- Click the Start menu in your taskbar.
- Start typing “Task Manager”.
- When the “Task Manager” utility appears, click it.
Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
Launching Windows 11’s Task Manager utility is as easy as selecting an option in the Start menu, pressing a keyboard shortcut, or running a command from Command Prompt or PowerShell. We’ll show you 10 different ways to open Task Manager on your computer.
Note: Regardless of what method you use below, it will open the same Task Manager utility. So, feel free to use the method that’s most convenient for you.
Using Start Menu
Start menu is how you access various apps and features of your Windows system. You can use this menu to launch Task Manager as well, and we’ll show you how.
First, open the “Start” menu by pressing the Windows key or clicking the menu icon. When the menu opens, find “Task Manager”. Then, click the utility in the search results to open it.
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From Windows Taskbar
Windows’ taskbar is the horizontal bar that appears at the bottom of your screen. Using an option on this bar, you can launch your Task Manager utility.
To do that, right-click your taskbar. In the menu that opens, choose “Task Manager.”
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Using the Power User Menu
The Power User Menu is a set of options that opens when you right-click your Start menu icon. You can use this menu to launch various essential tools of your PC, including Task Manager.
To use this method, either right-click your “Start” menu icon or press Windows+X. In the menu that opens, choose “Task Manager.”
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With the Run Box
Run lets you open various apps and Windows features using specific commands. You can type in a command here to launch your Task Manager.
To do that, first, open “Run” by pressing Windows+R. In the box, type the following and press Enter:
taskmgr
Task Manager is now open.
Using a Keyboard Shortcut
If you prefer keyboard shortcuts, there’s a key combination you can press to fire up Task Manager.
The key combo is Ctrl+Shift+Esc. Press this, and you’ll find that Windows immediately launches Task Manager.
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Using a Key Combination and an Option
There’s a key combination and the selection of an option that you can use to launch Task Manager.
To use it, on your keyboard, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete. On the screen that opens, choose “Task Manager.”
From Command Prompt
Command Prompt lets you execute various commands on your PC, and you can use a command here to launch your Task Manager utility.
To do that, first, open Command Prompt. Do this by opening the “Start” menu, finding “Command Prompt”, and clicking the tool.
In Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter:
taskmgr
Your utility is now open.
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From Windows PowerShell
If you use Windows PowerShell, there’s a command for you as well to open Task Manager.
Start by opening a PowerShell window on your PC. Do this by accessing the “Start” menu, finding “PowerShell”, and clicking the utility.
In PowerShell, enter the following command and press Enter:
taskmgr
You’ve successfully launched your Task Manager tool.
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Using File Explorer
If you’re inside a File Explorer window, you don’t have to leave it to launch Task Manager. There’s a command you can use within this file manager to open the tool.
To do that, in File Explorer‘s address bar at the top, type the following and press Enter:
taskmgr
File Explorer will launch Task Manager.
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With a Desktop Shortcut
If you access Task Manager frequently, it’s a good idea to place the tool’s shortcut on your desktop. This way, you can launch the tool by simply double-clicking its shortcut on your desktop.
To make this shortcut, first, access your Windows 11 desktop by pressing Windows+D. On the desktop, right-click anywhere blank and choose New > Shortcut.
A “Create Shortcut” window opens. Here, in the “Type the Location of the Item” field, enter the following text. Then, at the bottom, click “Next.”
taskmgr
On the following screen, in the “Type a Name for This Shortcut” field, type your preferred name for the shortcut. We advise using a descriptive name so you know what the shortcut is for.
Then, at the bottom, click “Finish.”
Your desktop now has a new shortcut. You can double-click this shortcut to launch your Task Manager utility.
And those are some of the ways to open your favorite tool on your Windows 11 PC. Enjoy!
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