Windows 11 Task Manager In-Depth Guide and Overview

Everything that you need to know

The Task Manager is a powerfulWindows 11utility that provides detailed real-time information about the software and hardware on your PC. It’s also indispensable when troubleshooting applications, monitoring hardware resource usage, and managing startup programs.

In this in-depth guide and overview, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the Task Manager in Windows 11, including ways to use it effectively.

Opening the Windows 11 Task Manager

In Windows 11, you can launch the Task Manager just like any other program by selectingStart>All Apps>Windows Tools>Task Manager. However, the most convenient way to invoke it is through the Power User menu (right-click theStartbutton and selectTask Manager).

If you prefer keyboard shortcuts, pressingCtrl+Shift+Escwill quickly bring up the Task Manager. If the operating system appears stuck, you can still get to it by pressingCtrl+Alt+Delete(which opens Windows 11’s Security Screen) and then selectingTask Manager.

The Default Task Manager

The Windows 11 Task Manager appears as a stripped-down version of the full user interface by default. It’s tiny, features no menu options, and simply shows a list of active apps on your computer.

You can choose any app within the list and forcibly shut it down by selecting theEnd taskbutton. That’s the quickest way to quit unresponsive programs.

Right-clicking any app within the list also reveals multiple contextual options as follows:

The Expanded Task Manager

Select theMore detailsbutton at the bottom left corner to expand the Task Manager’s user interface. You can always selectFewer detailsto go back to the stripped-down version whenever you want.

The expanded Task Manager consists of multiple tabs—Processes(default),Performance,App History,Startup,Users,Details, andServices. You can change the default tab that appears when you open Task Manager by selectingOptions>Set default tabon the menu bar.

You’ll go through each tab in more detail below, but here’s a brief overview:

In the expanded view, you’ll find a list of menu options to the top of the Task Manager—File,Options, andView.

The Processes Tab

The Processes tab in the Windows 11 Task Manager features a list of live processes on your PC, along with real-time usage stats under separate columns.

TheAppssection at the top of theNamecolumn sports a list of all open programs in Windows 11. TheBackground processessection features apps that run in the background (e.g., the system tray). A third section—labeledWindows processes—lists processes related to the operating system.

If you want, you can merge the sections list by uncheckingView>Group by typeon the Task Manager menu. However, that makes it harder to locate specific apps and processes.

By default, the Task Manager groups and hides the sub-processes related to each program. To reveal them, simply double-click a program’s name or select the tiny arrow icon next to it.

Optionally, use theView>Expand allandCollapse allmenu options to expand and collapse all sub-processes under the Processes tab.

Right-clicking a process reveals multiple options, similar to what you get in the Task Manager’s simplified view. An exception is the integralWindows Explorerprocess, which features aRestartoption instead ofEnd task. That allows you totroubleshoot File Explorer-related issuesby restarting it.

The Processes tab contains additional columns that provide real-time system resource usage stats and insights for each process and subprocess, along with colors that shift between yellow and red to indicate minor to heavy resource usage.

TheCPU,Memory, andDiskcolumns are arguably the most important since they let you spot programs that consume lots of resources. Selecting a column enables you to sort processes from the most resource-intensive to the least and vice-versa. This can be useful, for example, in figuring out things like which apps are causing the most CPU or Disk activity.

Right-clicking any column also gives you the option to activate additional columns:

The Performance Tab

The Performance tab in the Task Manager lets you monitor total real-time utilization of the CPU, memory, disk, network, and GPU in Windows 11. Select each hardware component on the sidebar to view the relevant information.

DisplaysCPU utilizationby all processes over 60 seconds on a scale of 0-100. On multi-core CPUs, right-click the graph and selectChange graph to>Logical processorsto display separate charts for eachlogical processor. Hovering your cursor over a processor will reveal if the operating system has “parked” it to conserve power.

Underneath the graph, you’ll find the following information:

The rest consists of general information related to the CPU, such as the processor model, base speed, andvirtualization status.

Displays total RAM usage in graphical format over 60 seconds on a scale of 0-100. In addition, a separate graph labeledMemory compositionreveals a snapshot of the memory consisting of the following in different shades of color:

Underneath both graphs, you’ll see the following information as numeric values:

The rest is general information about the physical memory modules—speed, the number of RAM slots used, and the form factor.

Depending on the number of partitions and removable drives on your PC, you may see multiple disks listed under the sidebar. Each consists of two graphs that display disk utilization over 60 seconds on a scale of 0-100.

TheActive timegraph reveals the read and write requests, while theDisk transfer rategraph displays transfer rates between the drive and the operating system.

In addition to general drive-related information such as capacity, model, and type (HDD or SSD), you’ll see the following information:

Reveals network information such as the adapter name, SSID, connection type, send and receive speeds (in Kbps), IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, and signal strength.

The graph displays total network utilization by apps and the operating system. Right-clicking the chart and selectingView network detailswill reveal extra information regarding network activity.

Displays the GPU model, utilization, and other information regarding your PC’s video card, such as the amount of dedicated or shared memory and driver version. However, this section may not show up on computers with integrated graphics.

You can switch the default graph to display activity by GPU engine (3D,Video Decoding,Video Processing, etc.) by right-clicking and selectingChange graph to>Multiple engines.

Note: Windows 11 also includes an advanced hardware monitoring utility dubbed the Resource Monitor. SelectOpen Resource Monitorat the bottom of the Performance tab to get to it.

The App History Tab

The Task Manager’s App History tab displays the total CPU and network usage stats for Microsoft Store apps. If you want, you can include non-Store apps within the list by selectingOptions>Show history for all processeson the menu bar.

You can reset the count for all columns by selectingDelete usage historyat the top of the screen.

The App History tab displays the following columns:

Optionally, you can right-click any of the existing columns to activate the following columns:

Right-clicking an app reveals the following options:

The Startup Tab

The Startup tab in the Task Manager lists every app that loads at computer startup. Since multiple start programs can adversely impact the operating system’s performance, you can use this tab to manage them.

The startup tab lists the following columns:

Right-clicking an app reveals the following options:

You can also right-click an existing column to activate any of the following columns:

The Users Tab

The Users tab in the Task Manager displays a list of all users on your computer. It’s similar to the Processes tab, except that you can view resource usage by user.

You can find the following columns within the tab:

TheCPU,Memory,Disk,Network,GPU, andGPU engineare essentially the same compared to what you see on the Processes tab.

Right-clicking an existing column allows you to activate additional columns:

Right-clicking a user reveals the following contextual actions:

The Details Tab

The Details tab offers an expanded view of all processes on your computer, including those from other user accounts. It’s similar to the Processes tab from the Task Manager in Windows 7 and earlier.

The Details tab is broken down into the following columns:

You can also activate a host of additional columns by right-clicking an existing column and selectingEnable additional columns. However, these are highly technical and best suited for power users, so we won’t go over them here.

Right-clicking a process reveals the following options:

The Services Tab

The Services tab details every native and third-party service on your PC, such as those related toWindows Update, Bluetooth, thePrint Spooler, etc. It lets you start, stop, and restart services.

The services pane consists of the following columns:

Right-clicking a service will reveal the following contextual options:

Put the Task Manager to Good Use

The Task Manager in Windows 11 is instrumental in identifying how your PC’s various programs and hardware work. Despite being filled with lots of information and options, however, getting a brief understanding of what it takes to shut down troublesome apps and manage resource-heavy processes alone can positively impact day-to-day usage.

Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn’t hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube.Read Dilum’s Full Bio

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