Windows 8 Bible

Getting to Know Task Manager

Task Manager is a program that lets you view and manage running programs and processes, as well as view performance data for your computer and network. In Windows 8, Task Manager has changed from its previous releases. If you are familiar with Task Manager in Windows 7, for example, you are in for quite a change with the new (and in our opinion improved) Task Manager.

You can start Task Manager in several ways:

• Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and click Start Task Manager.
• Right-click the clock or an empty spot on the taskbar and choose Start Task Manager.
• Display the Charms Bar, click Search, and type task. Click Task Manager on the Apps screen.

Tip

If a program is hung (frozen), right-clicking the taskbar might not work. But pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del might still work. If Ctrl+Alt+Del doesn’t work to bring up Task Manager and the computer is unresponsive, turning the computer off and back on is generally the only way to get it going again.

Figure 42.1 shows the new Task Manager and four apps and programs running. Task Manager behaves much like any program window. It has a button on the Windows taskbar when open. You can drag the program window around by its title bar and size it by dragging any corner or edge. You can also configure it so it stays on the top of the stack of open windows so you can always see it. You can change that by choosing right-clicking a blank area on the window or on the bottom of the window and choosing Always On Top.

FIGURE 42.1 ...