How to see what programs are running in Windows 10

James Walker | February 24, 2021 October 16, 2019 | How-To

To view running programs in Windows 10, use the Task Manager app, accessible by searching in the Start menu.

1. Launch it from the Start menu or with the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keyboard shortcut
2. Sort apps by memory use, CPU use, etc.
3. Get more details or «End Task» if needed

Applies to All Windows 10 Versions

When your computer is running sluggishly, it can be helpful to cull the number of programs you have open. This includes cutting down on background processes which run invisibly, sometimes without your knowledge.

The best place to start when monitoring apps is the Task Manager. Launch it from the Start menu or with the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keyboard shortcut. You’ll land on the Processes screen.

At the top of the table, you’ll see a list of all the apps which are running on your desktop. These are generally programs which you have started yourself. You should recognise them as apps which you’re currently using.

The next section, «Background processes,» details programs which probably aren’t visible on your desktop. These include processes installed by other programs, such as self-update utilities, Windows components and «suspended» Windows Store apps.

At the bottom of the list, you’ll find «Windows processes.» These are individual components of the Windows operating system. You won’t generally need to interact with any of these. They should be left on their own to keep your system running.

You can click the column headings to sort the table by the available fields. This helps you quickly identify apps which are using a lot of RAM, or those which are consuming processor time. Right-clicking a column header allows you to add further fields to the table, such as estimates of power consumption or the complete command which was used to launch the process.

If you need more detailed information, switch over to the «Details» pane. This provides technical details for each process. Again, you can add extra fields and change the sorting using the column headers at the top of the screen.

You can right-click a process to change its attributes. Terminate a process by selecting «End task» – this should work even if the program is unresponsive and you can’t use the regular «Close» button.

Finally, we should note that Task Manager only shows apps running on your own desktop. If there are multiple users logged in, you can view their processes by switching to the «Users» tab. This enables you to see if one of their open programs is consuming all the resources of the machine. You’ll need to be logged in as an administrator in order to see this information, due to the inherent privacy and security implications of viewing another user’s processes.

Which version of Windows operating system am I running?

Find operating system info in Windows 10

To find out which version of Windows your device is running, press the Windows logo key + R, type winver in the Open box, and then select OK.

Here’s how to learn more:

Select the Start button > Settings > System > About .

Under Device specifications > System type, see if you’re running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

Under Windows specifications, check which edition and version of Windows your device is running.

Related links

If you’re having a problem with activation, see Activate in Windows 10.

If you forgot the password you use to sign in to Windows devices or email, see How to reset your Microsoft password.

For info about updating Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ.

Find operating system info in Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1

To find out which version of Windows your device is running, press the Windows logo key + R, type winver in the Open box, and then select OK.

If your device is running Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1, here’s how to learn more:

If you’re using a touch device, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. Continue to step 3.

If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.

Select PC and devices > PC info.

Under Windows you’ll see which edition and version of Windows your device is running.

Under PC > System type you’ll see if you’re running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

Related links

If you’re having a problem with activation, see Activate Windows 7 or Windows 8.1

If you forgot the password you use to sign in to Windows devices or email, see How to reset your Microsoft password.

For info about updating Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ.

Find operating system info in Windows 7

Select the Start button, type Computer in the search box, right-click on Computer, and then select Properties.

Under Windows edition, you’ll see the version and edition of Windows that your device is running.

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020

We recommend you move to a Windows 10 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft.

Related links

If you’re having a problem with activation, see Activate Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

If you forgot the password you use to sign in to Windows devices or email, see How to reset your Microsoft password.

For info about updating Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ.

How to find what is running on a Windows computer

Windows Task Manager

The Microsoft Windows Task Manager is a general, quick, and easy method of viewing what programs, background processes, and apps are running on the computer. If your computer is running slowly, this is a beneficial tool to see a program potentially takes up too much CPU or memory resources on your computer.

You can access the Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Del shortcut keys on your keyboard, then select Task Manager. You can also right-click with your mouse on the Windows Taskbar and select Task Manager.

As shown in the picture below, in Windows 8 and Windows 10, the Windows Task Manager opens with the Processes tab selected. In Windows 7 and earlier, the Task Manager opens with the Applications tab selected. In both cases, the applications currently open and running on the computer are displayed. From here, you can end any application that is not responding by selecting it in the list and clicking the End Task button.

The Applications tab is not present in the Windows 8 and Windows 10 Task Manager.

The Processes tab displays applications that are running, and Windows system processes. You can identify what processes are consuming your resources by clicking the «CPU» or «Memory» (titled «Mem Usage» in Windows 7 and earlier) column headers. Doing so sorts the process list by how much of that resource they are using. Click the header multiple times to toggle between highest-to-lowest and lowest-to-highest sort order.

Windows process tool

Unfortunately, not all processes and services are displayed by the Windows Task Manager. If you’re concerned about hidden malicious software, run a utility such as HijackThis, process the log, and use our Windows process tool.

3 Ways to Track Which Programs are Using the Most Bandwidth in Windows

2 of which are completely free

Are you having trouble connecting to Facebook or Twitter? Has your internet connection slowed down to the point that it’s become unusable?

Don’t blame your internet service provider just yet. The reason for this could be a program consuming bandwidth in the background.

In this post, you’ll learn how to monitor the bandwidth usage of your applications and how to put an end to it.

Method 1: Task Manager

The easiest way to monitor your network activity would be through Task Manager. This application shows all the programs that are currently running in your PC. This feature is available on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

Open Task Manager by hitting Ctrl + Shift + Esc. You can also right-click Start and select Task Manager.

For most users, the Task Manager will only display programs that are currently running. Click More Details to get more information.

The expanded view will not only show a list of running applications, but it also tells which are consuming the most resources — including network activity.

Clicking Network will arrange the column in ascending or descending order. Putting the list in descending order lets you see which programs are getting the most network usage.

To can force applications to stop. Right-click the program and select End Task.

Note: Some running applications are crucial for Windows to continue working. Ending these types of tasks will cause your computer to shut down.

Method 2: Resource Monitor

You can use Resource Monitor instead to find which apps are connecting to the internet. Resource Monitor is the better tool to use if you want to dive deeper into the details.

Open Run and type RESMON. Windows 8 users might have to type RESMON.EXE instead.

This will open Resource Monitor. Click the Network tab. This will show you all the network activity on your computer.

The Processes With Network Activity window is composed of five columns.

• Image – The name of the application
• PID – Shows you the process ID number
• Send (B/sec) – This is the average number of bytes per second the app sent in the last minute.
• Receive (B/Sec) – This is the average number of bytes per second the app received in the last minute.
• Total (B/Sec) – Total bytes per second the app used in the last minute.

If you’re seeing unfamiliar programs in the list, right-click on it and select Search Online.

Clicking Search Online will prompt Windows to do a web search of the application in question.

Should you find an application that’s using way too much bandwidth, right-click it and select End Process.

Method 3: Third-Party Tools

You can find a number of third-party programs online to help monitor your bandwidth usage. This is great for students or anyone who has a cap on internet usage.

While these apps give you more control over your bandwidth allocation, they can be pricey. Most of them aren’t free while others operate on a freemium model.

But still, if monitoring network usage is important to you then it could be worth spending money on a solution. For most people, however, the first two methods should

Christopher Jan Benitez is a freelance writer for hire who provides actionable and useful web content to small businesses and startups. In his spare time, he religiously watches professional wrestling and finds solace in listening to ’80s speed metal. Read Christopher’s Full Bio

What is the Program program showing up in Windows 8 Task Manager Startup tab?

Replies (67) 

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Some programs, particularly system maker’s included programs, do not identify
themselves by name in the StartUp tab.

If you Right Click on any of the existing Column Names at the top of the columns in the
StartUp tab there are other column display choices. Select «Command Line» and you can
see what program is opening.

You can use AutoRuns again and check the command line and the file name with those
programs running in Task Manager’s — StartUp tab — Command line column.

Note using Win Key + X and Win Key + W (to get to Control Panel, Run, and Settings
as needed). Win Key + D calls the desktop and the using Win Key toggles Desktop and
Start Screen.

How to perform a clean boot to troubleshoot a problem in Windows Vista, Windows 7,
or Windows 8/8.1

Other programs to help :

Autoruns — Free — See what programs are configured to startup automatically
when your system boots and you login. Autoruns also shows you the full list
of Registry and file locations where applications can configure auto-start settings.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

Process Explorer — Free — Find out what files, registry keys and other objects
processes have open, which DLLs they have loaded, and more. This uniquely
powerful utility will even show you who owns each process.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

Hope this helps.

Rob Brown — Microsoft MVP Rob Brown — past Microsoft MVP — Windows Insider MVP 2016 — 2021
Microsoft MVP Windows and Devices for IT 2009 — 2020