How do I enable Task Manager?

Are you currently in a situation where you can't open the Task Manager in Windows 10? Whenever you try running this tool, an error message pops up that reads, "Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator."

You might be wondering, "why is the Task Manager disabled?" But worry not! We’ll take you through the best solutions for fixing the Task Manager when it won’t work.

What Causes the “Task Manager Has Been Disabled By Your Administrator” Error?

The Windows Task Manager is an incredible tool that makes it easy for you to close programs that are misbehaving. Additionally, this tool helps you check the details of the processes running on your PC.

You can access the Task Manager in various ways, such as pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Alternatively, you can open the tool by pressing Win + R, typing taskmgr, and then hitting the Enter button.

Now, let's check out the main cause of the "Task Manager has been disabled by administrator" error:

1. Malware

While trying to use the Task Manager, a third-party program, virus, or spyware might prevent you from using this tool. Usually, the Task Manager might fail to launch, and all you'll see is the "Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator" error message.

If the Task Manager is malfunctioning because of viruses or malware, you can fix the tool using some of the methods in this article.

2. The PC Administrator Has Disabled the Task Manager

If you aren’t the PC administrator, it’s also possible that the Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator. In most cases, the administrator could do this to prevent you from closing important security programs, such as antivirus software.

But if you're experiencing this on your PC, you can resolve the issue by signing in to Windows 10 as the administrator. If you’re not the PC administrator, you could request administrator privileges or ask your administrator to enable the Task Manager.

Otherwise, here are the 4 best solutions for the "Task Manager is disabled by administrator Windows 10" issue.

1. How to Fix the Task Manager Using the Registry Editor

One of the best ways to fix this Task Manager issue is by using the Registry Editor. This in-built tool is used for modifying the registry keys that control how Windows works.

To fix the Task Manager using the Registry Editor, follow these steps:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
2. From there, type Regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
3. Next, click Yes on the User Account Control window.

Locate the navigation pane on the left-hand side and then open the System key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > System.

If the System key is present, you can skip to the next step. But if this key is missing, here's how you can create it:

1. Right-click on the Policies key, click New, and then click Key.
2. Name the new key as System.

Now, click the System key. You should see a value named "DisableTaskMgr" on the right-hand side. Again, if this value is not available, you’ll need to create it. But if the value is already available, you can skip to the next step.

Now, here's how you can create the DisableTaskMgr value:

1. Right-click on the System key, click New, and then select DWORD (32-bit) Value.
2. Name this newly-created DWORD value as DisableTaskMgr and press Enter.

Next, double-click the DisableTaskMgr value. From there, set the Value data to 0 (zero), and click OK to finish.

The "Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator Windows 10" issue should now be resolved. Otherwise, restart your PC to save these changes.

2. How to Fix the Task Manager Using a Registry File

If you're unfamiliar with editing the Registry, you can manually create a Registry file. This will automatically configure settings in the Registry Editor and fix your Task Manager.

To create a Registry file, open Notepad or any other text editor and type in the following command:

 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"DisableTaskMgr" =dword:00000000 

Save the document as "DisableTaskMgr.reg". Now, double-click the DisableTaskMgr.reg file to open it. Next, click Yes on the User Account Control prompt.

The Task Manager issue should now be resolved. Restart your PC and see if you still run into this issue.

3. How to Fix the Task Manager Using the Local Group Policy Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor is a reliable Windows feature that you can use to edit local policy settings. However, you can only edit the Local Group Policy if you own the Windows 10 Pro, Education, and Enterprise editions.

So, if you own the Windows 10 Home edition, you’ll need to try the other solutions in this article. Alternatively, you can try one of the Group Policy on Windows 10 Home edition fixes.

Otherwise, here's how to enable Task Manager in Windows 10:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

In the left-hand side pane, navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Ctrl+Alt+Del Options. From there, double-click on the Remove Task Manager option on the right-hand side pane.

In the next window, select the Disabled or Not Configured option. From there, click Apply and then click OK.

Close the Local Group Policy Editor and restart your device. Your Task Manager issues should be resolved as soon as you finish applying these steps.

In case this doesn’t resolve your issue, there's still one more method that could help you out.

4. How to Fix the Task Manager Using the Command Prompt

When you type the correct commands in the Command Prompt, you can easily troubleshoot most of your Windows 10 PC issues. You'd be glad to know that you can also use the Command Prompt to fix your Task Manager.

Now, here's how you can fix the Task Manager error via the Command Prompt:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.
2. From there, type CMD and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
3. Finally, click Yes on the User Account Control to run the Command Prompt as administrator.
4. Type the following command and then press Enter:

 REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableTaskMgr /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f 

When the Command Prompt displays "The operation completed successfully," your Task Manager should now be fixed. Reboot your computer to apply these changes.

Your Task Manager Is Now Up and Running

We’ve discussed all the best methods that can help you fix your Task Manager in Windows 10. Now, you can simply apply any of these solutions to tackle the "Task Manager Has Been Disabled by Your Administrator" error.

And because this error is sometimes caused by malware, it’s advisable that you regularly scan your PC using antivirus software. This will ensure that your PC is always safe and doesn’t run into various issues.