Master the Power of Windows 11: Simplified Task Manager Navigation

To open Task Manager on Windows 11, follow these steps:

Click the Start menu in your taskbar.

Start typing "Task Manager".

When the "Task Manager" utility appears, click it.

Launching Windows 11's Task Manager can be done by selecting an option in the Start menu, using a keyboard shortcut, or running a command from Command Prompt or PowerShell. There are 10 different ways to open Task Manager on your computer. It's worth noting that regardless of the method chosen, it will open the same Task Manager utility. Therefore, you can use the method that is 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, access the "Start" menu either by pressing the Windows key or clicking on the menu icon. Once the menu is open, locate and select "Task Manager" from the options. Finally, open the utility by clicking on it in the search results.

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.”

Using the Power User Menu

The Power User Menu is a convenient collection of options that can be accessed by right-clicking on the Start menu icon. This menu provides quick access to a variety of essential tools for your PC, such as the 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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

With a Desktop Shortcut

To easily access Task Manager, it is recommended to add a shortcut of the tool to your desktop. By doing so, you can launch Task Manager with just a double-click on its shortcut.

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 next page, enter a descriptive name for the shortcut in the "Type a Name for This Shortcut" field. This will help you identify the purpose of the shortcut easily.

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!