Generally speaking, if Windows bugs out, the performance of many features would suffer and Task Manager is no exception. Since restart is the best solution for Windows bugs, it’s wise to restart your computer if you notice that Task Manager is blank. Depending on the situation, you could also update Windows, perform SFC and DISM scans, scan for malware, boot into Safe Mode, … Spare some time to take a look at this article and learn the way to bring Task Manager back to normal.
Triggers
Bugs
In terms of popularity, Windows is second to none among operating systems for PC but it still leaves something to be desired. For instance, it’s not uncommon for Windows to experience bugs all of a sudden in use which cause features to malfunction. Task Manager is not working as expected on your computer? Then it’s strongly recommended that you add bugs to the list of suspects.
Windows
From time to time, Windows receives updates from Microsoft that patch bugs, refine features and so on. If you keep Windows up-to-date, you should be able to put all of its features including Task manager to good use. On the other hand, if you neglect Windows updates, some of Windows features could fail before long.
Corruption
For your information, quite a few factors affect the performance of Windows but nothing proves as influential as system files. If system files become corrupted, it’s only natural that Windows as well as its features would go haywire. That is why you should give corruption some thought if you have a hard time using Task Manager.
Malware
In most of the cases, the presence of malware leads to all sorts of issues on Windows computers. Since Task Manager is a Windows feature, its performance is vulnerable to malware.
Software Conflict
Nowadays, computers that run on Windows could support a lot of programs at the same time. That being said, as the number of programs increases, the odds of software conflict rise as well. At times, software conflict may prevent Windows features such as Task Manager from performing their duty.
Actions To Take
Restart
If Task Manager is blank, the first fix you should try is to restart: save what must be saved, close everything and restart your computer. When the screen comes back on, open Task Manager then determine whether the issue persists.
Check For Windows Updates
- Step 1: Press Windows + I to open Settings, choose Update & Security and select Check for updates in Windows Update.
- Step 2: If an update is available, allow Windows to download and install it.
- Step 3: Restart your computer the moment the update completes.
- Step 4: See how things turn out.
Perform SFC And DISM Scans
- Step 1: Press Windows key, type cmd and hit Run as administrator.
- Step 2: In Command Prompt (Admin), run the command sfc /scannow to perform the SFC scan.
- Step 3: Following the conclusion of the SFC scan, run each of commands down below in Command Prompt (Admin) to perform the DISM scan:
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Step 4: Proceed to run the command exit to close Command Prompt.
- Step 5: Restart your computer.
Scan For Malware
Note: For ease of convenience, we use Windows Security for the scan. If you have a third-party antivirus program, feel free to use it.
- Step 1: Open Settings, click Update & Security then pick Virus & threat protection in Windows Security.
- Step 2: Click Scan options, pick Full scan and hit Scan now,
- Step 3: Allow the scan to go all the way then restart your computer.
Boot Into Safe Mode
- Step 1: Open Settings, select Update & Security then choose Recovery.
- Step 2: Hit Restart now under Advanced startup.
- Step 3: Once you reach Choose an options screen, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- Step 4: Press either 4 (F4) to boot into Safe Mode or 5 (F5) to boot into Safe Mode with Networking.
- Step 5: Open Task Manager.
If Task Manager is working, you could conclude that software conflict is the root of the problem. To address the conflict, you should uninstall some of the apps on your computer, especially those that you recently installed. After you finish, restart your computer to leave Safe Mode.
Take Advantage Of System Restore
None of the above works? In that case, System Restore is going to be your last resort. By making use of System Restore, you could bring your computer back to a time when Task Manager worked smoothly.
- Step 1: Press Windows key, type System Restore and hit Enter.
- Step 2: Select System Restore then choose a restore point.
- Step 3: Initiate the restoration.
FAQs
What is the role of Task Manager?
As the name suggests, Task Manager allows Windows users to manage tasks on their computers. Via Task Manager, you could end existing tasks, run new tasks, modify processing priorities, set processor affinity, etc.
Is it okay to end all tasks in Task Manager?
In Task Manager, you could see all running tasks and some of them play a key role in computer operations. Hence, it’s ill-advised to end all tasks in Task Manager at whim.