Task Manager, originally known as Windows Task Manager, is a system monitor and startup manager for Windows computers. You can use it to view which applications, background applications, and processes are currently running. One of the primary uses of Task Manager is to force quit specific unresponsive applications. There are many ways to access Task Manager – we’ll discuss the main ones in this guide.
Open the Task Manager using Ctrl + Shift + Esc
There is a direct keyboard shortcut to open the Task Manager.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch Task Manager on your computer.
Use keyboard shortcuts to open Task Manager.
Open the Task Manager using Ctrl + Alt + Delete
If your screen is stuck, you can use the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keyboard shortcut and access the Task Manager.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Task Manager.
Press Ctrl + Alt + Del and select Task Manager.
Open the Task Manager using Search
- Press the Search icon in the taskbar (you can also search by clicking on the start menu).
Open the Search icon. - Search for “task manager”. Once the app appears, click on Open to launch it.
Launch the Task Manager.
Open the Task Manager using Control Panel
- Press the Windows key, search for the Control Panel and click Open.
Launch the Control Panel app. - Search for “task manager” in the search bar and click on Task Manager under System.
Select Task Manager under System.
Open the Task Manager using Run
- Press Windows + R to open the Run tool. Type taskmgr and click on OK. The Task Manager will automatically launch.
Open Task Manager using the run command.
Open the Task Manager using Windows Power User Menu
- Right-click on the Windows icon. Alternatively, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Windows + X. This will open up the Windows Power User Menu. From the menu, click on Task Manager.
From the Windows Power User Menu, choose Task Manager.
Open the Task Manager using Command Prompt
- Press the Windows key and search for “cmd”. Once the Command Prompt app shows up, click on Open to launch the Command Prompt.
Launch the Command Prompt app. - Type taskmgr in the command prompt. Press Enter to launch the command, and the Task Manager will open.
Enter taskmgr in the command prompt and press Enter to open Task Manager.
Open the Task Manager using PowerShell
- Press the Windows key and search for PowerShell. Press Open to open the Windows PowerShell app.
Open the Windows PowerShell app. - Type taskmgr and press Enter to launch Task Manager.
Enter the task manager command to launch Task Manager.
Back in 1966 when I was born, technology as we know it today was drastically different. In my lifetime, I witnessed the word of computing change from the giant ENIAC machine, to the supercomputers of today.
Since a young age, I have been obsessed with technology, and it was only natural that I continued my career path to study computer science. I graduated from NYU Computer Science in 1990.
I went on to work for IBM as a software engineer where our team pioneered a what would later become IBM Cloud. From 2001, I worked as an IT recruiter for one of the top tech firms.