{"id":29110,"date":"2022-10-08T18:11:14","date_gmt":"2022-10-08T12:41:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/198.58.113.91\/blog\/?p=29110"},"modified":"2024-03-26T17:52:08","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T12:22:08","slug":"restore-old-taskmgr-windows-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/restore-old-taskmgr-windows-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Restore the Old Task Manager in Windows 11"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Windows 11 version 22H2 (and above) comes with a redesigned Task Manager. The new Task Manager has additional features, such as a new command bar, UI matching the system-wide theme, Efficiency mode to limit the resource usage of a process, etc.<!--more--><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_29111\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29111\" style=\"width: 649px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-29111\" src=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/taskmgr-22h2-new.png\" alt=\"new 22h2 task manager windows 11\" width=\"659\" height=\"424\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-29111\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Windows 11 22H2 &#8211; the new Task Manager<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>However, the menu bar has been removed in the new Task Manager. This is a big letdown for those who rely heavily on keyboard shortcuts.<\/p>\n<p>In the old Task Manager interface, you could press Alt + F and then press Enter to start a new task. The hotkey is now changed; it&#8217;s now Alt + N. Though it&#8217;s one keypress less, it takes time to get used to it, mainly since we&#8217;ve been accustomed to the old interface for years.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s see how to get back the older (21H2) version of Task Manager in Windows 11 22H2 and above.<\/p>\n<h2>Get Back Legacy TaskMgr in Windows 11<\/h2>\n<p>To get back the old version of Task Manager in Windows 11, use one of these methods:<\/p>\n<h3>Method 1: Use the hidden taskmgr.exe switch<\/h3>\n<p>Launch Task Manager by running the following command from Start\/Run dialog:<\/p>\n<pre>taskmgr.exe -d<\/pre>\n<p>Press Enter.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/taskmgr_classic_switch.png\" alt=\"open classic task manager using taskmgr.exe -d\" width=\"675\" height=\"512\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-74586\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This launches the Task Manager with the classic user interface. This method has been tested in Windows 11 23H2 OS Build 22631.3296.<\/p>\n<p>You can create a desktop shortcut to the above command if required. Of course, there won&#8217;t be dark mode support and no search feature in the classic UI.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Credits<\/strong>: \u03bblbacore on X:<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Did you know that you can open Task Manager without the new XAML\/WinUI frame by running &quot;taskmgr -d&quot;? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iZ2ycsIDvE\">pic.twitter.com\/iZ2ycsIDvE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Albacore \u2601\ufe0f (@thebookisclosed) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thebookisclosed\/status\/1772302275731435710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 25, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>(via GHacks.com)<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h3>Method 2: Replace Taskmgr.exe with the 21H2 version<\/h3>\n<p>To replace Taskmgr.exe with the 21H2 version of Taskmgr.exe, use one of the following methods.<\/p>\n<h4>Option 1: Using a Script<\/h4>\n<p>Download <a href=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Old_Taskmgr.zip\">Old_Taskmgr.zip<\/a> and extract the files to a folder.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-29114\" src=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/old_taskmgr_archive.png\" alt=\"Restores old Task Manager in Windows 11 22H2 and above\" width=\"725\" height=\"362\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The archive contains the following items: (See <a href=\"#fileinfo\">File Details<\/a> &amp; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/how-to-get-file-hash-via-right-click-menu-windows\/\">Hash Checksum<\/a> for each file.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Taskmgr.exe.mui<\/li>\n<li>Taskmgr.exe<\/li>\n<li>Taskmgr.exe.mun<\/li>\n<li>replace_taskmgr.vbs<\/li>\n<li>undo.vbs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Double-click the VBScript file &#8220;<code>replace_taskmgr.vbs<\/code>&#8220;. This script file copies <code>Taskmgr.*<\/code> files as <code>Taskmgr2.*<\/code> under the following directory and subdirectories:<\/p>\n<pre>C:\\Program Files\\Classic Apps\\Task Manager<\/pre>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-29115\" src=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/old_taskmgr_replace_msg.png\" alt=\"Restores old Task Manager in Windows 11 22H2 and above\" width=\"379\" height=\"133\" \/><\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s it! The Task Manager is now replaced with its older (21H2) version.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-29118\" src=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/old_taskmgr_ui.png\" alt=\"Legacy Task Manager user interface\" width=\"666\" height=\"431\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6338 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/icotip.gif\" alt=\"tips bulb icon\" width=\"34\" height=\"34\" \/>The script also adds the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/windows-cannot-find-taskmgr-exe-task-manager-debugger\/\">debugger<\/a> registry entry for Taskmgr.exe so launching the original Task Manager (Taskmgr.exe) will launch the legacy Task Manager (Taskmgr2.exe) instead. It works for Ctrl + Shift + Esc as well. If you wish to revert to the original Task Manager, run the Undo script (&#8220;undo.vbs&#8221;.)<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>Manual procedure<\/h4>\n<p>To replace Task Manager manually instead of using the script, follow these steps:<\/p>\n<h4>Step 1: Copy files<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>Download <a href=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Old_Taskmgr.zip\">Old_Taskmgr.zip<\/a> and extract the files to a folder.<\/li>\n<li>Rename all the Taskmgr.* files to Taskmgr2.* &#8212; E.g., Taskmgr.exe to Taskmgr2.exe.<\/li>\n<li>Create the following directories:\n<pre>C:\\Program Files\\Classic Apps\\Task Manager\\Program\nC:\\Program Files\\Classic Apps\\Task Manager\\Program\\en-US\nC:\\Program Files\\Classic Apps\\Task Manager\\System Resources<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<li>Copy Taskmgr2.exe to:\n<pre>C:\\Program Files\\Classic Apps\\Task Manager\\Program<\/pre>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-29117\" src=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/taskmgr-classic-apps-folder.png\" alt=\"task manager classic apps folder\" width=\"725\" height=\"295\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Copy Taskmgr.exe2.mui to:\n<pre>C:\\Program Files\\Classic Apps\\Task Manager\\Program\\en-US<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<li>Copy Taskmgr.exe2.mun to:\n<pre>C:\\Program Files\\Classic Apps\\Task Manager\\System Resources<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h4>Step 2: Replace Taskmgr.exe in the registry<\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li>Launch regedit.exe and go to the following location:\n<pre>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File Execution Options<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<li>Create a subkey named &#8220;taskmgr.exe&#8221; if it doesn&#8217;t already exist.<\/li>\n<li>Next, create a &#8220;Debugger&#8221; string value in the right pane.<\/li>\n<li>Double-click &#8220;Debugger&#8221; and type the path to Taskmgr2.exe within double quotes.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-29116\" src=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/taskmgr-debugger-replace.png\" alt=\"registry replace taskmgr.exe debugger\" width=\"700\" height=\"181\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Exit the Registry Editor.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>That&#8217;s it. Task Manager has been replaced now.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><a id=\"fileinfo\"><\/a>File information<\/h3>\n<p>The Zip archive contains the Task Manager files extracted from the <code>C:\\Windows.old<\/code> directory <a href=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/increase-10-day-limit-go-back-to-previous-version-windows\/\">within 10 days<\/a> of the upgrade.<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, the files <code>Taskmgr.exe<\/code>, <code>Taskmgr.exe.mui<\/code>, and <code>Taskmgr.exe.mun<\/code> can be extracted by downloading the 21H2 version of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/windows-10-iso-direct-download-mct-useragent\/\">Windows 11 ISO<\/a> and opening the <code>install.wim<\/code> file using 7-Zip. For more information, see the article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/extract-files-windows-10-iso-dvd-install-wim\/\">Extract Specific Files from Windows ISO<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the details of the Task Manager files included in the above archive. They belong to the Windows 11 21H2 version.<\/p>\n<pre>File Name  :  Taskmgr.exe\nVerified    :  Signed\nSigning date    :  5:08 AM 6\/19\/2022\nCompany     :  Microsoft Corporation\nDescription :  Task Manager\nProduct     :  Microsoft\u00ae Windows\u00ae Operating System\nProd version    :  10.0.22000.778\nFile version    :  10.0.22000.778 (WinBuild.160101.0800)\nMachineType :  64-bit\nInternal Name   :  Task Manager\nCopyright   :  \u00a9 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.\nMD5     :  CE524E3FB425B73E4DC8F7E39AA691C2\nSHA1        :  47BC63862D63964AC304F42BBDDF7FC9E54946F4\nSHA256      :  C8A82389F871F5863CC9F53149FFBE44C6954BFD33C6FB7F4A13AB663FE520B7\nVT detection    :  0\/75\nVT link     :  https:\/\/www.virustotal.com\/gui\/file\/c8a82389f871f5863cc9f53149ffbe44c6954bfd33c6fb7f4a13ab663fe520b7\/detection<\/pre>\n<hr \/>\n<pre>File Name  :  Taskmgr.exe.mui\nCompany     :  Microsoft Corporation\nDescription :  Task Manager\nProduct     :  Microsoft\u00ae Windows\u00ae Operating System\nProd version    :  10.0.22000.184\nFile version    :  10.0.22000.184 (WinBuild.160101.0800)\nBinary Version  :  10.0.22000.184\nCopyright   :  \u00a9 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.\nMD5     :  BAEC9AC9A1DB0E6C4A370DC963D7A442\nSHA1        :  17D3BAC00AB368D30B3D7D38F094FEF099AC7CB0\nSHA256      :  7129ACFBB794C2F54F4A1B07B66FB7A58CB044897B0CED5E09A6EC7199AD8B66\nVT detection    :  0\/72\nVT link     :  https:\/\/www.virustotal.com\/gui\/file\/7129acfbb794c2f54f4a1b07b66fb7a58cb044897b0ced5e09a6ec7199ad8b66\/detection<\/pre>\n<hr \/>\n<pre>File Name  :  Taskmgr.exe.mun\nCompany     :  Microsoft Corporation\nDescription :  Task Manager\nProduct     :  Microsoft\u00ae Windows\u00ae Operating System\nProd version    :  10.0.22000.778\nFile version    :  10.0.22000.778 (WinBuild.160101.0800)\nMachineType :  32-bit\nBinary Version  :  10.0.22000.778\nInternal Name   :  Task Manager\nCopyright   :  \u00a9 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.\nMD5     :  BEE3E8776AA4EED75CE570461BB03509\nSHA1        :  876FFC3B409ED09125E3790B618F918380CC68F6\nSHA256      :  B80522FE4E6827DFA02359FB73EF9064BC5888B318D53194823CFE68BD226915\nVT detection    :  0\/74\nVT link     :  https:\/\/www.virustotal.com\/gui\/file\/b80522fe4e6827dfa02359fb73ef9064bc5888b318d53194823cfe68bd226915\/detection<\/pre>\n<p><em>I hope that helps! Let&#8217;s know your comments.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Windows 11 version 22H2 (and above) comes with a redesigned Task Manager. The new Task Manager has additional features, such as a new command bar, UI matching the system-wide theme, Efficiency mode to limit the resource usage of a process, etc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[869],"tags":[441,580],"class_list":["post-29110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-windows-11","tag-registry","tag-task-manager"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":30480,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/kb5020044-bug-task-manager-text-display\/","url_meta":{"origin":29110,"position":0},"title":"Task Manager text unreadable after installing KB5020044","author":"Ramesh","date":"December 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"After installing the KB5020044 update for Windows 11, Task Manager might display certain elements in the user interface (UI) in unexpected colors. On affected devices, Task Manager should function as expected, but some parts of the UI might not be readable. You might be affected by this issue if you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Windows 11&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Windows 11","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-11\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"task manager display unreadable KB5020044","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/taskbar-display-unreadable.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/taskbar-display-unreadable.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/taskbar-display-unreadable.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/taskbar-display-unreadable.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/configure-task-manager-to-display-full-path-of-running-processes\/","url_meta":{"origin":29110,"position":1},"title":"Task Manager: Show Command-line and Image Path of Running Processes","author":"Ramesh","date":"March 3, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Out of all the built-in troubleshooting tools in Windows, Task Manager is probably the most useful tool. Almost every end-user knows what to do when an application stalls. They just fire up Task Manager using Ctrl + Shift + Esc and end the nonresponsive task. Also, Task Manager can be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Windows&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Windows","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"task manager show command line","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/taskmgr_command_line_4.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":76314,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/ahk-close-taskmgr-escape-key\/","url_meta":{"origin":29110,"position":2},"title":"How to Close Task Manager by pressing ESC in Windows 11","author":"Ramesh","date":"August 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In Windows 11 21H2 and all versions of Windows 10, you can close the Task Manager window by pressing the {Esc} key. This is no longer possible in the revamped Task Manager in Windows 11 22H2 and higher. However, here's an AutoHotKey solution that should help. Workaround Download AutoHotKey 2.0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Windows 11&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Windows 11","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-11\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25702,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/get-back-windows-10-ribbon-ui-windows-11\/","url_meta":{"origin":29110,"position":3},"title":"Get Back Windows 10 Ribbon UI in Windows 11 File Explorer","author":"Ramesh","date":"January 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The File Explorer in Windows 11 has a new\/modern ribbon interface with small icons (no caption text underneath). The new ribbon interface may look bland and uncomfortable for new users who have upgraded to Windows 11 from Windows 10 or earlier. Luckily, there are many different ways to get back\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Windows 11&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Windows 11","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-11\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"get ribbon script winlogon shell","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/winlogon-replace-ribbon-script.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8852,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/what-is-rundll32-exe-is-it-malware\/","url_meta":{"origin":29110,"position":4},"title":"What is Rundll32.exe process? Is it a Malware?","author":"Ramesh","date":"April 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"When you open Task Manager, you may see Rundll32.exe entry in the Processes tab. Or, you may also encounter a rundll32.exe error at every startup or during shutdown. Many users are wondering if rundll32.exe is a virus. If not, what exactly does rundll32.exe do in the system? What is rundll32.exe?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Windows&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Windows","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"rundll32 modules list tasklist","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/rundll32-modules.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/rundll32-modules.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/rundll32-modules.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4728,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/create-shortcut-open-task-manager-startup-tab-directly\/","url_meta":{"origin":29110,"position":5},"title":"How to Open Task Manager to a Specific Tab Directly","author":"Ramesh","date":"December 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Task Manager opens to Processes tab by default in Windows 8 and 10. If you want it to open to the Startup tab directly, this article tells you how to do it. Windows 10 v1903 Task Manager update In version 1903 and higher, you can set a default tab in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Windows 10&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"task manager default tab","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/task-manager-default-tab.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29110\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}