How to fix Windows 11 Task Manager issues

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April 2022, 9April 2026, 1

If you are using Windows 11 for the first time,Task managerThe display may be in "simplified" mode, and tabs such as "Processes" and "Performance" may not be displayed.

This time, we will show you how to switch the Windows 11 Task Manager to the normal view.

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How to Switch Windows 11 Task Manager to Normal View

When you open Task Manager on a freshly installed Windows 11, it is set to "Simplified View" and only shows currently running processes.

To switch to the "Detailed View" which displays the "Processes" and "Performance" tabs, click "Details" in the bottom left.

The normal Task Manager display appears.

Now you can open Task Manager in the normal view next time.

The latest version has discontinued the simplified view.

In the latest version of Windows 11, the Task Manager has been updated and the "Simplified View" has been removed.

This is probably because many users don't need the "easy view."

How to use an older version of Task Manager

If you need a "simplified view," try using an older version of Task Manager.

The older version of Task Manager has been discontinued, but it remains in the "C:\Windows\SysWOW64" folder and has not been removed.

1. Press Windows Key + R to open Run, type the following command and press Enter:

%windir%\SysWOW64\Taskmgr.exe

This will open the old version of Task Manager, so click "Details" or "Simple view" in the bottom left to change the display method.

Older Task Manager - Simple View — Older Task Manager – Simple View

Older Task Manager - View Details — Older Task Manager – View Details

*Currently (as of February 14, 2025), the old version of Task Manager does not respond when you select "CPU" in the "Performance" tab, and there is a bug that causes the Task Manager to automatically close if you select it several times.

You can pin the Task Manager to the taskbar by right-clicking the Task Manager icon and clicking "Pin to taskbar."

Task Manager navigation shows only icons

If your Task Manager navigation only shows icons, try the following:

By default, clicking the "Xi" in the top left corner of the taskbar will reveal the navigation letters, but they may revert to icons as soon as you select a tab.

If so, the Task Manager window may be too small, so try dragging it out a bit.

This will keep the navigation visible.

In this state, you can click "Ξ" in the upper left to toggle between display and non-display.

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Person who wrote this article

wenbang

Driven by questions arising from my daily PC use and the desire to "do more," I have been pursuing self-study in Windows since around 2008. I am sharing the "aha!" techniques and solutions I discovered through trial and error with the sole purpose of helping you in your PC life.

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