Task Manager has been a part of Microsoft Windows for a very long time and its uses have not faded. Task Manager is used to (as the name implies) manage tasks. It can create and end tasks, monitor background processes and hardware usage, setup startup processes and much more. This article will explain the everyday uses a computer user should know.
First, how to open Task Manager. There are a few ways to do so but the easiest way is to right click the task bar on any empty spot and click task manager in the popup window. The next way is to click the windows button and start typing “task manager”.
When Task Manager is open, it will most likely be a small window that has some tasks on it. This is the most basic view and can only end foreground tasks. Ending foreground tasks is the most used feature for most computer users. In order to end a task, you will click on the task you want to terminate in Task Manager, once highlighted you will click the end task button on the bottom right of Task Manager. Ending the task will force close the application you chose.
If more advanced features are needed, there is a button on the bottom left of Task Manager labeled “more details”. Clicking this button will expand the size of the window and have tabs on the top to click through. These features include the ability to terminate background tasks and create new ones. Ending background tasks can lead to instability of applications that are open or even windows operating system itself so advanced features should only be used by System Administrators.