Windows7 Task Manager

Reap the benefits of Windows 7's Task Version 1.
0
Manager June 3, 2010
By Greg Shultz
When you access the Task Manager in Microsoft Windows 7, it's very easy to overlook the new features and other
changes until you take a closer look. If you're coming from Windows XP, you'll discover that there are many new
and improved features. If you're coming from Windows Vista, you'll find a familiar user interface, which has been
polished up a bit.
In this edition of the Windows Desktop Report, I'll investigate Windows 7's Task Manager and show you to quickly
reap the benefits of my detective work.
Accessing Task Manager

There are several ways that you can access the Task Manager in Windows 7. Of course, you can right-click on
the Taskbar and select Task Manager from the context menu or you can press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[Esc].
However, you can also call up Task Manager by launching its executable file. To do so, just click the Start button,
type taskmgr in the Start Search box, and press [Enter]. Now, if you press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Delete], you'll see a full
screen menu, as shown in Figure A, and can click Start Task Manager.
Figure A
Pressing [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Delete] will bring up a full screen menu with an option to Start Task Manager.
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Reap the benefits of Windows 7's Task Manager
Applications tab
When you access the Applications tab, as shown in Figure B, you'll discover that the Task Manager operates
exactly the same as it does in XP and Vista. It allows you to determine the status of a task as well as end, switch,
or create a new task.
Figure B
The Applications tab operates exactly the same as it does in XP and Vista.
While we're looking at the Applications tab, take note of the column headers - when you click a particular column
header to sort the list, you'll see a small arrow in the column header that not only alerts you to which column
header has the current sort, but also lets you know if the sort is ascending or descending - the arrow points up is
the sort is ascending and points down if the sort is descending. You'll find this column header feature throughout
Windows 7, where applicable.
Processes tab
When you're troubleshooting Windows 7, you'll discover that the Processes tab provides you with very detailed
information. For example, you'll notice the Description column which identifies each process, as shown in Figure
C.
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Figure C
The Description column can provide very useful information in a troubleshooting situation.
If you need even for information, just pull down the View menu and choose the Select Columns command to
reveal the Select Process Page Columns dialog box, as shown in Figure D. You can then get more descriptive
detail by selecting the Image Path Name or Command Line check boxes. The Image Path Name setting shows
the full path to the file behind the running process while the Command Line setting shows the full command line,
including the parameters or switches used to launch the process.
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Figure D
You can get even more descriptive information by adding the Image Path Name and Command Line headers to
the Processes tab.
Other useful information about a particular process can be gleaned by right-clicking on a process and selecting
the Open File Location or Properties commands, as shown in Figure E. when you select the Open File Location,
Windows Explorer opens the folder containing the file and selecting Properties, opens the file's standard
Properties dialog box.
Figure E
You can right click on a process and select the Open File Location or Properties commands
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Services tab
The Services tab, as shown in Figure F, provides you with a convenient way to quickly view the Services that are
running while you're troubleshooting.
Figure F
The Services tab allows you to quickly assess the status of services on your system.
If you want to investigate whether a running service is tied to a particular process, you can right-click on the
service name and select the Go to Process command, as shown in Figure G. When you do, Task Manager will
then switch to the Processes tab and highlight the associated process.
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Figure G
Using the Go to Process tab makes it easy to identify services running as processes.
Keep in mind that If you click Go to Process and no process is highlighted in the Processes tab, the process may
not be running under your user account. To view all processes you'll need to click Show processes from the All
Users button.
If you need more control, just click the Services button to launch the full Services Microsoft Management Console.
Performance tab
The most commonly accessed tab in Task Manager is the Performance tab, as shown in Figure H. If you're
coming from XP, this is where you'll find the biggest changes. Let's take a closer look.
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Figure H
The Performance tab now provides information on actual memory usage.

In the Physical Memory section the Total entry shows the amount of RAM installed in the system. The Cached
entry indicates the amount of physical memory used recently for system resources. (This memory will remain in
the cache in case the system resources are needed again, but it's available should other operations need it.) The
new Available entry indicates the amount of physical memory that is currently not being used. The Free entry
indicates the amount of memory being used in the cache but does not contain useful information.
The Kernel Memory section shows the amount of Paged and Nonpaged memory. The Paged and Nonpaged
entries break down the total amount of memory being used by the kernel and show you how much it is coming
from virtual memory and how much is coming from physical memory, respectively.
In the System section, you'll find the Handles and Threads entries, which are actually sub-objects of processes.
The Handles entry shows the number of object identifiers, or handles, that are currently in use by all the running
processes. The Threads entry actually refers to the number of sub processes running inside of larger processes.
The Processes entry, of course, represents the number of currently running processes. As you know, you can see
each of the currently running processes by selecting the Processes tab.
The Up Time entry provides a nice piece of information that shows the amount of time that has passed since the
computer has been restarted.
The Commit entry is a simple measurement that shows Page File usage. Here, the first number indicates the total
amount of physical and virtual memory currently in use, while the second number indicates the total amount of
physical and virtual memory available on your computer.
If you want more detailed performance information, you can click the Resource Monitor button. (I'll cover the
Resource Monitor in more detail in a future blog post.)
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Networking and Users tab

When you access the Networking and Users tabs, as shown in Figure I and Figure J, you'll see that they are
essentially the same as in Windows XP. On the Networking tab you can view network status and see how your
network is functioning. On the Users tab, you can see who is logged on to the system.
Figure I
The Networking tab displays a nice graph of the current network activity.
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Figure J
The Users tab allows you to see who is connected or logged on to the system.
What's your take?

Have you experimented with the Task Manager in Windows 7? What feature do you use the most? What feature
would you like to learn more about? As always, if you have comments or information to share about this topic,
please take a moment to drop by the TechRepublic Community Forums and let us hear from you.
Stay on top of the latest Microsoft Windows tips and tricks with TechRepublic's Windows Desktop newsletter,
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Version history
Version: 1.0
Published: June 3, 2010
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Reap the benefits of Windows 7's Task Version 1.

Accessing Task Manager

The Performance tab now provides information on actual memory usage.

Networking and Users tab

What's your take?

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