Chapter 20: How to Use Task Manager in Windows 11
Task Manager is an essential tool in Windows 11 that allows users to monitor and control operating system processes. With it, you can see what programs are running, how much memory they are consuming, and even kill processes that are causing problems. This chapter will guide you step by step on how to use the Task Manager in Windows 11.
Opening the Task Manager
There are several ways to open Task Manager in Windows 11. The quickest way is using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Another way is to right-click on the taskbar and select "Manager Tasks" in the menu that appears.
Understanding the Task Manager Interface
When you first open Task Manager, it shows a simplified list of running applications. To see more details, click "More details" in the bottom left corner.
In the detailed view, you will see several tabs:
- Processes: Shows all processes running on your computer, including applications, background processes, and Windows processes.
- Performance: Shows real-time graphs of CPU, memory, disk and network usage.
- Startup Applications: Shows which applications start automatically when you turn on your computer.
- Users: Shows which users are currently logged into the computer and which processes each is running.
- Details: Shows more detailed information about each process, such as the process ID and the amount of memory it is using.
- Services: Shows all Windows services that are running on your computer.
Using Task Manager to End Processes
If your computer is slow or an application is not responding, you can use Task Manager to kill the process. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Open Task Manager.
- Click on the "Processes" tab.
- Find the process you want to end. You can click "Name" to sort processes by name, or "CPU", "Memory", "Disk" or "Network" to sort by resource usage.
- Right click on the process and select "End task".
Caution: Ending a process may cause the loss of unsaved data. Always save your work before ending a process.
Using Task Manager to Monitor System Performance
Task Manager is also a useful tool for monitoring your system's performance. In the "Performance" tab, you can see real-time graphs of CPU, memory, disk and network usage. If your computer is running slowly, you can use these charts to help identify the problem. For example, if the CPU graph is constantly at 100%, this could indicate that a process is using too much CPU.
Conclusion
Task Manager is a powerful tool that can help you control and monitor your system processes. With it, you can kill problematic processes, monitor system performance, and even control which applications launch automatically when you turn on your computer. Learning how to use Task Manager can help you keep your computer running smoothly and efficiently.
