Windows Task Manager

The data listed by Windows Task Manager is relative to the performance of your computer and to the set of processes and programs that are currently operative on your computer. Windows Task Manager can be very useful when you want to have a clear image of the performance of your computer. However, the same Task Manager can also be used when you need to start certain programs or when you need to initiate or close certain processes that are running on the computer. The simplest manner of starting Task Manager is a right click. Choose an empty area in your taskbar and right-click on it, then select Task Manager. Another method, also very common, is by pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE and then selecting Task Manager.

The programs that are currently running on your computer can be seen, after starting Windows Task Manager, if you click the Applications tab. It is from this tab that you can close a program, start it or switch to another one. When you want to close a program, in the Applications tab click the program that you want to close and then click the End Task tab. However, pay attention to one significant detail of closing a program in such a manner: all unsaved data in the closed program will be lost. So if you are working in a Word document and you select the Microsoft Word running program in the Applications tab, you need to make sure first that you have saved all of your previous work. Otherwise, the entire unsaved document will be lost.

When it comes to switching to another program, things are even simpler: you simply click the program you want to switch to and then click the Switch To tab. When you want to start a program, there are a few more steps than when you want to switch to another program; however, this doesn’t complicate the task. You are still in the Applications tab; you click the New Task button and a dialog box will be displayed; this is called Create New Task. Here you need to click the Browse button, look for the program you want to start, then select it and click Open and then finally click OK.

At times, you may need to end certain processes, particularly unessential processes that are running in background and are slowing down the performance of your computer. However, be careful about the processes you are ending: Explorer and Systray are essential for the proper functioning of your computer, so these two should not be interrupted. Otherwise, for unessential ones, click the Processes tab and then click the process you want to close, and finally click the End Task button. In the case where you want to close of running process and every other process connected to it, click the main process and then click the End Process Tree tab. In the end, Windows Task Manager is very useful in monitoring and controlling the performance of your computer and particularly helpful when it comes to ending programs that slow down the performance of your computer.