In a recent twist of events, Microsoft has encountered yet another bug that has users scratching their heads. The latest issue appears to be nestled within the familiar confines of the Task Manager, a tool that many rely on for monitoring system performance. Reports have surfaced regarding the Windows 11 update KB5067036, which has introduced a rather perplexing behavior: the Task Manager remains open even after users attempt to close it, spawning new instances with each interaction.
Understanding the Impact
Each time a user opens and closes the Task Manager, a new instance is created, consuming between 20 to 95 MB of RAM. This means that if one were to open and close the application 100 times, it could potentially tie up around 2 GB of RAM with these persistent instances. Beyond memory usage, these background processes also draw on CPU resources. While the Task Manager is designed to be a lightweight application, each instance of taskmgr.exe utilizes approximately 0.9% of CPU resources. Consequently, having ten instances running could inadvertently reduce your CPU’s capacity by nearly 10%, all while flying under the radar.
Our team took the initiative to replicate the bug and confirmed the presence of multiple Task Manager instances operating in the background, with no straightforward method to close them. A simple workaround involves clicking the “End Task” button instead of the traditional “X” to exit the application. However, for those who might have experimented with opening numerous instances, manually closing each one could quickly become a tedious endeavor.
For a more efficient resolution, users can utilize the command line. By executing the command taskkill /im taskmgr.exe /f as an administrator, all existing Task Manager processes can be terminated in one swift action. As always, caution is advised when running commands in the Command Prompt with administrative privileges, but this particular command is a reliable solution.
The Mystery Behind the Bug
Despite our efforts, the root cause of this bug remains elusive. The NT kernel in Windows operates on a unique model that deviates from the traditional parent-child thread structure. In this framework, child processes do not depend on or fork from their parent, leading to a flat and object-based management system where all kernel objects are handled through handles. This complexity leaves us puzzled as to how Microsoft managed to implement this behavior, with each new instance of the Task Manager functioning independently in the background.
As we await further updates from Microsoft, the tech community remains hopeful for a resolution to this curious conundrum. Until then, users are encouraged to stay vigilant and utilize the available workarounds to manage their system resources effectively.
