How to use Task Manager to identify slow processes

Is your Windows PC running slower than usual? Would you like to find the problem and fix it without having to install anything? In this post, we'll show you how. Use Task Manager to identify the process that is causing slowness en tu ordenador.

How to use Task Manager to identify slow processes

Have you noticed that your computer has become slower for no apparent reason? It's not because you have too many programs installed or because it's running out of storage space. In that case, the slowness may be due to a background process that is consuming too many resourcesIs there a way to find out?

Fortunately, you can use Task Manager in Windows to identify the process that's causing slowness. This is a powerful tool that comes pre-installed on the sistema operativo de Microsoft, so you don't need to download any additional programs. With it, it's possible Discover the process(es) that are consuming more resources than normal, and terminate them to get the team back to normal.

¿Qué es el Administrador de Tareas?

Task Manager is a tool built into Windows that displays information about the processes running on the computer. It allows you to see in real time how these processes are using system resources, such as the CPU, RAM, storage space, and network. All of this data is displayed in a simple way so that it's easy for any user to understand and interpret.

To use Task Manager, you must first access it using any of the following methods:

• Keyboard shortcut: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open it directly.
• Mediante el menú contextual, by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting “Task Manager.”
• In it menú de inicio, you can type “Task Manager” into the search bar and open it from the results.

How to Identify Slow Processes Using Task Manager

If your Windows computer has become slow, it's time to use Task Manager to identify the process that's causing the slowness. As soon as you open the tool, you'll see a list of processes. Running processes classified into three categories: open applications, background processes, and Windows processesOn the left, you see a menu with several entries: Processes, Performance, App History, Startup Apps, Users, Details, and Services.

The Processes section is the one that interests us most., since that's where we'll identify the processes causing slowness. Specifically, we'll look at the processes running in the background, which can be quite a few. To the right of the process list, you can see their status and the percentage of CPU, memory, disk, and network usage for each process.

Check CPU usage

If a background process is causing slowness, it may be using a high percentage of the CPU. You can Sort processes by CPU usage by clicking the CPU box which is at the top of the list, next to the total percentage of CPU used. This way, you'll see the processes that are consuming the most processor resources at the top of the list.

If you see that a process uses a high percentage of CPU constantly (more than 70-90%), it's almost certainly the cause of your computer's slowness. Of course, remember that some applications can be inherently CPU-intensive. But if an unknown process is taking up a lot of resources, it's a good idea to investigate its source.

Check RAM usage

The next column is also very interesting, as it tells us the percentage of RAM used by processes. This is typically where we see the highest consumption percentages, especially if the computer has little RAM installed. If There are many applications and processes active at the same time, they will take up a lot of memory, which will increase the computer's latency.

Applications like web browsers with many tabs open tend to be big memory users. The same can be said for messaging apps, which tend to run in the background. Therefore, to reduce memory usage, you need to: close these applications and end unnecessary background processes.

Use Task Manager to assess disk and network usage

You can also use Task Manager to identify the slowing process by evaluating disk usage. It's the same: if you see that a process has disk usage close to 100%You've found the reason why your computer is running so slow. This can happen for several reasons, such as background updates, an antivirus scanning files, or a poorly optimized process.

The last column in Task Manager lets you know why your internet connection is slow. Here you can see which processes are hogging the most bandwidth, such as file downloads or automatic synchronizations. It's very important that you pay special attention to this section, as it could reveal suspicious activities by an external attacker.

What to do after identifying the problematic process

After using Task Manager to identify the process that is slowing down your computer, What remains to be done? Estas son las mejores opciones:

• Close the processTo do this, right-click the process and select End Task. This will stop the process so you can see if there are any performance improvements. If you don't recognize the problematic process, search its name online to determine whether it's safe to close.
• Disables startup processesIf the problematic process runs when you start your computer, go to the Startup Applications section, find it in the list, right-click it, and select Disable. You'll notice that your computer will start up cleaner and faster.
• Update drivers and programs: Sometimes an update can fix performance issues.
• Ejecuta un escaneo de malware: If an unknown process consumes too many resources and refuses to close, you may be facing a virus or an unwanted program, such as an app that is mining cryptocurrency on your computer clandestinely.

In conclusion, Use the Task Manager and know how to interpret the data it provides It will help you identify the processes that are causing slowness. The next time you notice your computer is slow, don't hesitate to open this tool to detect the process(es) causing problems.