network Access Protection PWS DFS Replication Remote Differential Compression Print Services for UNIX Remote Installation Services Windows Deployment Services System Resource Manager Hyper - V Server Core Architecture Architecture of Windows NT Startup process NT Vista CSRSS Desktop Window Manager Portable Executable EXE DLL Enhanced Write Filter Graphics Device Interface hal. dll I / O request packet Imaging Format Kernel Transaction Manager Library files Logical Disk Manager LSASS MinWin NTLDR Ntoskrnl. exe Object Manager Open XML Paper Specification Registry Resource Protection Security Account Manager Server Message Block Shadow Copy SMSS System Idle Process USER WHEA Win32 console Winlogon WinUSB Security Security and Maintenance BitLocker Data Execution Prevention Family Safety Kernel Patch Protection Mandatory Integrity Control Protected Media Path User Account Control User Interface Privilege Isolation Windows Defender Windows Firewall Compatibility COMMAND.COM Virtual DOS machine Windows on Windows WoW64 Windows Subsystem for Linux API Active Scripting WSH VBScript JScript COM ActiveX ActiveX Document COM Structured storage DCOM OLE OLE Automation Transaction Server DirectX. NET Framework Universal Windows Platform Windows Mixed Reality Windows Runtime WinUSB Games Solitaire Collection Discontinued Games 3D Pinball Chess Titans FreeCell Hearts InkBall Hold ' Em Purble Place Reversi Spider Solitaire Solitaire Tinker Apps ActiveMovie Anytime Upgrade Address Book Backup and Restore Cardfile CardSpace Contacts Desktop Gadgets Diagnostics DriveSpace DVD Maker Easy Transfer Fax File Manager Food & Drink Help and Support Center Health & Fitness HyperTerminal Internet Explorer Journal Media Center Meeting Space Messaging Messenger Mobile Device Center Movie Maker MSN Dial - up NetMeeting NTBackup Outlook Express Travel Photo Gallery Photo Viewer Program Manager Steps Recorder WinHelp Write Others ScanDisk File Protection Media Control Interface Next - Generation Secure Computing Base POSIX subsystem Interix Video for Windows Windows SideShow Windows Services for UNIX Windows System Assessment Tool WinFS Spun off to Microsoft Store DVD Player Hover ! Mahjong Minesweeper Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Task_Manager_(Windows)&oldid=820582330 '' Categories : Utilities for Windows Windows components Task managers Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from June 2016 Articles needing additional references from December 2017 All articles needing additional references All articles to be expanded Talk Search Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Português Русский සිංහල Simple English Tagalog தமிழ் తెలుగు ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 15 January 2018, at 13 : 13. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: which utility in windows can be used to stop a process or application that is not responding
Answer: Task Manager