Manage Windows Processes

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Last Updated: 22 May 2015
Published: 15 April 2008
Written by Site Manager
You may experience some applications in your computer responding slower than other programs. This generally happens if you regularly multi-task your applications such as Adobe Photoshop along with Word, Outlook, and listening to Internet music.

Throw in surfing and probably downloading a document. Some of these programs require more CPU processing horsepower than others to work more effectively.

This is done by management of its priorities. Priority is how the operating system determines how to share the processor time among applications. By default, most applications that get installed are set to normal priority. Modifying a priority for a high demand application, you can increase its performance when multi-tasking.

The following is the procedure to set priority of an individual program for Windows 7. This procedure is very similar in appearance for Vista and 2008. Windows 8 is a bit different. Go to the bottom of this article for more information.

Start a program that you desire to modify its priority.

  1. Start the Task Manager in one of the following methods:
  2. Use multiple keyboard strokes – Hold down the “Ctrl” and “Shift” keys then hit the “Esc” key.
  3. Move the mouse to the Window task bar (generally at the bottom of Windows screen) then right click the mouse button to get a pop up menu. In that menu, click on the “Start Task Manager”.
  4. While in the application tab, Right click the selected program to get a popup menu then select ‘Go To Process’.
  5. This will jump you to the Process tab window with the process highlighted.
  6. Right click on the highlighted process to get a popup menu and choose ‘Set Priority’. This will pop up a second popup menu.
  7. Select the desired priority.

For Windows 8

 Windows 8 is a bit different. It does not have the Application tab.

  1. Start the Task Manager the same way as you would do for Windows 7
  2. Click on the 'Detail' tab for the list of processes and programs running
  3. Select a program then right on it to get the popup menu
  4. Select the 'Set priority' menu it to get a popup submenu
  5. Select the priority you desire for that program
  6. When done close the Task Manager