6 Ways to Fix Task Manager Not Working on Windows 11

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Basic Fixes

Fix 1: Run the SFC and DISM Scans

SFC (or System File Checker) scan is a handy tool that can help Windows diagnose your PC for corrupted files and repair them. If the Task Manager is malfunctioning due to corrupted system files, running the SFC scan should help.

Step 1:Right-click on theStart icon> selectTerminal (Admin)from the resulting menu.

Step 2:Type the following command and hitEnter.

If the issue persists, perform a DISM (or Deployment Image Servicing and Management) scan instead. Similar to the SFC scan, DISM can repair system images and files on your Windows PC.

Open the Terminal app with admin rights again and enter the following commands one by one.

After the scan is complete, restart your PC and see if the Task Manager is working or opening as expected in Windows 11.

Fix 2: Enable Task Manager via Registry Editor

Are you seeing the “Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator” error on Windows? It’s likely that the Task Manager is disabled via the Registry Editor. In that case, you must edit a few registry files to re-enable the Task Manager.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto launch the Run dialog box. Typeregeditin the box and pressEnter.

Step 2:Paste the following path in the address bar at the top and pressEnter.

Step 3:Within thePolicieskey, select theSystemkey. If you can’t find it, right-click on thePolicieskey, go toNew, and chooseKey. Name itSystem.

Step 4:Right-click on theSystemkey, go toNew, and chooseDWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the new entry asDisableTaskMgr.

Step 5:Double-click theDisableTaskMgrDWORD, change its value to0, and hitOK.

To apply the changes, restart your PC. After the reboot, you can access the Task Manager as before.

Fix 3: Enable Task Manager via Group Policy Editor

Similar to the Registry Editor, you can also use theGroup Policy Editorto re-enable the Task Manager on Windows. Note that this method will only work if you use the Professional, Education, or Enterprise editions of Windows.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog box, type ingpedit.msc, and pressEnter.

Step 2:In the Local Group Policy Editor window, use the left pane to navigate toUser Configuration>Administrative Templates>System>Ctrl + Alt + Del Options> double-clickRemove Task Manageron your right.

Step 3:In the Remove Task Manager window, chooseDisabledand clickApply, followed byOK.

Fix 4: Re-Register Task Manager Using PowerShell

If Task Manager won’t open or respond, you can also re-register it on your system. While this may sound difficult, the process only requires you to run a single command in Windows PowerShell.

Step 1:Click thesearch iconon the taskbar, typeWindows PowerShell, and selectRun as Administrator.

Step 2:In the PowerShell window, paste the following command and pressEnter.

Fix 5: Perform a System Restore

The System Restore feature in Windows periodically takes a backup of the entire system. You can use it to revert to the point when the Task Manager was working fine on your Windows 11 PC. Here’s how.

Step 1:Click thesearch iconon the taskbar, typecreate a restore pointin the box, and select the first result.

Step 2:Under the System Protection tab, click onSystem Restore.

Step 3:SelectRecommended restoreand clickNext.

Step 4:Review all the details and clickFinish.

Fix 6: Reset Your Windows PC

Lastly, if all else fails, consider resetting Windows as a last resort. This will restore Windows to its default settings and resolve any issues. Don’t worry. this process won’t erase your personal files.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Ito open the Settings app. In theSystemtab, click onRecovery.

Step 2:Click onReset PC.

Step 3:Select theKeep my filesoption and follow the on-screen prompts to finish resetting Windows 11.

After Windows 11 resets everything, the Windows Security app should work as before.

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Last updated on 05 June, 2024

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