How-To

How to Open Task Manager on Windows 11

By Brian Burgess

Updated November 14, 2023

Windows 11 is making some changes that might annoy some users. One is making it less convenient to access Task Manager. Here are your options for opening.

With the introduction of Windows 11, some things you are used to accessing easily have moved. For example, on Windows 10 and lower, you can right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager from the menu to open it up. Task Manager is a good first go-to utility to troubleshoot issues with Windows.

Update: Microsoft has updated Windows 11 and you can now access Task Manager from the taskbar on Windows 11. Still, you might be interested in some of the other ways you can open Task Manager on Windows 11. This guide will show you how and you can use whichever method works best for you.

On Windows 10, you can right-click the taskbar to access Task Manager. Update: You can get Task Manager from the taskbar on Windows 11 too! We’ll show you how, and other ways to open it if you need it.

Open Task Manager from the Taskbar on Windows 11

When Microsoft first launched Windows 11, there wasn’t an option to open Task Manager from the taskbar. Luckily, the company updated the OS to include the ability. However, the asethics are different than on Windows 10.

Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and select Task Manager from the menu that appears.

That’s all there is to it! Task Manager will launch and you can click the menu button in the top left corner to choose the section of data you need.

Open Task Manager on Windows 11 from Start

Another easy way to open Task Manager, is to right-click the Start button. Then click on Task Manager from the menu, and it will open up.

Also, you can click the Search icon and type: task manager, and click the top result you get – just like searching for something on Windows 10.

Note that you can also press the Windows key on your keyboard, type task manager, and choose the top result.

Use a Keyboard Shortcut

For those of you who are practicing keyboard Kung Fu, there is a keyboard shortcut that will give you access to Task Manager. Use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open it directly.

Or you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + Del to open the security screen. Then, from the list, click on Task Manager.

Speaking of keyboard shortcuts, hit the Windows key to open the Start menu and type: task manager. This will give you results at the top, similar to how Search does. Click on the top result.

Use the Run Command

Hit Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog and type: taskmgr and click OK or hit Enter on your keyboard, and it will pop open.

Opening Task Manager on Windows 11

Another thing you can do is use the new Windows Tools folder. This is a new location where, starting with Windows 10 build 21354; you’ll find admin and other accessories and system tools. One of the accessories you’ll find here is Task Manager. You can find it by the first letter using the Start Menu. Open the folder and then launch Task Manager.

Or you can create a desktop shortcut for the Windows Tools folder, find Task Manager, and launch it from the Windows Tools folder.

That’s all there is to it. Keep in mind that at the time of this writing, Windows 11 is in beta, so accessing Task Manager might get easier before the final version is launched. Also, notice my Start menu is on the lower-left corner of the screen. Please read our article on how to move your Start menu to the left on Windows 11.