Manage updates with the Download AppTask managers
Task managers help you kill zombie processes, items that are still running but don't have an active window. But they do more than that; they help you see what your computer's up to at any given time. They're a true power user's multitool.
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Process Explorer
A lack of visual polish doesn't hurt this utility that replaces the cumbersome Windows Task Manager by showing running processes in an intuitive tree format. Process Explorer makes the job a lot easier by including program icons and other data, such as description, image, and processor time.
It also can identify the process for a given application window or look up a process name in Google -- a handy way to spot spyware. Additional features offer detailed information on performance, DLLs, threads, handles, TCP/IP connections, security settings, and environments. Process Explorer is one of the best we've seen. Read full review
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AnVir Task Manager Free
AnVir Task Manager Free (not to be confused with Avira AntiVir) offers a one-stop shop for managing your system's running processes and applications. Though it more than delivers the information it promises, it could really benefit from a more streamlined interface design.
AnVir uses tabs to distinguish system categories, such as start-up, applications, processes, and services. Command buttons at the top of the window give you the ability to kill processes, block processes, free memory, and select a parent process. The bottom of the window details CPU, memory, and disk usage, but it's hard to read. You can even use it to double-check if a program is infected with a virus against the online database VirusTotal. AnVir Task Manager Free does offer help through its Web site, but novices might still have trouble navigating the busy interface. This is a MacGyver-esque tool for managing your system processes, and is really aimed at power users. Read full review
