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    3 min read 4 stepsApril 19, 2026Verified April 2026

    How to Use Task Manager to Fix a Slow or Frozen Windows Computer

    Task Manager shows you what's running on your computer and lets you close programs that are frozen or using too much memory.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Windows Guides
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    3 min read
    Steps
    4
    Topics covered
    task manager
    windows
    slow computer
    frozen
    troubleshoot
    memory

    In this guide (4 steps):

    1. 1.Open Task Manager
    2. 2.Find what's slowing your computer down
    3. 3.Close a frozen or unresponsive program
    4. 4.Prevent programs from starting automatically
    1

    Open Task Manager

    ~19s
    Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete on your keyboard at the same time. A blue screen appears with a small menu. Click "Task Manager." Alternatively, right-click anywhere on the empty space in the Taskbar (the bar at the bottom of your screen) and click "Task Manager." Task Manager opens showing a list of all running programs and processes.
    2

    Find what's slowing your computer down

    ~29s
    Click the "CPU" column header to sort programs by how much processor power they're using (highest at top). Click "Memory" to sort by RAM usage. Any program using 80-100% CPU is likely causing slowdowns. If your computer feels slow overall, look for programs using high percentages and that you're not actively using.

    Quick Tip

    One program using 100% CPU is often an antivirus scan, Windows Update, or a web browser with too many tabs. Give it a few minutes before taking action — many high-usage tasks finish on their own.

    3

    Close a frozen or unresponsive program

    ~22s
    If a program shows "(Not Responding)" next to its name in Task Manager, it's frozen. Click on that program's name once to highlight it. Click "End Task" at the bottom right (or top right in newer Windows versions). The program will close right away. You may lose any unsaved work in that program — this is a last resort when the program won't close normally.
    4

    Prevent programs from starting automatically

    ~31s
    Many programs start automatically when you turn on your computer, which slows down startup. In Task Manager, click the "Startup apps" tab. You'll see all programs that launch when Windows starts, and whether they have a "High," "Medium," or "Low" startup impact. Right-click any program you don't need to start automatically and click "Disable." This doesn't delete the program. It just stops it from starting with Windows.

    Quick Tip

    Good candidates to disable at startup: music apps (Spotify, iTunes), gaming apps, creative software — anything you don't use every single day. Keep your antivirus and cloud backup apps enabled.

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    When your Windows computer gets slow, freezes, or a program stops responding, Task Manager is the tool that helps you understand why and fix it. It shows you every program currently running, and how much of your computer's resources each one uses.

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    task manager
    windows
    slow computer
    frozen
    troubleshoot
    memory

    Official Resources

    Microsoft SupportHow-To Geek — WindowsGCFGlobal — Windows Basics

    Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

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