If you’re someone who likes to stay organized, you’ve probably used a task manager to keep track of your to-do list. And if you use a Windows computer, you may have noticed that the task manager is not easily accessible from the taskbar. But fear not, adding a task manager option to the taskbar context menu is a simple process. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Access the Registry Editor

First, you’ll need to access the Registry Editor. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run command. Type “regedit” into the search box and press Enter to access the Registry Editor.

Step 2: Navigate to the Windows Shell Key

Next, you’ll need to navigate to the Windows shell key. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell

Step 3: Add a New Key

Right-click on the “shell” key and select “New” > “Key”. Name the new key “Task Manager” (or whatever you’d like to call it).

Step 4: Add a New String Value

Now, you need to add a string value to the “Task Manager” key. Right-click on the “Task Manager” key and select “New” > “String Value”. Name the string value “Icon” (without quotes).

Step 5: Set the Value Data

Double-click on the “Icon” string value to open the Edit String dialog box. In the “Value data” field, enter the following value:

%SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll,-102

This sets the icon for the task manager option to the default Windows task manager icon.

Step 6: Add a Command

Right-click on the “Task Manager” key and select “New” > “Key” again. Name the new key “command”.

Step 7: Set the Default Value Data

Double-click on the “(Default)” value data in the right pane to open the Edit String dialog box. In the “Value data” field, enter the following command:

taskmgr.exe

This sets the default command for the task manager option to open the Windows task manager.

Step 8: Close the Registry Editor

Close the Registry Editor by clicking on the “X” in the upper-right corner of the window.

Step 9: Test It Out

Right-click anywhere on your desktop and you should see a new “Task Manager” option in the context menu. Click on it to open the Windows task manager.

In Conclusion

Adding a task manager option to the taskbar context menu is a simple process that can save you time in the long run. With just a few tweaks to the Windows Registry, you can make the Windows task manager easily accessible from the taskbar context menu.