ProcessExplorer from SysInternals (now Microsoft) is by far the best task manager tool I've ever used. Highly recommended.

Laur

process explorer. 'nuff said.

garbanzo-bean

How does this compare to sysinternals?

mrjack711

must create an account to download...boo

tange1

I think I'd pay good money for a process explorer/task manager for windows that actually KILLED the process. Yes, I know it is frozen, I don't want you to wait 10 minutes to send a "please shut down" request to the process. JUST FUCKING KILL IT!

shockwaver

Yeah.. I too will stick to ProcessExplorer.

JeRrYFaR

ProcessExplorer FTW!

Nalco

@Laur: Much agreed. Is there a reason to switch?

bachya

I wouldn't worry about a CodeProject account. I've been a member for about 5 years and they never spam you or send any unsolicited emails. They only send "offers" (which are clearly marked as such in the subject line) about once per week and then only if you agree to it.
Great site too if you do any development on MS platforms.

webjoseph

@tange1: [www.bugmenot.com] will save the day.

jonny6pak

I use 'Kill Process' to close programs that are stuck, works everytime....

Fullbug

It doesn't work with Vista.

MePerson

Dtaskmanager, fast and lightweight.

CGA

ProcessExplorer is great, but if I set it as to replace Task Manager, I find it incredibly slow to appear.

So I use Task Manager to quickly kill processes that are running amok, and ProcessExplorer to try to understand what's going on in general.

christopherstott

bah, just use bugmenot.com to borrow a login.. let me check this out

Recky

@Qannaboss:

I should have read the first 16 posts before I put mine, sorry.

Qannaboss

One word... Process Explorer... ok that's two, but you get the point.

Qannaboss

I created an account that everyone can use to download the extension.

Username: Life Hacker
Password: dontchangeme

-MasterMind-

@Qannaboss: The problem with process explorer is that many games copy protection detect it and won't start the game (eg. securom, etc.). The reason why they detect it is because it has a debugger and the debugger can be used to disassemble the copy protection.

-MasterMind-

@garbanzo-bean: +1.

dekay46

@-MasterMind-: That's not a "problem with Process Explorer", it's a problem with idiot game publishers who still can't get through their heads that DRM doesn't work.

protospork

A heavyweight but does the job and more: Anvir Task Manager [www.anvir.com]

Junkan

@shockwaver:

On the "applications" tab right click the program you want to end and click "go to process", The process tab should be open and the task selected. Click "End process". This will kill things quickly while the applications tab tends to try and play nice.

johnsmith1234

@christopherstott: I agree fully. Process Explorer is significantly bulkier than task manager. Use the right tool for the job, if I need the in depth analysis I'll open Process Explorer. If i wanna do a quick check to see how the processor is loaded, or how much RAM is used/free/being used by a certain application I'll open task manager. If the system is barely responsive, task manager is a lot quicker to bring up and get things under control.

Prcview is also a good lean medium between the two.

I'm going to have to look at these task manager extensions to see how they perform, and if they're worthwhile.

johnsmith1234

Guys, you can put random information, it doesn't check if it's real or not. There's no verification.

Ph0Xy

@-MasterMind-: Thanks, and good idea, but to logon you need email not name?

Ph0Xy

@tange1: IO second that boo

rtipping

Process Explorer >>>>>> this

jfty.009260

@johnsmith1234: That works about 80% of the time, but there are still processes that refuse to close. A lot of the time, I'll close a process - it'll stay, I'll try to close it again, and it will give me an error.

At least with linux 'kill -9 12345' murders the process. Like, with a chainsaw.

shockwaver

@jupiterthunder: Agreed. I use PE whenever Task Manager won't open because the system has slowed to a crawl.

emnem

@bachya: That's what I'm trying to figure out. I don't see how right-clicking for long stacks of information beats using a ramped-up process manager (Process Explorer), nor do I see mentioned in the article that the program is as thorough and flexible as PE is. I use PE, among other things, to diagnose malware infections and to figure out what program is calling which processes so I can um, "debug", so it has to be at least as good as PE for me to switch.

emnem

@garbanzo-bean: +2.

emnem

@christopherstott:

interesting. I've done no tests but it feels the other way around to me. Process Explorer loading faster than taskman.

jupiterthunder

@Junkan:

AHHHHHHH EYES BLEEDING!!!

[www.anvir.com]

ewerybody

@tange1: @-MasterMind-:
aren't there enough accounts?
[www.bugmenot.com]

ewerybody

Process Explorer!!!:)

Terry Wang

Yes, Process Explorer here too! :-)

And for those who need to find out why Windows would not let them delete a file: use Unlocker ([ccollomb.free.fr]); it pops up automatically when a file cannot be deleted/renamed, shows the processes locking it, and gives you several options, such as kill the process, grab the file from the process anyway (could harm the process though), etc. Small tool, great benefit.

kian01

@kian01: Yes! I even added it to the right-click context menu. Very powerful tool.

clickable

@Laur:
+3. Why tamper with what works?

clickable

ProcessExplorer!

EmeryBabar