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Run task manager command line

We can open task manager by running the command taskmgr from command prompt.

c:\> taskmgr

Note that this command launches the task manager GUI. It does not provide task manager functionality in command prompt(CLI). In case if you are looking for some command line equivalent of task manager then tasklist is the right command for you.

C:\>tasklist

Image Name                   PID Session Name     Session#    Mem Usage
========================= ====== ================ ======== ============
System Idle Process            0 Console                 0         28 K
System                         4 Console                 0        248 K
smss.exe                    1292 Console                 0        428 K
csrss.exe                   1572 Console                 0      8,824 K
winlogon.exe                1600 Console                 0      8,672 K
services.exe                1644 Console                 0      5,300 K
lsass.exe                   1656 Console                 0      2,332 K
ibmpmsvc.exe                1840 Console                 0      1,660 K
svchost.exe                 1872 Console                 0      5,652 K
svchost.exe                 1920 Console                 0      5,460 K
svchost.exe                  292 Console                 0     33,208 K
S24EvMon.exe                 520 Console                 0     15,504 K
svchost.exe                  688 Console                 0      4,084 K
svchost.exe                  808 Console                 0      4,296 K
spoolsv.exe                 1236 Console                 0      7,432 K
TPHKSVC.exe                 1424 Console                 0      4,396 K
svchost.exe                 1476 Console                 0      3,532 K
CcmExec.exe                 1516 Console                 0     17,036 K
cvpnd.exe                   1660 Console                 0      5,532 K
tpnumlk.exe                 1956 Console                 0      2,896 K
DOZESVC.EXE                 2028 Console                 0      1,192 K
EvtEng.exe                   192 Console                 0     19,256 K
PresentationFontCache.exe    320 Console                 0      7,632 K
iPassPeriodicUpdateServic    432 Console                 0      4,620 K
iviRegMgr.exe                508 Console                 0      2,460 K
cammute.exe                  360 Console                 0      3,252 K
micmute.exe                  652 Console                 0      2,164 K
LMS.exe                      680 Console                 0      4,756 K
FrameworkService.exe         744 Console                 0     11,204 K
mcshield.exe                 932 Console                 0    174,120 K

Below are some Questions asked by blog readers about taskmgr command.

How about some /switches to start in a particular tab?

unfortunately there’s no such switch with taskmgr command..It always opens with the tab that was active when taskmgr was closed last time…


Thanks for that…How about open Windows 7 Task Manager with “show process’ for all users” active?

That’s also not possible from command line as taskmgr.exe does not accept any kind of parameters. You may try tasklist command which is a non-gui equivalent of taskmgr.




7 comments… add one
  • Brain Howe

    Hi – the info above does close off what might have been a fruitless search but …
    When I click the “Show processes from all users” button, I get the UAC panel and it shows Program Location as:
    “C:\Windows\System32\Taskmgr.exe” /1
    What’s that about (the “/1” I mean).

    Thanks,
    Brian Howe

    • someone

      Most programs do accept parameters even if they don’t do anything with them :p

    • lucid_enigma

      It’s used (or was used) internally by Windows to determine how the taskmgr was started. (Though only the devs know why!)
      Taskmgr.exe /n where n =
      1 – ‘Show processes from all users’ button clicked in a non-elevated Task Manager .
      2 – Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
      3 – Ctrl+Alt+Del, click Start Task Manager.
      4 – Right-click taskbar, click Start Task Manager.

      It was probably a dev debug tool that is likely ignored in released versions and certainly doesn’t seem to make any difference.
      Also, as ‘someone’ already said, (changing a single word!) ALL programs accept parameters but it’s up to them what they do with them.

  • lucid_enigma

    Is the same true of LaunchTM.exe?

  • Alejandro

    Brain Howe
    Just create a shortcut and set it to run as administrator!

  • darryl schneider

    Don’t have anything for control except f10 windows 7starter will a command work in safemode from f10?

  • darryl schneider

    Can’t run can’t create my Lenovo doesn’t take a disk I’ll try it in F10 as a command thanks

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