Troubleshoot Buggy and unresponsive Task Manager (Windows 10 20H2)

[RoboMan]

Briefly explain your current issue(s)

Task Manager buggy and unresponsive

Steps taken to resolve, but have been unsuccessful

1. Reboot system

2. Fix Windows with an image

3. SFC scan and RestoreHealth

4. Literally clean install Windows 20H2

Hi, ever since updating to 20H2 task manager is behaving horribly.

I can't kill processes like I used to do with TM. Clicking end task or del just doesnt nothing. Also, if I go to the DETAILS tab where each exact process is, it's just blank.

Also, when I want to close the Task Manager, it won't. Instead, it freezes until you find a way to force close it.

What I've tried to fix it:

1. Reboot system
2. Fix Windows with an image
3. SFC scan and RestoreHealth
4. Literally clean install Windows 20H2

After clean installing and seeing the problem again I had to assume it was a build issue, so I guess my two main questions are: anybody with this issue in this build? And also what the heck can I do to fix it?

Thanks.

 

[Freud2004]

Hello I have the same version has you, in Portuguese, and no problem at all. I made a video so you can see TM working in my machine:

 

[root]

I just updated to 20H2 to see if I could reproduce the issue, and I couldn't. What's worrisome is that you've already tried a clean install and ended up with the same result. Did you perform this clean install by using the Windows Media Creation Tool for the most recent ISO?

Download Windows 10

 

[Freud2004]

Hi, ever since updating to 20H2 task manager is behaving horribly.

I can't kill processes like I used to do with TM. Clicking end task or del just doesnt nothing. Also, if I go to the DETAILS tab where each exact process is, it's just blank.

View attachment 248594

Also, when I want to close the Task Manager, it won't. Instead, it freezes until you find a way to force close it.

What I've tried to fix it:

1. Reboot system
2. Fix Windows with an image
3. SFC scan and RestoreHealth
4. Literally clean install Windows 20H2

After clean installing and seeing the problem again I had to assume it was a build issue, so I guess my two main questions are: anybody with this issue in this build? And also what the heck can I do to fix it?

Thanks.

Do you use a registry cleaning tool? Sometimes they clean more than they should...

 

[root]

Do you use a registry cleaning tool? Sometimes they clean more than they should...

Doubt this would be the problem, given #4.

 

[ForgottenSeer 85179]

anybody with this issue in this build? And also what the heck can I do to fix it?

Works fine here.

Did you try with english as system language?
Also start the problem directly after windows install or later?

 

[brambedkar59]

Working fine here with MS Defender + VS. What AV are u using after clean install?
When it happens? Like when some other program goes unresponsive or just by starting TM?

 

[shmu26]

Disable your AV and other security mechanisms, and try again.

 

[dinosaur07]

Try Anvir Task Manager. Sometimes third party software might be useful and better than built-in tools of Microsoft.

Windows task manager processes, Windows startup, Startup programs, Vista tweaks

Tool that controls programs, disk, CPU. Get rid of spyware and viruses. Tweak and tune up XP or Vista. Replace Task Manager. Speed up Windows startup.

www.anvir.com

 

[TairikuOkami]

Windows TM is Modern UI app, so if you have disabled store and such, it might have affected it.

so I guess my two main questions are: anybody with this issue in this build? And also what the heck can I do to fix it?

So my 2 questions would be?

1. Where did you download it from?

Does the hash verifies, if you have downloaded ISO.

Windows and Office Genuine ISO Verifier

Windows and Office Genuine ISO Verifier

genuine-iso-verifier.weebly.com

2. What build exactly, version number?

To check version, you can mount ISO with Windows Explorer and use command WIM or ESD, depending on, which version you have:

DISM /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:E:\sources\install.wim /index:1
DISM /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:E:\sources\install.esd /index:1

Sometimes third party software might be useful and better than built-in tools of Microsoft.

Even people at MS do not use Windows TM, they use Process Manager as seen on their presentations.
Not to mention, that 3rd party TM can run and end most processes without admin rights, very convenient.

 

[brambedkar59]

Windows TM is Modern UI app, so if you have disabled store and such, it might have affected it.

I don't think this is right. Task Manager .exe is located in "C:\Windows\System32", while all other UWP apps are in "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps"

 

[ForgottenSeer 85179]

Even people at MS do not use Windows TM, they use Process Manager as seen on their presentations.
Not to mention, that 3rd party TM can run and end most processes without admin rights, very convenient.

You mean Process Explorer?

Also i don't think this is the reason but they use it instead of internal TM because of more details which they need at presentation etc.
Process Explorer also works by default without admin rights, but if you want stop processes higher then user privileges, PE need admin rights too.

 

[RoboMan]

Thank you all. To clarify some questions:

1. Clean install was done with a brand new ISO, using Windows Media Creation Tool to avoid security problems.
2. The problem begins immediately after installing updates from Windows Update module
3. No antivirus present rather than Microsoft Defender

As sad as it sounds, there may be nothing to do. The fact the build works great with you means nothing. It may be a hardware incompatibility with something in this OS build that's ruining my experience. Hopefully, in the future, it will get noticed. I already sent a ticket to Microsoft.

In the meantime, and to avoid further trouble, I re-installed my copy of Windows 10 LTSC 1809, which may be a bit behind in season updates but it's still updated with security patches. This version for enterprises always worked fine with me, without Store, OneDrive, and bloatware. Needless to say, Task Manager issue is gone with this install.

Thank you all for your help.

 

[Freud2004]

Thank you all. To clarify some questions:

1. Clean install was done with a brand new ISO, using Windows Media Creation Tool to avoid security problems.
2. The problem begins immediately after installing updates from Windows Update module
3. No antivirus present rather than Microsoft Defender

As sad as it sounds, there may be nothing to do. The fact the build works great with you means nothing. It may be a hardware incompatibility with something in this OS build that's ruining my experience. Hopefully, in the future, it will get noticed. I already sent a ticket to Microsoft.

In the meantime, and to avoid further trouble, I re-installed my copy of Windows 10 LTSC 1809, which may be a bit behind in season updates but it's still updated with security patches. This version for enterprises always worked fine with me, without Store, OneDrive, and bloatware. Needless to say, Task Manager issue is gone with this install.

View attachment 248658

Thank you all for your help.

Probably a hardware incompatibility, most likely some drivers of your hardware.

 

[RoboMan]

So, the problem is back. Apparently, it wasn't the Windows build. It's happening again in Windows 10 1809 LTSC. Fresh install didn't fix it.

So I started the investigation once again, using Event Viewer. I checked out task manager freeze generated an Application Error, But what was the cause? I checked for warnings or errors below the task manager freeze and I found a software I'm using for runes in League of Legends, called Blitz. The error was created by blitz.exe and a dll in communication with a Windows core module in System32. I decided to uninstall Blitz, but the problem persisted.

I suspected Hard_Configurator settings, but uninstalling H_C didn't help either. This is still happening.

All that's left to try is SysHardener settings and ThrottleStop undervolt, which never gave me any issues before.

 

[TairikuOkami]

1809 is quite an old build, I had Settings and Start exe crashing back then, they had some dependencies.
Since Task Manager is Metro UI app now, maybe it was fixed, as MS separated those problematic apps.

I suspected Hard_Configurator settings, but uninstalling H_C didn't help either. This is still happening.

When I tried it out, restoring default settings did not help, I had to restore Windows from an image.

 

[Tutman]

Hi, ever since updating to 20H2 task manager is behaving horribly.

I can't kill processes like I used to do with TM. Clicking end task or del just doesnt nothing. Also, if I go to the DETAILS tab where each exact process is, it's just blank.

View attachment 248594

Also, when I want to close the Task Manager, it won't. Instead, it freezes until you find a way to force close it.

What I've tried to fix it:

1. Reboot system
2. Fix Windows with an image
3. SFC scan and RestoreHealth
4. Literally clean install Windows 20H2

After clean installing and seeing the problem again I had to assume it was a build issue, so I guess my two main questions are: anybody with this issue in this build? And also what the heck can I do to fix it?

Thanks.

I use Process Hacker myself. NOT the older version, but the nightly builds.. Downloads - Process Hacker

 

[FireHammer]

Hi, My Task Manager runs smoothly after 20H2, I don't know what you should do.

 

[ng4ever]

I had a problem with the update then went back to my previous image and redid the update.

Not sure why it gave me issues at first.