What is taskmgr.exe?

Taskmgr.exe is the Windows Task Manager. This file is part of Microsoft Windows Operating System. Taskmgr.exe is developed by Microsoft Corporation. It’s a system and hidden file. Taskmgr.exe is usually located in the %SYSTEM% folder and its usual size is 70,144 bytes.

The taskmgr.exe process launches the Windows Task Manager, which displays information about applications and processes running on your system. It also shows real-time performance statistics based on the activity of running processes. With the help of the taskmgr.exe file users can analyze the activity of running processes and view CPU, memory, and network usage. If taskmgr.exe is run from the Startup folder, the tray icon will be put into the system tray after boot.

Important: IAMBIGBROTHER.91 and other malware can mask itself as taskmgr.exe. Scan your computer with Auslogics Antivirus to make sure it's not infected.

What to do if your Task Manager has been disabled

Sometimes the Task Manager gets disabled and when users try to run it, they get the following message: 

While it’s possible that the Task Manager was actually disabled by the administrator, most likely it got disabled by a virus. Disabling taskmgr.exe is malware’s favourite way of making it more difficult for the user to identify and remove the infection. So before you try to fix the Task Manager, you should run a thorough antivirus and antimalware scan with reliable and up-to-date antivirus software to get rid of all infections.

Once all malware is removed, you can re-enable the Task Manager.

If you have Windows XP Professional, you can re-enable the Task Manager via the Group Policy Editor:

1. Click Start – Run
2. Type in gpedit.msc and hit Enter. This will open the Group Policy Editor
3. Expand User Configuration – Administrative Templates – System – Ctrl+Alt+Del Options


4. Double click on Remove Task Manager
5. Select the Not Configured radio button and click OK
6. The Task Manager should become available

If you have Windows XP Home, you’ll need to do the following:

1. Backup the Registry or at least create a Restore Point
2. Click on Start – Run and type in "REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableTaskMgr /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f" without the quotes. Check that you've made no mistakes and typed it exactly as it is!
3. Click OK. The Task Manager should become available again.

Windows Task Manager alternative

While the built-in Windows Task Manager is a very useful tool, it doesn’t display all processes running on your system, doesn’t provide any information about the process origin, and doesn’t show services and open files at all.

Users who want to know more about their system and be in total control should consider replacing the Windows Task Manager with a free alternative – Auslogics Task Manager. This utility provides information about processes, applications, open files, and Windows services. It can also be used to speed up or slow down certain processes and unlock files. 

Users can keep the Windows Task Manager and use Auslogics as an additional tool, but there is also an option to replace the built-in Task Manager. To do that, you need to open Auslogics Task Manager, go to Options and select Replace Standard Task Manager.

Auslogics Task Manager comes in two versions – a regular one that requires installation and a portable version that can be launched from a USB drive.