Run Task Manager in CMD (+ More Task Manager Commands)

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Learn the commands to open Task Manager on Windows 10 & 11

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: September 20, 2025 Fact Checked

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Running in Command Prompt

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Other Task Manager Commands

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FAQ

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

This wikiHow guide will teach you how to run Task Manager from the Command Prompt on a Windows computer. We will also show you how to open a command line version of Task Manager called Tasklist, keyboard shortcuts to open Task Manager, and other fast Task Manager commands.

Task Manager Commands

To run Task Manager in Command Prompt, type taskmgr and press Enter. You can also run Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard.

Section 1 of 3:

Running Task Manager from Command Prompt

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1
Open the Command Prompt. An easy way to do this is to press the Windows key on your keyboard (or click the Start menu), type cmd, then click Command Prompt in the search results.
- You don't need to be an administrator to run Task Manager. However, if you want to run or end certain admin tasks in Task Manager, you can open Command Prompt as an administrator instead.
2
Type taskmgr into Command Prompt and press ↵ Enter. This is the command to open the Task Manager from any directory on your computer. You should see the Task Manager window open after a brief moment.
- You can now use Task Manager to force-close programs, manage process priorities, and more.
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3
Use Tasklist to get a command-line (CLI) version of Task Manager. If you want to see the list of current tasks and processes in the Command Prompt window instead of opening the Task Manager program, type tasklist and press ↵ Enter.^{[1]
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- Tasklist can come in handy if you're writing a script and need to get information about a running task.
- To learn all the options for Tasklist, run the command tasklist /? at the Command Prompt.

Section 2 of 3:

Task Manager Commands

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This quick keyboard shortcut instantly opens Task Manager, no matter which apps you have open.
This command has one extra step, but it is still a quick way to open Task Manager.
This is one of the most popular keyboard shortcuts for opening Task Manager.
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Press the Windows key, type taskmgr, and press ↵ Enter. If you're used to using the Windows Search bar to find and open applications, this way of launching Task Manager should feel familiar to you.
- Want to run Task Manager as an administrator? Instead of pressing Enter, right-click Task Manager, then select Run as administrator.
This quick shortcut isn't a keyboard command, but it is another quick way to open Task Manager when you need it.
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Run from the Start menu. If you'd rather run Task Manager by clicking it in the Start menu, here's where you'll find it:
- Windows 10
  - Click the Start menu and select Windows System.
  - Scroll down and click Task Manager.
- Windows 11
  - Click the Start menu and select All.
  - Scroll down and click Windows Tools.
  - Double-click Task Manager.

Section 3 of 3:

FAQ

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1
How do you run a task in Command Prompt? Depending on the program you want to run, you may be able to run it by typing its name at the command line and pressing Enter. If that doesn't work, type the full path to the task you want to run, e.g., C:\Path\to\Script.bat.
2
How do I see all processes in Task Manager? Once Task Manager is open, click the Processes tab. You can then sort the running processes in your preferred order by clicking a column header–for example, click the CPU column header to sort running processes in order of the most CPU-intensive to the least.^{[2]
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3
Why can't I open Task Manager? If Task Manager won't open, it was likely blocked by your network or school administrator. To enable Task Manager, an administrator will need to change your permissions.
4
What is Windows Key + R on Windows? This keyboard shortcut opens the Run dialog, which is a quick way to run programs and scripts without having to open Command Prompt.^{[3]
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5
How do you run Device Manager from the Command Prompt? To run Device Manager, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
6
What is the ps command in Windows? In Linux, the ps command shows a list of running processes. The closest equivalent in Windows would be tasklist.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I get the "keyboard" on the computer so I can type in taskm?

Community Answer

You can run the "On-Screen Keyboard." It's located in the "Windows Ease of Access" folder inside the Start menu.

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I can only pull up CMD on safe mode and open task manager, I cannot log in because it is so slow, so what do I do?

Community Answer

1. Open Start Image titled Windowsstart.png. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. 2. Scroll down and click Windows System. This folder will be near the bottom of the Start window.

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Tips

Once you open Command Prompt, you can run this command on any Windows computer to open Task Manager, though you may need to type taskmgr.exe instead on Windows XP.

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You can typically open Command Prompt on any Windows computer by typing cmd into the Run app, or by typing command prompt into the Start search bar and then clicking the Command Prompt icon.

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While you don't need administrator access on your computer to run the Task Manager or taskmgr command, some networked computers will restrict your access to the Command Prompt.

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