Task Manager - Enable or Disable

**Brink** · **METHOD ONE:**

How to Enable or Disable Task Manager in Vista

Information

If you find that the Task Manager option is grayed out (disabled) when you right click on the taskbar, then you may want to enable it again. You may also want to disable the Task Manager to prevent other user accounts from using it.

NOTE

This will also add or remove Task Manager from the Windows Security screen when you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

WARNING

If you did not disable Task Manager, then it may have been done by some kind of malware or spyware. You should do a complete scan of your computer for a virus and other malware to be safe.

Tip

The Task Manager exe file is located at: C:\Windows\System32\taskmgr.exe

RELATED LINKS:

EXAMPLE: Enabled and Disabled Task Manager
NOTE: When the Task Manager is disabled, the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC does not work, Task Manager will not appear in CTRL+ALT+DELETE, and Task Manager is grayed out when you right click on the Task Bar.

Enabled.jpg Disabled.jpg

EXAMPLE: ERROR MESSAGE
NOTE: You get this when you try to run taskmgr.exe .

Error_Message.jpg

METHOD ONE:
Through the Local Group Policy Editor

NOTE

This method is only available for the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. See Method Two below for the Vista Basic and Home Premium editions.

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
3. Click Continue for the UAC prompt.
4. In the left pane, click on User Configuration, Administrative Templates, System, and Ctrl+Alt+Del Options. (See screenshot below)
5. In the right pane, right click on Remove Task Manager and click Properties.

Group_Policy.jpg

6. To Enable Task Manager -
A) Dot Disabled or Not Configured and click OK. (See screenshot below step 7)
B) Go to step 8.

7. To Disable Task Manager -
A) Dot Enabled and click OK.

Properties.jpg

8. Close Local Group Policy Editor window. Your done.

METHOD TWO:
Through the Registry

NOTE

This method will work for all Vista versions.

Through a Download:
1. To Disable Task Manager -
A) Click on the download button below to download the Disable_Task_Manager.reg file.
B) Go to step 3.

2. To Enable Task Manager -
A) Click on the download button below to download the Enable_Task_Manager.reg file.

3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.
4. Right click the .reg (On Desktop) file and click Merge.
5. Click on the Run button for Security Warning pop-up.
6. Click on Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.
7. When done, you can delete the .reg file (On Desktop).

The Manual Way:
1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.
3. Click the Continue button for the UAC prompt.
4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below step 5B)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
NOTE: If you do not have System, then right click on Polices and click New -> Key. Type System and press Enter.

5. To Disable Task Manager -
A) In the right pane, right click on a empty area and click New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value and type DisableTaskMgr and press Enter.
B) Right click on DisableTaskMgr and click Modify.

System_Key.jpg
C) Type 1 and click OK. (See screenshot below)

Modify.jpg

6. To Enable Task Manager -
A) In the right pane, right click on DisableTaskMgr and click Delete. (See screenshot below step 5A)
B) Click Yes to confirm delete.

7. Close regedit.

That's it,
Shawn

dellfreeke · 04-07-2008

thanx so much!!!

**Brink** · 04-07-2008

Your welcome dellfreeke, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

theteammax · 04-07-2008

Thank you so much!

It worked.

**Brink** · 04-07-2008

Your welcome theteammax, and welcome to Vista Forums also.

theteammax · 04-07-2008

Thanks

I had some problems deleting some viruses. I don't think I have alot of them anymore.

**Brink** · 04-07-2008

theteammax,

I would run a thorough scan with your antivirus program, and then run a anti-spyware program scan to see what it can find to. A good free one is Spybot Search & Destroy.

The home of Spybot-S&D!

Hope you get them all,
Shawn

bobbyt2012 · 04-09-2008

This worked perfectly. A warning to windows users, I am on Vista Home Premium 32bit, and recently spyware was installed on my computer without me knowing about it. It came as a program called PC-Cleaner. I am almost certain that it is spyware / malware . My internet explorer has been disabled and it disabled my task manager. I have Bitdefender and it has been destroyed by whatever I have. It barely functions at all. I cannot restore to an earlier date, so I think I am going to recover to factory settings.

talbotlaird · 04-11-2008

	Quote:	dellfreeke
	thanx so much!!!

HERE HERE dellfreeke - I second that.

BRINK AKA Shawn - You Rock, thank you so much, you info is very handy. KUTGW!!!

~Talbot

**Brink** · 04-11-2008

Your welcome Talbot.

04-07-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP1 Posts: 13,545 Location: Texas, USA	Re: Task Manager - Enable or Disable Your welcome dellfreeke, and welcome to Vista Forums. Shawn
	There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them. Vista Forums Please post feedback to help others.

04-07-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP1 Posts: 13,545 Location: Texas, USA	Re: Task Manager - Enable or Disable Your welcome theteammax, and welcome to Vista Forums also.
	There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them. Vista Forums Please post feedback to help others.

04-07-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP1 Posts: 13,545 Location: Texas, USA	Re: Task Manager - Enable or Disable theteammax, I would run a thorough scan with your antivirus program, and then run a anti-spyware program scan to see what it can find to. A good free one is Spybot Search & Destroy. The home of Spybot-S&D! Hope you get them all, Shawn
	There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them. Vista Forums Please post feedback to help others.

04-11-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP1 Posts: 13,545 Location: Texas, USA	Re: Task Manager - Enable or Disable Your welcome Talbot.
	There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them. Vista Forums Please post feedback to help others.

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04-07-2008
dellfreeke Newbie Join Date: Apr 2008 Vista Home Premium 32bit Posts: 1	Re: Task Manager - Enable or Disable thanx so much!!!

04-07-2008
theteammax Newbie Join Date: Apr 2008 Vista Home Premium 32bit Posts: 2	Re: Task Manager - Enable or Disable Thank you so much! It worked.

04-09-2008
bobbyt2012 Newbie Join Date: Apr 2008 Vista Home Premium 32bit Posts: 1	Re: Task Manager - Enable or Disable This worked perfectly. A warning to windows users, I am on Vista Home Premium 32bit, and recently spyware was installed on my computer without me knowing about it. It came as a program called PC-Cleaner. I am almost certain that it is spyware / malware . My internet explorer has been disabled and it disabled my task manager. I have Bitdefender and it has been destroyed by whatever I have. It barely functions at all. I cannot restore to an earlier date, so I think I am going to recover to factory settings.