Task Manager - Open in Windows 8

How to Open Task Manager in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

Task Manager has been completely redone in Windows 8. You can use it to view and manage your processes, performance statistics, app history, users, processes details, and services.

This will show you how to open Task Manager in Windows 8.

For more information and details about Task Manager, also see:

• The Windows 8 Task Manager - Building Windows 8 - Site Home - MSDN Blogs
• Windows 8 Task Manager In-Depth

Here's How:

1. Do step 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 below for how you would like to open Task Manager.

2. Press the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys, and go to step 7 below.

3. While on the desktop, press and hold on the taskbar, click/tap on Task Manager, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

4. While on the desktop, right click on the taskbar, click/tap on Task Manager, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

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5. Press the CTRL+ALT+DELETE keys, click on Task Manager, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

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6. Open the WIN+X Power Users menu, click/tap on Task Manager, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

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7. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.
NOTE: If you open Task Manager while signed in an administrator account, then Task Manager will be opened elevated (run as administrator) by default.

8. Select to have Task Manager in Fewer details or More details view. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Task Manager will open to the same Fewer details or More details view it was last closed as.

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9. Here is what you will see in the new More details view of Windows 8 Task Manager. (see screenshots below)

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   Note

In the Performance tab below, you can also double click/tap on the left or right side to switch to summary view. To return to normal view, just double click/tap anywhere in the small footprint mode window.

   Note

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Show Task Manager Display in Summary View in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Manage Startup Items in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Open Advanced Tools in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Add "Kill Not Responding Tasks" to Desktop Context Menu in Windows
• How to End a Process Task in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Turn On or Off Task Manager "Always on top" in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Generate and View a System Performance Report in Windows

 

[muiacir]

can you please explain all the part of the new task manager?

 

[Brink]

Hello Muiacir,

That's way to much information to post. Do you have a more specific request instead?

For now, this may help some with that.

The Windows 8 Task Manager - Building Windows 8 - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

 

[Wrath]

Hi Brink, I have a question. Can you still add the task manager to the right click context menu via reg key? (Sorry if I over looked the topic.)

 

[Brink]

Hello Wrath, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Sure, you could, but it's already on the right click context menu of the taskbar.

Would you like one for another location instead, say the Desktop context menu (top or bottom)? I'll be happy to whip one up for it if you do.

 

[Wrath]

Thanks Brink for the fast answer, but I can make it myself. I just didn't mess with it a whole lot on a virtual machine, so still new to what win8 can do. (and what can be added/modified)

But I will be utilizing this wonderful forum to find out all of the potential that win8 can do.

 

[Brink]

Anytime.

 

[khayman]

Hello Wrath, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Sure, you could, but it's already on the right click context menu of the taskbar.

Would you like one for another location instead, say the Desktop context menu (top or bottom)? I'll be happy to whip one up for it if you do.

Hello everyone. I'm new around here and I have a question about the new start manager while you're at it: how do you make it run automatically at Windows start-up? It might seem a silly question but, trust me, it's not; I think I've tried just about everything and nothing has worked so far. It must be a bug or maybe my system is bugged but I've almost given up on it. Thank you in advance for your help.
Daniel

 

[Brink]

Hello Daniel, and welcome to Eight Forums.

You could use OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to have something run at startup automatically.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5180-startup-items-manage-windows-8-a.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[khayman]

Hello Daniel, and welcome to Eight Forums.

You could use OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to have something run at startup automatically.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5180-startup-items-manage-windows-8-a.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi Shawn, thanks for the swift reply but, unfortunately, that doesn't work. Everything else is fine, I mean any other program starts automatically if I want it to except the task manager. I really use it a lot and want it to autostart but there's no way. Just to give a heads-up, I'll tell you what I've tried so far:

- adding the program via task manager itself
- adding the program manually to the startup folder and I've tried both with a copy of the program and with its shortcut (windows key then type "shell:startup" and enter)
- adding a tweak in the registry (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run)
- using Advanced Systemcare's start manager
- taking ownership of the System32 folder, where task manager is located, then doing all the above again
- creating a schedule with "task scheduler"
- using "nircmd"
- taking ownership of the entire Windows folder and doing all of the above once again
- taking ownership of the registry menu where the tweak is supposed to go to and re-trying the tweak
- your suggestion

None of the above has worked.
I've even looked around for third-party task managers but I'm skeptical about that.
There's nothing I've ever been unable to solve on my PC except for this and it's really getting on my nerves since there seems to be no way.
I'm almost desperate.
Thanks again, Daniel

 

[Brink]

Daniel,

If this program runs elevated (run as administrator), then that's why it will not run at startup by default. Windows does not allow elevated programs to run automatically at startup.

If this is the case, then you could use the tutorial below to create an elevated shortcut for this program, then at step 23, use the run at startup in your "Startup" folder link to run the elevated shortcut at startup. It's a bit of a workaround, but that's the only way it will work.

Elevated Program Shortcut without UAC Prompt - Create - Windows 7 Forums

 

[khayman]

Daniel,

If this program runs elevated (run as administrator), then that's why it will not run at startup by default. Windows does not allow elevated programs to run automatically at startup.

If this is the case, then you could use the tutorial below to create an elevated shortcut for this program, then at step 23, use the run at startup as a task link to run the elevated shortcut at startup. It's a bit of a workaround to create two separate tasks, but that's the only way it will work.

Elevated Program Shortcut without UAC Prompt - Create - Windows 7 Forums

It doesn't work! I've followed the instructions very carefully but still no luck. I guess I'll have to give up but, personally, I think it's absolutely disgraceful of Microsoft. Windows 8 is already a fully integrated OS in every new system sold, at least in my country it is, but there are still bugs as silly as this in it. I can't believe they're not aware of it, they must be and if so, they should be ashamed not to have already resolved this petty inconvenient. Anyway, thank you very much for your support Shawn; I'll pop back to see if you have any more suggestions although there shouldn't be any workarounds to do this: it should be as easy as it's always been. Shame on you, Microsoft!
Daniel

 

[Brink]

What program are you trying to run at startup?

I'll see if I can give it a play with to see what may be wrong.

 

[khayman]

What program are you trying to run at startup?

I'll see if I can give it a play with to see what may be wrong.

The "task manager", taskmgr.exe in the system32 folder.

 

[Brink]

After some testing this is what I did to get it to work.

Do the tutorial below as is to create the task for Task Manager. No need to create the shortcut in steps 13-22.

Elevated Program Shortcut without UAC Prompt - Create - Windows 7 Forums

At step 23 in the tutorial above, go to the "run at startup as a task" link below to create a new task. Create a new task to run a program (the task from above) at startup as per the tutorial below. Do both steps 11 and 12 below for both triggers.

Task - Create to Run a Program at Startup and Log On - Windows 7 Forums


For steps 14-16, use this for the Action, then finish the rest of the tutorial.

(Program/script)
%windir%\System32\cmd.exe

(Add argument)
/c start %windir%\System32\schtasks.exe /run /tn "task name from first tutorial"

 

[khayman]

Ok, the task manager now starts every time I log on and that's already an achievement. Now, would you have any idea how to make it start minimized? Thanks again, Shawn

 

[Brink]

See if using this below instead will have it run minimized.

/c start /min %windir%\System32\schtasks.exe /run /tn "task name from first tutorial"

 

[khayman]

It still starts in a normal window but that's not really an issue at this point. In fact, is there a tutorial for apps' delayed start or maybe a third-party application to do that?
Actually, it starts in a normal window but then it disappears.
Correction n. 2 Now it disappears even after reverting to the original script, I'l try recreating the task and see what happens.
Update 3: now it works as before, it start in a normal window and there it stays.

 

[khayman]

Ok, I've almost solved it. I simply use r2's "Startup Delayer": you can create a new instance within the program, it's almost like creating a scheduled task only easier and you've even got the option of starting the program minimized. I said almost because the programs do start minimized but their button still shows in the taskbar; basically, you have to click the taskbar button then minimize them yourself to make them completely disappear. I guess I'll stick to this until MS come up with a solution to their little glitch.
Thanks again for you help.

Daniel

 

[Brink]

You're welcome. I'm happy to hear that you found a solution that'll work for you.