How to View Running Processes in Windows 11

Using Task Manager for Granular Control

Task Manager 📊 shows every active application, background service, and system process using your computer’s hardware. For each item you can see CPU, memory, disk, and network usage in real time. That makes slow apps and unresponsive programs easy to find.

To open it and find the process causing trouble:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard. You can also right-click the Start button and choose Task Manager 📊. The Task Manager 📊 window opens.
2. If you see a small window with only a list of app names, click More details at the bottom. Recent Windows 11 builds open the full view by default, so you may not see this link.
3. Select Processes in the left sidebar. You now see your running items grouped as Apps, Background processes, and Windows processes.
4. Click the CPU, Memory, Disk, or Network column header to sort by that resource. The heaviest user moves to the top. Click the header again to reverse the order.

The percentages at the top of each column show total use across the whole PC. A process that stays near the top of the list while you aren’t doing anything is usually the one to look at. For the Process ID (PID) of each item, open the Details tab.

You can stop a running program from the same list. To do it:

1. On the Processes page, click the name of the program you want to close.
2. Click End task at the top of the window. You can also right-click the name and choose End task.
3. Check the list. The program should disappear within a few seconds.

Only end tasks you recognize. If you aren't sure what an item is, right-click it and choose Search online first.

Some system programs require administrator permission to close. Without that permission, Windows 11 blocks the closure to prevent system instability. You may see an "Access is denied" message, or the process may simply stay in the list. This is normal. It usually means the process is part of Windows and should be left alone.

Resource Monitor vs. Task Manager

Resource Monitor shows more detail than Task Manager. It breaks down exact hardware usage per file, service, and network connection. Task Manager gives you a quick look at overall system health. Resource Monitor helps you track down stubborn files that won't delete, find which program is using your internet bandwidth, and diagnose deeper performance bottlenecks.

To open it and look around:

1. Click Start, type Resource Monitor, and select it from the results. The Resource Monitor window opens.
2. Start on the Overview tab. It shows CPU, Disk, Network, and Memory activity on one page.
3. Switch to the CPU, Memory, Disk, or Network tab to see a more detailed breakdown for that resource.

Two uses come up often:

• A file that won't delete or move. On the CPU tab, expand Associated Handles. Type part of the file name in the search box. The list shows which process has the file open. Close that program, then try again.
• Something is using your bandwidth. On the Network tab, expand Processes with Network Activity. Click the Send or Receive column header to sort by traffic.

Resource Monitor is mainly for viewing. Right-clicking a process there lets you end it, but Task Manager is the simpler place to do that.

Advanced Analysis with Sysinternals Process Explorer

It is not part of Windows, so you have to download it from Microsoft first. It is a portable program, so there is nothing to install. Extract the downloaded ZIP file and run the 64-bit version.

The tool displays a process tree. This shows which parent process started each task. That matters because malicious software sometimes hides by copying the name of a legitimate system process. A real Windows process has a predictable parent. A fake one often shows up under something unexpected.

To check a suspicious process:

1. Find the process in the tree and note which process sits above it.
2. Right-click it and choose Properties.
3. On the Image tab, check the file location and the verified signer. System files should sit in the Windows folders and be signed by Microsoft.

Run Process Explorer as administrator if you want to see details for every process. When you close it, nothing on your system has changed. The tool only reads process information unless you choose to end a process.

Using Command-Line Tools

Command Prompt and PowerShell let you view running processes in Windows 11 using text commands instead of clicking through windows. They are useful when you need to save a text list of your active programs, script automated tasks, or manage your computer remotely without the standard graphical interface.

To open a command window:

1. Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal. Or click Start, type Command Prompt or PowerShell, and select it.
2. Wait for the window to show a prompt, which is a line ending in a blinking cursor.
3. Type or paste one of the commands below and press Enter.

You don't need administrator rights to list processes. Opening the window as administrator can show more detail for some system processes.

To list all tasks, use this command. After you press Enter, the window prints a table with the image name, PID, session, and memory use of each process:

tasklist

To export your process list to a text file, use the command below. It writes the output to a file instead of printing it on screen. The file is saved in the folder your prompt is currently in. Open it with Notepad to read it, or send it to someone helping you troubleshoot:

get-process

For a detailed view including the Process ID (PID), use the command below. The PID is the number Windows gives each running process. You can match it to the PID column on the Details tab in Task Manager. This helps when two processes share the same name and you need to tell which is which:

Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Select-Object ProcessId,Name,ParentProcessId

Summary

Watching your running processes helps keep your PC performing well. Use Task Manager for quick fixes, Resource Monitor for deeper analysis, Process Explorer when you doubt a process is genuine, and the command-line tools when you need automation or a saved list.