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- Why is the Task Manager "Users" tab empty?
Symptoms
When you open Task Manager and select the users tab, no users appear. Normally, it should display the list of users logged on to the system. Additionally, when you open Task Manager, the User Name field might be blank.
Resolution
This happens if the Terminal Services is not started. Follow these steps to start the service:
- Click Start, Run and type Services.msc
- Locate Terminal Services and double-click it
- Set the Startup type to Manual, and click Apply
- Click the Start button to launch the service manually.
- Similarly, double-click Fast User Switching Compatibility service
- Set the Startup type to Manual, and click Apply
- Click the Start button to launch the service manually.
Now Task Manager User Name field and the Users tab will be populated correctly.
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7 Responses to "Why is the Task Manager "Users" tab empty?" 
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said this on 26 May 2006 9:36:54 AM PST
Thank you Ramesh Srinivasan. You have always answered my questions correctly
at windows new group xp help and support. I have been to your site:
windows xp fixes, tips and tricks. Your explanations for solving "problems" is so
logical and easy to understand. In fact, no other expert I have encountered at the
windows news groups comes close to your knowledge of the operating system. Thank you.
my screen name on the news groups is litespeed.
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said this on 04 Jul 2006 6:10:24 AM PST
Tip top. Just the solution I needed to get me out of a bind. Cheers.
Teddy
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said this on 01 Feb 2007 11:03:52 PM PST
I tried this and it doesn't work, I still can't see the Users. Both Services started and run on Automatic with no errors and still no users in the task manager.
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said this on 09 Nov 2007 1:18:14 PM PST
This work great. Thanks
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said this on 01 Sep 2008 6:59:33 PM PST
I'm disappointed. I wanted Terminals Services to be disabled, but I want to know under what ID all processes are running. Hence Microsoft Task Manager usefulness is nil since Usernames are no longer displayed. Typical problem when Microsoft doesn't know how to write an application.
For those of you to be satisfied with an answer "turn it back on", I'm glad it solved your curiosity, but what does that say of the reason you had (such as security) to turn off terminal services in the first place.
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said this on 15 Nov 2008 5:43:41 PM PST
Wouldn't it be better to set the Startup Type to Automatic so that you don't have to go restart it all the time?
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said this on 20 Nov 2008 11:55:34 AM PST
thank you this worked and was easy to do.
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