Task Manager: Iconic and Versatile

Task Manager has become nearly synonymous with Windows, primarily because it's one of the most frequently used tools within the operating system.

If you need to close an unresponsive application, Task Manager is your go-to tool. Want to check your system resource usage? Task Manager can help with that too. It even lets you manage startup applications, which is far more convenient than older methods.

However, Task Manager only reveals a small portion of what’s actually happening across all the applications on your PC. If you're facing issues, you’ll likely need something that provides more detailed insights.

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Posts 4 Task Manager Isn’t Always Helpful -----------------------------------

The primary reason people open Task Manager is to stop an app that's not working properly, lagging, or frozen. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer much insight into the actual issue. All it really tells you is how many system resources an application is consuming and where its executable file is located.

Furthermore, it lacks transparency. If you've ever looked at the list of svchost.exe processes in Task Manager and had no idea what they are, you're not alone—there's just no context provided.

For troubleshooting or deeper analysis, you'll need to turn to another tool.

That’s where Process Explorer comes in—it addresses all these limitations and more.

Process Explorer Is Task Manager Dialed To 11

Process Explorer, originally a third-party utility acquired by Microsoft in the early 2000s, enhances the best features of Task Manager and adds significantly more functionality.

Take svchost.exe as an example—a core Windows process that hosts multiple system services. In Task Manager, you see a long list of entries labeled Service Host or svchost.exe with no explanation. In Process Explorer, however, you get comprehensive details.

Hovering over a process instantly shows you the associated executable and the command line arguments used to launch it. For even more information, right-click the process and select “Properties.” This will give you access to performance history, executable path, security info, and real-time activity data.

If you're experiencing issues with a Windows service—which still happens fairly often—this is an ideal starting point for diagnosis.

Once you identify the source of the problem, you can use Process Explorer to stop or restart any problematic processes.

You can also generate a DMP (dump) file from a process. While analyzing dump files can be complex, they often contain valuable clues about what went wrong.

Process Explorer Makes It Easy to Spot a Virus

Although Windows has improved significantly in terms of built-in malware protection, users still have the freedom to install apps from various sources, which can lead to infections.

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Posts 5 Detecting malware isn’t always straightforward. You might spot a suspicious executable in Task Manager or Process Explorer and wonder if it's malicious. Fortunately, VirusTotal exists to help. It allows you to compare unknown files against known malware databases and scan them using dozens of antivirus engines simultaneously—all by simply uploading the file.

Process Explorer automates this process. Just right-click on the unknown process and choose "Check VirusTotal.com."

The hash of the executable is compared to the VirusTotal database, and results appear in a column on the right side. For example, when checking Discord.exe—a well-known and trusted program—VirusTotal confirmed that none of the 77 anti-malware scanners detected it as malicious.

For more detailed analysis, you can click the result to view the full report on VirusTotal’s website.

This feature has been available for years, yet few people know about it—an unfortunate oversight given how powerful it is.

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Considering how much more advanced Process Explorer is, I no longer reach for Task Manager when dealing with problematic apps. Instead, I go straight to Process Explorer using a shortcut created via AutoHotKey.

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