Windows’ Task Manager lets you easily shut down hidden or troubled apps, check which programs are hogging RAM, and analyze CPU usage. You may be a Task Manager aficionado, but you may not know the fastest ways to reach the utility.
In Windows 2000, you can launch Task Manager by pressing Ctrl- Alt- Delete to display the Windows Security dialog box, and then clicking the Task Manager button.
In Windows XP, Ctrl- Alt- Delete brings up the Task Manager immediately without any intervening dialog box. Another fast way to get to Task Manager–without using the three-finger salute: Simply right-click an empty spot on the taskbar and choose Task Manager.
And here’s a trick to make Task Manager even handier: Reader Timothy J. Luoma of Gainesville, Florida, points out that when Task Manager is running, it displays a tiny animated CPU-usage icon in the system tray (located in the lower-right corner of the screen). You can also hold your pointer over the icon for a moment to see the CPU-usage percentage displayed in a tool tip. If you like this feature, why not make Task Manager run all the time by placing a shortcut to it in your Startup folder?
- Click the Start menu, then All Programs
- Go to your Startup folder, right-click it and explore (this user only, not all users)
- Click the Start menu again, search for “taskmgr”
- Right-drag the result into the Startup folder, then Create Shortcuts Here
- Right-click the new shortcut, then click Properties, change dropdown to Minimized
Task Manager will now start invisibly, but you’ll be able to open its window anytime by double-clicking the CPU-usage icon in the system tray.
Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/68776-2/windows_tips_take_charge_of_windows_audio_controls.html
