Windows 11 users who rely heavily on the Task Manager may want to think twice before installing the optional October 2025 update, known as KB5067036. Reports from Reddit and industry insiders indicate that this update introduces a perplexing bug that causes multiple instances of Task Manager to run simultaneously in the background.
The issue arises when users attempt to close the Task Manager using the “X” button. Instead of shutting down, the application remains active, leading to a frustrating cycle where repeated attempts to exit result in an accumulation of Task Manager instances. This unintended duplication can significantly strain system resources, affecting overall computer performance.
Interestingly, while the change log for KB5067036 highlights a fix related to the grouping of applications with their processes, it does not mention any other alterations to the Task Manager. As of now, Microsoft has not publicly acknowledged this bug, maintaining that they are “not currently aware of any issues with this update.”
For those affected, a temporary workaround has been identified by Windows Latest and Reddit user BNSoul. Instead of relying on the “X” button, users can close individual Task Manager instances by selecting the “End task” option within the app. Alternatively, executing the command taskkill /im taskmgr.exe /f in the Windows 11 Command Prompt will terminate all running Task Manager instances at once, providing a more efficient solution.
