Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Process Monitor VS Windows Task Manager

Compare Process Monitor VS Windows Task Manager and see what are their differences

Process Monitor logo Process Monitor

Monitor file system, Registry, process, thread and DLL activity in real-time.

Windows Task Manager logo Windows Task Manager

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  • Process Monitor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03
  • Windows Task Manager Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-02

Process Monitor features and specs

  • Comprehensive Monitoring
    Process Monitor provides detailed real-time data on process, file system, registry, and network activity. This allows for in-depth analysis and troubleshooting.
  • Advanced Filtering
    Users can apply complex filters to focus on specific events or processes, which helps in pinpointing issues more efficiently.
  • Event Highlighting
    The tool supports highlighting rules that can be used to visually differentiate events of interest, making it easier to identify key activities.
  • Boot Time Logging
    It can be configured to record events during the boot process, which is invaluable for diagnosing startup issues.
  • Integration with other Sysinternals Tools
    Seamless integration with other Sysinternals tools allows for a more comprehensive diagnostic toolkit.

Possible disadvantages of Process Monitor

  • Resource Intensive
    Process Monitor can consume significant system resources, especially when monitoring extensive activities, which might affect system performance.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its wide range of features and the detailed information it provides, new users might find it challenging to navigate and use effectively.
  • Overwhelming Data
    The volume of data generated can be overwhelming, making it difficult to isolate relevant information without proper filtering.
  • No Native Support for Non-Windows Systems
    As a tool originally designed for Windows, it does not support non-Windows operating systems natively.
  • Potential for Information Overload
    The granular level of detail provided can lead to information overload, particularly for users unfamiliar with interpreting the data.

Windows Task Manager features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    The Windows Task Manager has an intuitive interface that is easy for users to navigate, offering straightforward access to common tasks and system monitoring.
  • Performance Monitoring
    Provides real-time data on CPU, memory, disk, and network usage, helping users to diagnose system performance issues efficiently.
  • Process Management
    Allows users to view, start, and end processes conveniently. This is useful for terminating unresponsive applications and managing system resources.
  • Startup Program Management
    Enables users to manage which programs start up with Windows, allowing for faster boot times and better control over system performance.
  • Detailed Information
    Provides in-depth details about running processes, including their impact on system performance, resource usage, and associated hardware usage.

Possible disadvantages of Windows Task Manager

  • Limited Functionality
    While helpful for basic tasks, it lacks advanced features found in more robust system monitoring tools, such as detailed application performance history and custom alerts.
  • Potential for Misuse
    Inexperienced users might accidentally terminate vital system processes, leading to system instability or crashes.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Displays detailed information about running processes and applications, which could be misused if accessed by unauthorized users.
  • Resource Overhead
    While minimal, running the Task Manager itself consumes system resources which, on very low-end hardware, might have an impact.
  • Manual Interventions
    Requires manual interventions for process management and does not offer automated solutions for recurring issues or optimizations.

Process Monitor videos

Process Monitor, powerful tool to troubleshoot applications and Windows.

More videos:

  • Review - Process Monitor: Basic Operation
  • Review - Malware Analysis - Tools - Process Monitor Basic

Windows Task Manager videos

No Windows Task Manager videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Process Monitor and Windows Task Manager)
Monitoring Tools
63 63%
37% 37
Command Line Tools
64 64%
36% 36
Performance Monitoring
61 61%
39% 39
Utilities
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Process Monitor seems to be a lot more popular than Windows Task Manager. While we know about 184 links to Process Monitor, we've tracked only 10 mentions of Windows Task Manager. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Process Monitor mentions (184)

  • TaskExplorer
    Don't agree. It's just as complex (may be a bit more) as ProcessMonitor by Sysinternals https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Why did Windows 95 setup use three operating systems?
    Https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon Windows does a tonne of things in the background, yes. If I run that and let it monitor everything, things will happen even if I do nothing. It is an OS and complex. >It is shown instantly, fully rendered, in the next video frame. There is no delay THIS is true and also crazy to me. I forgot how fast XP was. Especially on modern hardware. I... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • DLLs in Rust🦀
    To be sure that our exe is actually looking for the DLL, fire up the SysInternals' Process Monitor. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • can't get PTAT to run on RPL-U i7-1365URE eval board
    Don't know what PTAT stands for, but whenever I have issues with windows software running properly I pull out Process Monitor to log what that program was doing at the time of the error message. Sometimes there is a clue such as not being able to find a particular file, or registry key, or something else crashing etc. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Software developer looking to experiment with SCCM
    This might be a bit advanced but if it was me I would probably get frustrated and use SysInternals specifically procmon Https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon. Source: almost 2 years ago
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Windows Task Manager mentions (10)

  • How economical is your local Taco Bell?
    Do operating system accessibility controls help you distinguish the colors? For example, both Windows 10/11 and MacOS have "color filters". https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/ windows/use-color-filters-in-windows-43893e44 b8b3-2e27-1a29-b0c15ef0e5ce https://support.apple.com/ guide/mac-help/change-display-colors-easier-onscreen mchl11ddd4b3/mac. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Microsoft basically stole my game.
    If you have migrated your Mojang/Minecraft account to a Microsoft account and need assistance, please contact Microsoft Support. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Can't play Minecraft Java since Today
    The error also gave a link to a form if I have problems. I filled the form out and send it. I got an answer back a few seconds later that mojang doesn't do the support anymore and I should go to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Powershell.exe Virus
    End powershell.exe and go the startup tab of task manager and see if it starts up there if it keeps happening call Microsoft support. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • block Windows 11 KB's for patch management
    You can find more details on their support site here; https://support.microsoft.com/en-us. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Process Monitor and Windows Task Manager, you can also consider the following products

Process Explorer - The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'l…

htop - htop - an interactive process viewer for Unix. This is htop, an interactive process viewer for Unix systems. It is a text-mode application (for console or X terminals) and requires ncurses. Latest release: htop 2.

Process Lasso - Process Lasso is NOT yet another task manager.

glances system monitoring - Glances is a cross-platform system monitoring tool written in Python. Written in Python, Glances will run on almost any plaftorm : GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OS X and Windows.

Process Hacker - Process Hacker is a feature-packed tool for manipulating processes and services on your computer.

Autoruns - See what programs are configured to startup automatically when your system boots and you login.