Task Manager Not Responding in Windows 10 (Fix)

Task manager is one of the most important tools of all time in Windows OS. Even the person with the slightest knowledge about Windows would know how to use it. However, there are times where it may fail to work and not responding when you try to open or use it. If you are facing the issue where Task Manager not responding in Windows 10, here’s what you can do to fix it.

There can be few situations where Task Manager fails to work – Task Manager not responding in Windows 10 as soon as you open it, Task Manager not opening at all no matter how many times you launch it from CTRL-ALT-DEL or from the Taskbar, Task Manager not working or not functioning as intended. I’ve listed several solutions below that may help to fix these issues. You can work your way down the list until you find one what works for you.

How to Fix Task Manager not responding in Windows 10

Before trying any fix below, the first ever thing to do is to do a quick restart for your computer. A restart would usually fix the issue if it’s just a minor software conflict issue. Alternatively, if restart is not an option for you right now, you can try to sign out of Windows 10 and then sign in again. If restarting doesn’t help, you can then try the workarounds below.

Fix 1: Run SFC and DISM tools

You may have heard of these tools often when we come across problems related to Windows components. In fact, these tools are the best tool and certainly the first tool to try to fix any Windows related error, including the Task Manager not responding in Windows 10 issue. Without further ado, here’s how to run the System file check and DISM tools in CMD.

Go to start menu. Search for Command Prompt and run it as administrator. In the command prompt, enter the following commands followed by Enter key after each command. Wait for the first command to complete its execution before entering the second command.

sfc /scannow

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

SFC is able to automatically scan for and replace any found missing or corrupted system files in your Windows PC. Whereas DISM is a tool to repair your Windows Image and possible fix components such as the Task Manager.

Both of these tools may take sometime to run. Restart your computer after the scans are completed and see if the Task Manager not responding in Windows 10 issue is resolved.

Fix 2: Powershell Command

Many users have reported that the following powershell command works to fix their Task Manager not working in Windows 10 problem. Here’s how to do so.

1. 1. Go to start menu.
   2. Search for Windows PowerShell.
   3. Right-click it and select Run as administrator.
   4. In the PowerShell window, enter the following command.

      Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

      

   5. When it’s done, close PowerShell.
   6. Press Win+R key to open Run window.
   7. Type the following path and open it.

      C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\

   8. Find a folder called TileDataLayer. Select the folder and press Shift+Del key to permanently delete the folder.
   9. If you can’t see the folder in the said path, it must be hidden and you will need to unhide it.
      1. While you’re in File Explorer, click View.
      2. Click on Options on the right, then Change folder and search options.
      3. Under Hidden files and folders, enable Show hidden files, folders, and drives.
   10. Empty your Recycle bin just in case if you didn’t Shift-Del when deleting the folder.
   11. Restart your computer and see if the Task Manager not responding issue is fixed.

If you can’t delete the file where it says it’s currently in used, press Win+R key to open run window. Type service.msc and open it. Find and right-click on Tile Data model server service, then click Stop. Now try to delete the file again.

Fix 3: Run Windows Update

The Task Manager not responding and not working in Windows 10 was one of the most common issues in a recent update. At this date, Microsoft has already release another update for the bug fix. Try to run Windows Update to install the latest updates for your Windows 10 and see if the issue can be fixed.

To check for updates, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.

Other fixes for Task Manager not responding in Windows 10

There may be software that is conflicting with how Task Manager works, thus, causing it to freeze and not responding. Try to safe boot your PC and see if Task manager will work. If it’s working again, it must be something that you’ve recently installed is causing Task Manager to not work and not responding in Windows 10.

To safe boot your PC, go to start menu. Type msconfig and open it. Go to Boot tab. Under boot options, enable Safe boot and select Network only. Click OK then Apply to restart your PC. This will stop all other services and processes (except Windows services) from running on startup.