Guide to Managing Columns in Windows 11 Task Manager

Add or remove columns in the Task Manager app

You can add or remove columns by right-clicking any column header on the Processes, App history, Startup apps, or Users pages and checking or unchecking the items you want. This hides data you do not need and shows details such as publisher names, process IDs, or disk usage.

Navigation happens through the menu on the left side of the window. If you only see icons, click the menu (hamburger) button at the top left to expand it and show the page names. The pages are Processes, Performance, App history, Startup apps, Users, Details, and Services.

Follow these steps for the Processes, App history, Startup apps, and Users pages:

1. Open Task Manager📊 and click the page you want in the left menu. A table with column titles appears across the top.
2. Right-click any column title. A menu appears that lists the columns available for that page, with a check mark next to each one currently shown.
3. Click an unchecked item to add it as a column. The new column appears in the table right away. The menu may close after each click, so right-click the header again to change another column.
4. Click a checked item to remove that column from the page. The column disappears from the table.
5. To change the order, click a column title, drag it left or right, and release it where you want it. The first column, which holds the item names, usually stays in place.

That’s it. You now have a column layout that fits what you want to monitor on that page.

Repeat these steps on each page where you want a custom layout. Each page keeps its own set of columns. If you hide a column by mistake, right-click the header again and check it to bring it back.

One change is coming to how Task Manager lists processes. Microsoft’s release notes for Experimental Build 26340.9616 (October 7, 2026) say Task Manager can now group related background processes from an app into one category, instead of showing only parent-child trees. The goal is to make resource usage easier to understand. Microsoft Defender is the first app to use this grouping.

Add and remove columns on the Details page

The Details page uses a different method. Right-click any column header and choose Select columns from the menu. This opens a small window where you check or uncheck data points such as memory usage, thread count, or user names to customize your view.

To add columns on the Details page:

1. Click Details in the left menu. A table of running processes appears with columns such as Name, PID, Status, and CPU.
2. Right-click a column name.
3. Click Select columns in the menu. A small pop-up window opens with a list of available columns and a check box beside each one.

Continue in the pop-up window:

4. Check the box next to each column you want to add to the Details page.
5. Click OK to apply. The new columns appear in the table.
6. To rearrange columns, drag a column name left or right and drop it where you want it.

That’s it. The Details page now shows the extra columns you selected, in the order you chose.

You can remove a column on the Details page in two ways. Use whichever fits what you are doing.

1. Right-click the name of the column you want to remove and select Hide column. The column disappears from the table.
2. Or, right-click a column name and open the pop-up window again. Uncheck the columns you want to hide, then click OK.

You should now have only the columns you want on the Details page. To bring a hidden column back, open the pop-up window again and check it. The Name column is the main identifier for each row, so Task Manager does not let you hide it.

Conclusion:

• The redesigned Task Manager in Windows 11 matches the design of the operating system, with a navigation menu, a settings page, and a command bar.
• You can add or remove columns on most pages by right-clicking a column title and choosing the item you want.
• The Details page works differently: right-click a header and use the Select columns window.
• Experimental Build 26340.9616 adds grouping of related background processes in Task Manager. It is in Insider preview builds only and may change before release.
• With these steps, you can set up each Task Manager page to show the information you care about.