Windows Task Manager is a very useful tool included in Windows XP and
Vista. Whenever an application crashed so badly that I can’t even
close, I can use the Task Manager to end the process. Also, whenever I
felt that my laptop fan is spinning very quickly, I use Windows Task
Manager to monitor the amount of CPU and memory usage on a running
program. It can also tell you if there’s a suspicious program running in
background. That’s about the good thing of Windows Task Manager. The
bad is it does not provide very thorough information like some of the
free third party task manager. The Task Manager in Windows XP can’t even
tell me what is behind svchost.exe which is very commonly being used to
run a virus.
No matter what, I still like to use Windows Task Manager because of the convenience in launching it. There are several methods to launch Windows Task Manager.
The first thing I tried to do was to replace taskmgr.exe file in C:\Windows\System32\ with a portable third party task manager. Weirdly after deleting taskmgr.exe, it automatically came back. It’s rather weird that Windows knows how to safeguard taskmgr.exe but it can easily disabled via registry hack which gives you the message “Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator” whenever you try to launch Windows Task Manager…
Some third party task manager program such as Process Explorer and AnVir Task Manager has built-in option to easily replace your Windows Task Manager. For Process Explorer, just select Options > Replace Task Manager. As for AnVir Task Manager, go to Tools > Options > Advanced > check “Replace Windows Task Manager. Start when Ctrl-Shift-Esc pressed.”
As for programs that don’t have this option to easily replace Windows Task Manager, you can change it by editing your registry. Go to Start > Run and type regedit. Browse to the following location:
Right click at the right pane and select New > String Value. Name the string value that you created as Debugger. Double click at Debugger and enter the path to your third party task manager program.
Voila! Windows will now launch your favorite third party task manager whenever you hit CTRL+SHIFT+ESC. If you don’t want to modify your Windows default Task Manager, but you want to run your favorite third party task manager software using a combination of keys, then you can set a “Shortcut Key” on the program’s shortcut. Simply right click at the program’s shortcut and select Properties.
Here are a few third party task manager that you can use to replace the default Windows Task Manager. If you know any third party task manager program that is free, feel free to share with us.
1. Process Explorer
2. System Explorer
3. PC Inspector Task Manager
4. TaskPatrol 2
5. Process Manager 2 Lite
6. Daphne
7. Process Viewer
No matter what, I still like to use Windows Task Manager because of the convenience in launching it. There are several methods to launch Windows Task Manager.
1. Right click taskbar and select Task Manager.I like method number 2 the most because simply hitting CTRL + SHIFT+ ESC will launch Windows Task Manager. I was wondering whether is it possible to use the methods above to launch a third party Task Manager program? Yes, it is possible.
2. Simultaneously press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC
3. Simultaneously press CTRL + ALT + DEL to bring up Windows Security and click Task Manager
4. Or simply go to Run and type taskmgr
The first thing I tried to do was to replace taskmgr.exe file in C:\Windows\System32\ with a portable third party task manager. Weirdly after deleting taskmgr.exe, it automatically came back. It’s rather weird that Windows knows how to safeguard taskmgr.exe but it can easily disabled via registry hack which gives you the message “Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator” whenever you try to launch Windows Task Manager…
Some third party task manager program such as Process Explorer and AnVir Task Manager has built-in option to easily replace your Windows Task Manager. For Process Explorer, just select Options > Replace Task Manager. As for AnVir Task Manager, go to Tools > Options > Advanced > check “Replace Windows Task Manager. Start when Ctrl-Shift-Esc pressed.”
As for programs that don’t have this option to easily replace Windows Task Manager, you can change it by editing your registry. Go to Start > Run and type regedit. Browse to the following location:
Right click at the right pane and select New > String Value. Name the string value that you created as Debugger. Double click at Debugger and enter the path to your third party task manager program.
Voila! Windows will now launch your favorite third party task manager whenever you hit CTRL+SHIFT+ESC. If you don’t want to modify your Windows default Task Manager, but you want to run your favorite third party task manager software using a combination of keys, then you can set a “Shortcut Key” on the program’s shortcut. Simply right click at the program’s shortcut and select Properties.
Here are a few third party task manager that you can use to replace the default Windows Task Manager. If you know any third party task manager program that is free, feel free to share with us.
1. Process Explorer
2. System Explorer
3. PC Inspector Task Manager
4. TaskPatrol 2
5. Process Manager 2 Lite
6. Daphne
7. Process Viewer
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