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Windows Task Manager VS TCPView

Compare Windows Task Manager VS TCPView and see what are their differences

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Windows Task Manager logo Windows Task Manager

Need assistance with your Microsoft product? Find helpful articles for Windows, Office, Microsoft Account, Microsoft Store, Xbox, and more.

TCPView logo TCPView

TCPView is a Windows program that will show you detailed listings of all TCP and UDP endpoints on...
  • Windows Task Manager Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-02
  • TCPView Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-05

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.

TCPView features and specs

  • Detailed Connection Information
    TCPView provides detailed information about all TCP and UDP endpoints, including the local and remote addresses and the state of TCP connections.
  • Real-Time Monitoring
    The utility updates in real-time, allowing users to monitor active connections and their status changes as they happen.
  • Intuitive Interface
    TCPView offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate graphical user interface that makes it accessible even for less technical users.
  • Free Tool
    As part of the Sysinternals suite, TCPView is a free utility, making it cost-effective for personal or enterprise use.
  • Identify Suspicious Activity
    Allows users to identify and terminate unauthorized or suspicious connections, enhancing network security.
  • Lightweight
    TCPView is a lightweight application, requiring minimal system resources, which makes it suitable for use on a wide range of hardware configurations.
  • Integration with Process Explorer
    Seamless integration with Process Explorer helps users correlate network activity with specific processes.

Possible disadvantages of TCPView

  • Windows Only
    TCPView is only available for Windows, limiting its use for cross-platform environments or users on macOS or Linux systems.
  • No Historical Data
    The tool does not provide historical data or logs of past connections, making it less useful for long-term network analysis.
  • Basic Functionality
    TCPView offers basic network monitoring features and lacks advanced options available in more comprehensive network monitoring tools.
  • Manual Intervention Required
    While it allows users to terminate connections, this requires manual action, which may not be practical in automated environments.
  • No Built-in Alarms
    TCPView does not come with built-in alarms or notifications for specific activities, requiring constant monitoring for immediate response.
  • Limited Analysis Features
    The tool lacks detailed analysis and reporting features that more advanced network management solutions offer.

Analysis of Windows Task Manager

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Windows Task Manager is generally considered a good utility for both everyday users and IT professionals. It's a built-in feature of the Windows operating system, making it easily accessible and trustworthy. Its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features make it an essential tool for system diagnostics and performance monitoring.

Why this product is good

  • Windows Task Manager is a reliable tool provided by Microsoft that allows users to monitor system performance, manage startup programs, and troubleshoot applications that are not responding. It provides detailed information on CPU, memory, disk, and network usage, helping users optimize their system's performance.

Recommended for

  • Users who want to monitor their computer's performance.
  • Individuals looking to troubleshoot unresponsive applications.
  • Anyone needing to manage Windows startup programs.
  • IT professionals seeking a quick overview of system resource allocation.

Analysis of TCPView

Overall verdict

  • TCPView is considered a reliable and effective tool for monitoring network connections on Windows systems. Its authenticity as a Microsoft product assures users of its security and integration capabilities. While it is highly specialized, its focused functionality makes it an excellent choice for its intended purposes.

Why this product is good

  • TCPView is a network monitoring tool developed by Microsoft for Windows, useful for viewing detailed listings of all TCP and UDP endpoints on your system, including local and remote IP addresses and their associated ports. It provides a real-time view of network activity, making it valuable for identifying and troubleshooting network-related issues. As an official Microsoft tool, it integrates well with Windows environments and offers a user-friendly interface for both advanced users and beginners interested in network management.

Recommended for

  • Network administrators who need to monitor and troubleshoot active connections.
  • IT professionals looking for a reliable tool to diagnose network issues on Windows.
  • Advanced users interested in detailed network activity insights.
  • Security enthusiasts who want to analyze potential unauthorized connections.

Windows Task Manager videos

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TCPView videos

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TCPView - Monitor the Network Activity on your local computer.

More videos:

  • Review - RouterGods - TCPView utility for easy port/process info

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Windows Task Manager and TCPView)

Windows Task Manager

TCPView

Monitoring Tools
53 53%
Monitoring Tools
47% 47
Command Line Tools
100 100%
Command Line Tools
0% 0
Security
0 0%
Security
100% 100
Performance Monitoring
100 100%
Performance Monitoring
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Windows Task Manager and TCPView. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, TCPView should be more popular than Windows Task Manager. It has been mentiond 37 times since March 2021. 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.

Windows Task Manager mentions (11)

  • 10 Microsoft Word AI Hacks That Will Transform Your Work in 2025
    Note: Copilot isn’t free. To use it, you’ll need an active Microsoft 365 subscription and the Copilot add-on (officially called Copilot for Microsoft 365). - Source: dev.to / 18 days ago
  • 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 / 9 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
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TCPView mentions (37)

  • Why there is no good task manager and system monitoring software on linux?
    It's basically like https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview but for Linux. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Some people prefer using DCS on Steam for the download speed, yet I get my whole 1Gbps bw used every time with the ED installer. What is the deal?
    Unfortunately I don't think there is an existing list of CDN endpoints to pick from, I found a few by starting updates while using a VPN and using tcpview to find which IP address it was connecting to. Once I'd found one that was faster than the default I opened my hosts file: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How do I know what ports an application is using?
    Try https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview and it will show you in real time what ports are being used to connect to there. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How to detect RCE/arbitrary code injection/RAT's from video games
    Maybe something like TCPView: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview. Source: about 2 years ago
  • strange remote listeners from private ip with "winrm" command
    I understand that netstat isnt exactly user friendly so if you'd like to keep monitoring the situation you can use SysInternal's TCPView https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview which displays everything for you in a GUI. Just don't forget to filter for only listening ports cause it will show all connection states by default (use the green flag icon). It even has the added benefit of... Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

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.

Open Nettest - Open Nettest is a platform for collecting, processing and visualizing data related QoS and QoE.

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…

Fping (open source) - fping is a program to send ICMP echo probes to network hosts, similar to ping, but much better performing when pinging multiple hosts.

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

Ping Meter Gadget - Customizable, graphical, semi-transparent ping (latency) meter.

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