Task Manager

Task Manager provides information about applications currently running on your system, the processes and memory usage or other data about those processes, and statistics about memory and processor performance.

Comparison with System Monitor

Although useful as a quick reference to system operation and performance, Task Manager lacks the logging and alert capabilities of the Performance console. In addition, although the data displayed by Task Manager comes from the same source as some performance counters, Task Manager does not have access to the breadth of information available from all installed counters. However, Task Manager provides capabilities not available with the Performance console, as described in Table 5.4. For information about these capabilities, see online Help for Task Manager and the chapters identified in Table 5.4.

Table 5.4 Other Chapters on Task Manager

Capability	Server Operations Guide chapter
Stop running processes.	"Analyzing Processor Activity"
Change the base priority of a process.	"Analyzing Processor Activity"
Set affinity for a process to a particular processor (on multiprocessor systems).	"Measuring Multiprocessor System Activity"

Starting Task Manager

To start Task Manager, use any of these methods:

• Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC.
• Right-click the taskbar, and then click Task Manager.
• Press CTRL+ALT+DEL, and then click Task Manager.

You can also start Task Manager from the command prompt or the Run dialog box.

Working with Task Manager

Task Manager has three tabs: Applications, Processes, and Performance. While Task Manager is running, the status bar always displays the total number of processes, CPU use, and virtual memory use for the system. Note the following display possibilities:

• All Task Manager columns can be resized.
• Clicking a column sorts its entries in ascending or descending order.
• Select Always on Top from the Options menu to keep the window in view as you switch between applications.
• Press CTRL+TAB to toggle between tabs, or click the tab.

When Task Manager is running, an accurate miniature CPU usage gauge appears on the taskbar on the end opposite the Start button. When you place the mouse pointer over this icon, it displays the percentage of processor use in text format. The miniature gauge always matches the CPU Usage History chart on the Performance tab, as shown in Figure 5.9.

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Figure 5.9 Task Manager CPU Gauge Shown on the Taskbar

To make Task Manager the top window, double-click the gauge, or right-click the gauge and then select Task Manager from the menu that appears.

If you run Task Manager frequently and do not want to see its button on the taskbar, click Hide When Minimized on the Options menu. To open an instance of Task Manager when it is hidden, click the Task Manager CPU gauge on the taskbar.

You can control the rate at which Task Manager updates its counts by setting the Update Speed option on the View menu.

• High. Updates every half-second.
• Normal. Updates once per second.
• Low. Updates every 4 seconds.
• Paused. Does not update automatically. Press F5 to update.

This will reduce Task Manager overhead, but might cause you to miss some data. You can force an update at any time by clicking Refresh Now on the View menu or by pressing F5.

Monitoring Processes

In Task Manager, click the Processes tab to see a list of running processes and measures of their performance. The Task Manager process table includes all processes that run in their own address space, including all applications and system services.

To include those in the display, on the Options menu, click Show 16-bit Tasks. Figure 5.10 is an example of how Task Manager displays process information.

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