Some users have reported that Task Manager is not updating on their Windows 11/10 computers. When one launches an app, the current resource consumed by it should be reflected in the Task Manager. But in some cases, Task Manager just fails to update any activity. In this post, we will discuss this issue and see what you can do if Task Manager is not registering any new activity on a Windows 11/10 computer.
Task Manager is a built-in Windows utility that allows the user to monitor all the running processes. This utility helps the user to check which application is consuming the most resources so that they can end the resource-hogging tasks and maintain the system’s performance.
Fix Task Manager is not updating in Windows 11
If Task Manager is not updating on your Windows system, check for Windows Updates. and then follow these suggestions to resolve the issue:
- Restart your computer
- Check the Update Speed of the Task Manager
- Run SFC Scan
- Run DISM Scans
- Perform Windows Defender Offline Scan at boot time
Let’s use these solutions to resolve the said issue.
1] Restart your computer
If Task Manager is not launching or showing any signs of peculiarity, we should restart the computer as it is the easiest way to fix this issue. Once you restart the computer, it will clear the RAM and close all the apps running in the background.
2] Check the Update Speed of the Task Manager
When you launch an app, by default, Task Manager should register its impact on the resources of your computer. That is because the update speed is set to normal. In case, someone makes changes to the update speed, or because of some kind of update it gets altered, Task Manager will fail to update. In that case, let us make suitable changes using the following steps.
- Open Task Manager.
- Click on the cog button present at the bottom-right corner of the window to open Settings.
- Go to Real time update speed and set it to High.
- Finally, restart your system.
Hopefully, this will do the job for you.
3] Run SFC Scan
The System File Checker is a built-in tool of the Microsoft Windows operating system. This utility allows users to scan and restore corrupted Windows system files. If any corruption is detected in a system file, this utility will restore the modified file from a cached copy located in the Windows folder. Since the Task Manager is a built-in Windows utility, running this tool will do the trick. Follow the steps given below to do the same.
- Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen.
- Type Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
- If UAC appears on the screen, click Yes to continue.
- Type in the following command in the command prompt and press Enter:
sfc /scannow
- It will take some time to finish this task
- Once the scan is completed, restart the computer.
Hopefully, when your computer is rebooted the issue will be resolved.
Read: Task Manager is blank & not showing processes
4] Run DISM Scans
DISM is a command line utility of the Microsoft Windows operating system that will help to prepare, modify, and repair system images. It is similar to SFC, so, if the System File Checker fails, follow the steps given below to run the DISM tool from the Command Prompt.
- Hit Win + R, type “cmd” and hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
- When UAC appears on the screen, click Yes to continue.
- Now, type the following commands one by one and press Enter button after each command.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- After running all three DISM commands, restart the computer.
Once the computer restarts the issue should be resolved.
Read: Taskbar unresponsive, frozen, not working, showing or loading
5] Perform Windows Defender Offline Scan at boot time
It is very likely that your computer is infected by some virus or malware due to which the Task Manager is not responding. In order to fix the issue, we need to use Windows Security to check for viruses and malware. You can use any antivirus of your choice, but we will use the default one. Performing a Windows Defender Offline Scan at boot time is highly recommended.
Related: Windows 11 Taskbar not working.
How do I reset Task Manager in Windows 11?
If you have made some misconfiguration to Task Manager or if it is not responding, reset it using the Registry Editor. To do the same, search “Regedit” from the Start Menu. Go to the following location.
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
Now, right-click on the TaskManager key and select Delete. Close Registry Editor, restart your computer and the Task Manager will be reset.
Fix: Task Manager is not responding, opening or disabled by administrator.
How do I fix Task Manager not working?
If the Task Manager is not working on your computer, follow the solutions mentioned in this article to resolve the issue. You need to troubleshoot from the first solution and then move your way down to stumble upon the correct solution for your scenario. Hopefully, you will be able to resolve the issue without any issues.
