Did you know there are a dozen ways to open the Task Manager in Windows?
Windows 10 provides you with several ways to launch the Task Manager utility on your PC. You can use a keyboard shortcut, a Start menu icon, Windows search, or even the Windows taskbar to open this utility on your computer.
In this guide, we’ll show you many of these ways to open Task Manager in Windows 10.
The easiest and quickest way to launch Task Manager is to use the tool’s keyboard shortcut. When pressed, this shortcut quickly opens the Task Manager utility on your Windows 10 PC.
To use this method, press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys simultaneously on your keyboard. Task Manager screen will immediately open.
Related: Windows Keyboard Shortcuts 101: The Ultimate Guide
Windows 10’s Start menu consists of nearly all of the apps you have on your computer, including Task Manager. You can navigate to the Task Manager directory in the Start menu and then launch the tool from there.
To do so:
The Windows search feature helps you find all the apps, files, and folders stored on your hard drives. You can use this search function to find and open Task Manager, too.
If you’re inside a File Explorer window, you don’t have to come out of it to open Task Manager. Using a command in the address bar, you can launch Task Manager from within the Explorer.
Here’s the quick way to do that:
Another way to open Task Manager from File Explorer is to navigate to the tool’s actual directory:
C:WindowsSystem32
The Windows Security screen offers various options, like locking your PC and signing out of your user account. This security menu includes the option to launch Task Manager, too.
To use this method:
The Windows Power Menu gives you quick access to some of the useful utilities installed on your Windows 10 PC. This includes the option for Task Manager, too.
To proceed with this method:
If you keep the taskbar visible on your PC (you can hide the taskbar), it’s a quick way to launch Task Manager. You just have to right-click the taskbar and select an option:
If you’re someone who prefers using command-line methods, you can use Command Prompt to launch Task Manager on your PC. There’s a command that specifically triggers the Task Manager executable file.
To use this:
If you prefer using Windows PowerShell, there’s a command you can run from this utility to open Task Manager on your PC.
Here’s how:
Windows Run dialog allows you to launch various apps and tools installed on your PC. You can use this box to open Task Manager, too, and we’ll show you how:
If you’re modifying your settings in Control Panel, you don’t have to exit it to launch Task Manager. There’s an option to open this utility from within Control Panel.
Like other apps, you can create a desktop shortcut for Task Manager on your desktop. This way, you can quickly access the utility right from your PC’s main screen.
To create this shortcut:
C:WindowsSystem32Taskmgr.exe
As you can see above, there are over a dozen ways to launch Task Manager on Windows 10. The next time you need this utility, you can open it from pretty much anywhere on your computer.
Here are handy Task Manager tricks every Windows user should know, including how to bring up the Task Manager quickly and more!
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About The Author
Mahesh Makvana
(297 Articles Published)
Mahesh is a tech writer at MakeUseOf. He’s been writing tech how-to guides for about 8 years now and has covered many topics. He loves to teach people how they can get the most out of their devices.
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