Open Task Manager in Windows 10  

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  1. Posts : 27,164
    Win11 Pro, Win10 Pro N, Win10 Home, Windows 8.1 Pro, Ubuntu
       #10

    So you need a task in Task Scheduler that starts it minimized at boot like IRST, OneDrive, Defender and co.
    Shawn can you write a script that starts Taskmgr(in system32) minimized?
    Just clicking the windows icon and typing taskmgr will open Task Manager, he just needs a script(Or the complete task) to start it at boot minimized.
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  2. Posts : 16,784
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #11

    Brink - That does not work automatically.

    I am trying to get it to open with Windows minimised to the System tray.

    Task manager does not obey that minimised property of the shortcut unless it is launched manually.

    Denis
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 16,784
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #12

    Cliff S - I have a script to run it from TS [I have already said so twice]. The best that can be done this way is to get it to open miminised to the TaskBar.
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  4. Posts : 27,164
    Win11 Pro, Win10 Pro N, Win10 Home, Windows 8.1 Pro, Ubuntu
       #13

    Try3 said:
    Cliff S - I have a script to run it from TS [I have already said so twice]. The best that can be done this way is to get it to open miminised to the TaskBar.
    Even when the option to hide is selected?
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  5. Posts : 16,784
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #14

    Yes

    I have obviously not been clear so I have re-written my question:-

    Has anybody found out how to open Task manager when Windows starts with it already minimised to the System tray?

    Opening it automatically is always a two-step process: opening it with an Admin-level TS task and then minimising it by manually clicking on its minimise button.

    It does not obey any common methods when started automatically [such as adding /min -Hide or similar to the command itself] and I have not found any solution online.

    It fails to respond when Windows starts to a shortcut in either Startup folder so the job has to be done with a TS task [and that task must be an Admin one].

    The best I have been able to do is make it open minimised to the TaskBar so it then takes two clicks to get it minimised to the System tray [but it feels slightly more convenient than the alternatives as it leaves the desktop clear].
    Last edited by Try3; 21 Feb 2021 at 02:57.
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  6. Posts : 68,668
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #15

    Try3 said:
    Brink - That does not work automatically.

    I am trying to get it to open with Windows minimised to the System tray.

    Task manager does not obey that minimised property of the shortcut unless it is launched manually.

    Denis
    The problem is that Windows will not run anything elevated at startup by default for security reasons.

    As a workaround, you can create a minimized Task Manager shortcut using what I posted earlier.

    Next, create an elevated shortcut to run the minimize shortcut above.

    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

    When finished, place the elevated shortcut in your Startup folder.
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  7. Posts : 16,784
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #16

    Start Task manager minimised [to Taskbar not System tray]


    Brink,

    Thanks for the suggestion. I followed your guide but it results in Task manager opening in a normal window. I double-checked that I had done exactly as you said. Task manager just does not obey normal rules in this respect [as others have also discovered - I did search quite extensively before asking here].

    My own method does not achieve what I wanted but seems to be the best that I am going to get - Task manager opens minimised to the TaskBar {so it is neatly out of the way but I have to click twice on its TaskBar button to change this to minimised to the System tray}.

    I adopt a multi-part approach to the job:-

    1 A TS task
    The task runs at logon at an Admin level
    The task runs a vbs file that runs a TaskMgr shortcut - both are in my folder C:\Tools\TaskManager\
    {I deliberately used a folder path & filenames that had no spaces in them to ease the vbs syntax}
    - TS task settings
    Code:
    TS task General - run with highest privileges
    TS task - trigger At logon of any user
    TS task - program/script c:\windows\system32\wscript.exe
    TS task - arguments "C:\Tools\TaskManager\StartTaskManager.vbs"

    2 A vbs script StartTaskManager.vbs
    Code:
    Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
    WshShell.Run chr(34) & "C:\Tools\TaskManager\TaskManager.lnk" & Chr(34), 7

    3 A shortcut to C:\Windows\system32\taskmgr.exe
    - Properties, Run - Minimised
    - Properties, Advanced, Run as admin
    [and I have tried adding the -Hide argument to it but without effect]

    + Note that Windows normally tries to re-open many apps, including Task mgr, if they were open before a shutdown/restart
    - This is discussed in on a restart Fall Creators Update reopens apps from before Solved - TenForums
    - I avoid this by using shortcuts for shutdown [C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe /s /t 0] and restart [C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe /r /t 0]
    - You can also avoid this at Settings, Accounts, Sign-in, Use my signin to … reopen my apps by turning off this item
    - If you do not avoid this you will get an Admin challenge as Windows restarts and tries to open the Task mgr that was running beforehand. If that challenge appears, you need to deny it permission if you want the TS task, vbs, lnk, exe chain you've set up to be executed correctly.

    Denis
    Last edited by Try3; 21 Feb 2021 at 03:08.
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  8. Posts : 27,164
    Win11 Pro, Win10 Pro N, Win10 Home, Windows 8.1 Pro, Ubuntu
       #17

    Denis, Just playing the Devil's advocate here, have you looked to see if any 3rd party apps, would do the trick? Like Process Explorer(can be set to run at logon, but minimized???, no idea, or something else?
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  9. Posts : 27,164
    Win11 Pro, Win10 Pro N, Win10 Home, Windows 8.1 Pro, Ubuntu
       #18

    General Options

    Command-Line Usage: Process Explorer takes two options that modify its behavior:
    /e Prompt for UAC elevation to restart with administrative rights if launched without administrative rights.
    /s:<pid> Select the process having the specified process ID after starting.
    /t Start Process Explorer minimized in the tray.


    Replace Task Manager: Select the Replace Task Manager entry under the Options menu to have Process Explorer execute instead of Task Manager when you launch Task Manager. Note that this is a global setting that affects all users regardless of how they start Task Manager. After replacing Task Manager the menu item renames to Restore Task Manager and selecting it removes Process Explorer's association.

    Hide When Minimized: check this item in the Options menu to have Process Explorer run in the tray as a small graph reflecting current CPU usage when you minimize it. If CPU usage is under 70% the meter shows in green; if its between 70% and 90% it shows in yellow; if its above 90% it shows in red. The CPU usage graph updates at the currently defined refresh interval. If you want Process Explorer to start in the tray then specify the /t option as its command-line argument. Single-clicking on Process Explorer's tray icon restores the window and brings it to the foreground, regardless of whether its minimized in the tray or not.

    Allow Only One Instance: check this to prevent multiple instances of Process Explorer to run simultaneously.
    Confirm Kill: uncheck this if you do not want Process Explorer to prompt you for confirmation before terminating a process you've directed it to kill.
    CPU History in Tray: this option toggles Process Explorer's tray icon between a standard chart representation of the current CPU usage and a miniature version of the CPU history graph.
    Verify Image Signatures: if this is checked then images corresponding to processes are checked for trusted signatures automatically when you view a process properties and the result is shown next to the company field in the process properties dialog. "(Verified)" next a company name means the file is signed by a trusted root certificate authority and "(Unable to Verify)" means the file is either unsigned or signed by an untrusted authority. Uncheck this option to speed performance when viewing process image properties
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  10. Posts : 16,784
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #19

    Cliff S,

    No. I just thought of Task manager.

    When Windows 10 starts playing up it gets very highly loaded so I want to be able to see what is going on and to stop non-essential items so I can, at the very least, complete important jobs before restarting the computer [MS Office Outlook, for example, can be a real sod if the computer freezes while it is open]. If I do not already have Task manager running, the high loading can get in the way of starting it up.

    I'll have a look at Process explorer. I do not recall ever having used it in the past but its name seems familiar [I use other MS SysInternals utilities].

    Denis
      My Computer


 

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