Enabling or Disabling the Task Manager

Windows NT ,Windows 2000,Windows XP

If you can't open the Task Manager, it might be for various reasons: it might be restricted by another user with administrator permissions, you might have a virus, etc. When disabled, if you right click on the taskbar, you will see the Task Manager grayed out.


There is a registry hack to enable or disable Windows NT TaskManager. The same registry hack applies to Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Key : Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

Name: DisableTaskMgr

Type: REG_DWORD

Value: 1=Enablethis key, that is DISABLE TaskManager

Value: 0=Disablethis key, that is Don't Disable, Enable TaskManager

As part of the enhanced management available in Windows 2000 and Windows XP, rather than risking a registry change, as an administrator you can enable or disable Windows 2000 Pro or Windows XP Pro's TaskManager using Group Policy Editor. This can be applied to the local policy. Note: if you are trying to override your organizations group policy, you can't. As soon as you re-authenticate to the domain, the domain or OU Group Policy will rewrite the registry setting. But if the TaskManager was accidently disabled or you need to control this item for a set of standalone boxes this is for you:

1. Click Start
   
   
2. Click Run
   
   
3. Enter gpedit.msc in the Open box and click OK
   
   
4. In the Group Policy settings window
   
   
5. Select User Configuration
   
   
6. Select Administrative Templates
   
   
7. Select System
   
   
8. Select Ctrl+Alt+Delete options
   
   
9. Select Remove Task Manager
   
   
10. Double-click the Remove Task Manager option

And as I mentioned above, since the policy is Remove Task Manager, by disabling the policy, you are enabling the Task Manager.


Note: Got XP Home - use the registry edit (regedit).

Windows Vista

Use the following methods described below to enable or disable the windows task manager in Vista. When task manager is disabled it will not show up in the right click menu of the task bar, in CTRL+ALT+DEL menu or by pressing the task manager shortcut key (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC). Also keep it in mind if you have not disabled task manager but its disabled it could due be a malware or virus which is running on your PC. If that is the case this method might work for you but it wont get rid of the virus so I suggest you do a virus scan to fix it.

Basically there are two ways of enabling/disabling task manager

1. By using Group Policy Editor
   
   
2. Editing the registry with Registry Editor

Using the Group Policy Editor to Enable/Disable task manager

1. Open start menu and in the search area type “gpedit.msc” (without quotes)
   
   
2. In the left side pane, navigate to “User Configuration-> Administrative
   Templates->System->Ctrl+Alt+Del Options”
   
   
3. In the right side pane double click on “Remove task Manager” which will open the properties window
   
   
4. To enable either select “Not Configured” or “Disabled” and click OK
   
   
5. To disable select “Enabled” and click OK

Using the Registry Editor to Enable/Disable task manager

1. Open the start menu and in the search area type “regedit” and press enter.
   
   
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Window\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
   
   
3. If there’s no key called “System” right click Policies navigate to “New -> Key” in the right click menu and type “System” to create a new key.(skip this step if you have the key)
   
   
4. To disable task manager right click the empty area in the right side pane and create a key with the following settings “New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value” and type “DisableTaskMgr” and press Enter.(without the quotes)
   
   
5. Right click on “DisableTaskMgr” and click “Modify”, type 1 and press ok

To enable task manager simply navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System right click “DisableTaskMgr” click delete and click yes for confirmation.