Microsoft is testing a new task manager for Windows 11 that it says will make it easier to manage your tasks. The new task manager, which is still in development, is called the Task Viewer and it replaces the current task manager, the Task Manager. The Task Viewer is a window that you can open on your desktop or in a separate window. The Task Viewer has several different tabs that you can use to view your tasks. The first tab is called Overview and it shows all of your active tasks and their status. You can see how much time each task has been scheduled for and you can also see which applications are using up resources for each task. The second tab is called Tasks and it contains all of your active tasks. You can see which application created the task, its name, its priority, its duration, and its status. You can also click on a task to open its properties window where you can see more information about the task, such as its start time and end time. The third tab is called History and it contains all of the changes that have been made to your active tasks since the last time you opened the Task Viewer. You can click on any item in this tab to open its properties window where you can see more information about the change, such as when it was made and what application was used to make the change. The fourth tab is called Actions and it contains all of the actions that have been taken on your active tasks since the last time you opened the Task Viewer. You can click on any item in this tab to take action on the task, such as start or stop it or email someone about it. ..
Usually, Microsoft publicizes significant changes in Windows Insider previews, but the company tucked a brand new task manager into Windows 11 Build 22538 in the Dev channel. However, you have to jump through some hoops to enable it.
Gustave Monce first spotted the feature on Discord and shared it on Twitter by FireCubeStudios. Basically, it brings the Windows 11 design to the task manager. That means it gets Mica effects, the WinUI design components, a sidebar that replaces the tabbed interface, and even a dark mode.
Important to note is that Microsoft hasn’t officially enabled this. According to Monce, it’s pretty broken at this time. While we don’t necessarily recommend trying it, if you happen to be on the Dev channel on Windows 11, you can take steps to enable it.
— FireCube (@FireCubeStudios) January 19, 2022
First, you’ll need to download and extract ViVeTool. Next, run Terminal as an administrator in the ViveTool directory and enter the following command:
vivetool addconfig 35908098 2
vivetool addconfig 37204171 2
vivetool addconfig 36898195 2
vivetool addconfig 36898195 2
From there, restart your computer, right-click the Start button, and select “Task Manager” when complete to see the secret new version.
It looks like a nice change to the task manager, but we’ll have to wait until Microsoft enables it officially before getting a good feel for how nice it truly is, as it’s somewhat broken in its current state.
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