How to Enable or Disable Windows Task Manager

Task Manager is a versatile task management and system utility in Windows operating system. With Task Manager, user can view detailed information about computer performance (CPU usage, physical memory, kernel memory, handle, thread, commit charge, etc.), running applications, processes, network activity and statistics, logged-on users, and system services. Besides system information, Task Manager can also be used to set process priorities, processor affinity, forcibly terminate processes, and shut down, restart, hibernate or log off from Windows.

In view of its powerful capabilities and functionality, administrator may want to disable Task Manager in the computer to disallow user from running Task Manager, although administrator also needs to restrict user access to Registry Editor or ability to change system registry for the control to be useful. On the other hand, some users may be wondering why the Task Manager has been disabled and cannot be run, which often caused by intelligent malware and Trojan to prevent users from terminating the malicious process. In any way, disable or enable Task Manager can be done by just a simple registry change.

How to Disable Task Manager

  1. Click Start -> Run, and then type regedit, then press Enter. In Windows Vista, just type regedit in Start Search, and press Enter.
  2. Navigate to the following registry key:

    To block Task Manager from current logged on user:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

    To block Task Manager on local computer for all users:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

    Note that if “System” does not exist, simply create a new key by right clicking on Policies, and select New -> Key, and name the new folder as System.

  3. Right click System registry key, and then select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  4. Name the new registry entry as DisableTaskMgr.
  5. Double click on DisableTaskMgr, and assign its value data as 1.
  6. Quit Registry Editor.

With immediate effect, user can no longer run or open Task Manager. Any attempt to run “taskmgr.exe” or using Ctrl+Shift+Esc or Ctrl-Alt-Del (via Windows Security dialog) key combination will has the error message saying “Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator”.

Disabled Task Manager

Beside, the Task Manager item in right click context menu is grayed out and disabled when user right click on Taskbar.

How to Disable Task Manager

  1. Click Start -> Run, and then type regedit, then press Enter. In Windows Vista, just type regedit in Start Search, and press Enter.
  2. Navigate to the following registry key:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

  3. Locate DisableTaskMgr in the right pane.
  4. If found, right click on DisableTaskMgr, and select Delete to remove the registry entry, or set its value data to 0.
  5. Then navigate to the following registry key:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

  6. Locate DisableTaskMgr in the right pane.
  7. If found, right click on DisableTaskMgr, and select Delete to remove the registry entry, or set its value data to 0.
  8. Quit Registry Editor.

Task Manager is now available. The hack or trick works in most Windows operating system, including Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003/2008.

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6 Responses to “How to Enable or Disable Windows Task Manager”

  1. Artem S. Tashkinov
    June 19th, 2008 05:51
    1

    It would be more interesting how to enable running regedit after viruses have disabled registry editing.

  2. guillermo
    June 21st, 2008 22:07
    2

    Gracias con esta información he resuelto mi problema, pues habia desaparecido el administrador de tareas. gracias otra vez.

  3. Daren
    July 15th, 2008 14:48
    3

    Nope.
    If the changes made by any virus, as the case here with one of my client

  4. Miri
    September 8th, 2008 07:05
    4

    bueno yo ya segui todos los paso para windows vista y no puedo accesar a ejecutar, y tmb en inicio, escribir regedit solo me aparecen dos archivos encontrados que son “faq.html” y “devasearch.js” a este ultimo le doy enter y nom manda a ningun lado, espero q me puedan ayudar a solucionarlo.

  5. holly007
    September 9th, 2008 22:33
    5

    Danke Ihr habt mir sehr geholfen,Pc läuft wieder einwandfrei!!!!

  6. drvm
    October 8th, 2008 02:44
    6

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
    “DisableTaskMgr”=dword:00000000

    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects\LocalUser\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
    “DisableTaskMgr”=dword:00000000
    “**del.DisableTaskMgr”=” ”

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system\]
    “DisableTaskMgr”=dword:00000000

    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
    “DisableCAD”=dword:00000000

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