If you’ve been using Windows for a while, you’ve probably come across the Windows Task Manager at some point.
The Task Manager is the last line of defense for every Windows user, and it’s usually used when all of your programs have stopped responding and your PC has become immobile due to inactivity.
While the Task Manager can be used for a lot more than just resolving non-responsive tasks and errors, we’ll concentrate on how to open it here so we don’t get off track. Furthermore, there are multiple ways to access the Windows Task Manager in Windows. Let’s begin with the most basic.
Open the Task Manger with Ctrl + Alt + Delete
The Task Manager can be launched by pressing Ctrl + All + Delete together, which is one of my personal favorites and probably the simplest on this list. The Windows Security screen will appear on your screen when you press the shortcut keys.
The Task Manager windows will open after you click on Task Manager. You can use Task Manager in any way you want from here.
Use the Power user menu
Your Windows computer’s Task Manager can also be accessed from the Power User menu. In a nutshell, the Power User menu is a central location for accessing some of Windows’ most commonly used features.
To begin, press the Windows key + X combination to bring up the Windows power menu. Select Task Manager from the drop-down menu, and the Task Manager window will appear in front of you.
Launch Task Manager from taskbar
Select Task Manager from the diverse set of options available on your screen by navigating and right-clicking on the taskbar of your Windows 10 PC, or on the Windows icon in the taskbar of a Windows 11 PC.
Use the Ctrl + Shift + Esc shortcut
Another shortcut on our list, Ctrl + Shift + Esc, differs slightly from the Ctrl + Alt + Delete shortcut we used previously.
In contrast to Ctrl + Alt + Delete, which requires you to first go through the Windows Security menu, pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc will launch the Task Manager on your screens in just a few seconds. If you’re in a hurry and want to launch the Task Manager quickly, this is the one to use.
Related: How to Backup Files in Windows 11 and downgrade to Windows 10
Use the “taskmgr” from Start menu search bar
To run the Task Manager from the taskmgr EXE file in Windows 10/11, do the following:
- Go to Start menu search bar, type “taskmgr.exe,” and select the Best match.
On your screen, the Task Manager will appear. You can also launch the application by typing “taskmgr.exe” into the Run dialog box and pressing Enter.
Related: How to switch Command prompt directory in Windows 10/11
Use the Control Panel
This is a more time-consuming method, but you can also open the Task Manager from the Control Panel.
To get started, type “control panel” into the Start menu search bar and choose the best match.
Go to the search option in the top-right corner of the Control Panel, type in ‘task manager’ in the search bar, and select the Task Manager option when it appears.
Opening Task Manager in Windows 10/11
The Task Manager is yet another free Windows utility that makes our day-to-day Windows workflow easier.
Apart from assisting you in resolving random Windows hang-ups, it can also assist you in identifying and resolving processes that are running behind your PC, as well as displaying the app history, user, and services details of your Windows.