How To Release Windows Tasks

Introduction

Many programs run nearly flawlessly in modern versions of the Windows operating system. If users own a very old program that hasn't been updated by the vendor to have compatibility with modern versions of Windows, such as Windows Vista or Windows 7, they can run those programs in compatibility mode. Some conceivably users can have dozens of programs running at once, which means there will be many tasks running at any giving time.

Unfortunately, running too many tasks at once can consume valuable resources in the operating system, which means users must release a program. If you have multiple programs open, that can slow down the processor, memory, as well as the hard drive. Also, if you are using a laptop from a battery instead of plugging the system into an electrical outlet, you might deplete the battery faster, if you have too many program tasks open and active on the PC. You can easily release these tasks in the operating system.

 

Step 1

Right-click on the Windows taskbar at the bottom of the desktop. Select Task Manager or Open Task Manager from the menu. The difference is based on which version of the operating system that you use. You should see a dialog box on your screen that is labeled as the Task Manager, which you will use to release tasks.

 

Step 2

Click on the Applications tab to get a look at all of the programs that are currently open on your Windows computer. Many of these are programs that you manually open. For example, if you like to browse websites, you might see the icon for your Internet browser, such as Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer. For every open program there is a task that is open on the computer, and sometimes there are multiple tasks that you need to release.

Step 3

Right-click on an application to show a menu. Select Go To Process from the menu. The Windows Task Manager will switch to the Processes tab. This tab shows many more tasks that what is present on the Applications tab. You may have to release more than one task. Many of these tasks activate automatically when you turn on your computer and log in to your user account.

 

Step 4

Right-click on a task that you don't want to run any longer on your Windows computer. Select End Process from the menu. This will release the task in Windows.

Step 5

Select the End Process Tree from the menu, if selecting End Process, alone, did not end the task. Again, there may be more than one task for a given program and activity on the PC, which you need to release in Windows.

Tips

Be careful not to release a task that is a part of Windows. If you release a service like Windows Update, your system could be vulnerable to security threats.

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