# How do I undisable Task Manager? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 13, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075 "2005-10-13T15:40:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075/1 "2005-10-13T15:40:42Z")
It seems that I have some how, accidently, disabled Task Manager on my computer (XP Home - SP2). Thing is, I can’t find where I must have done it. Where do I go to give myself the right to access Task Manager again? When I hit CTL-ALT-DEL I get the message ‘Task Manager Has Been Disabled by your Administrator’. I am the administrator and I am lost right now. Please help. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075/2 "2005-10-13T15:44:11Z")
[Enable/disable Windows Task Manager](http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsXP/UserTips/Customization/EnableDisableTaskManagerinWindowsXPHomePro.html). ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075/3 "2005-10-13T15:45:44Z")
Just a general hint but if you [Google for your exact error message in quotes](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Task+Manager+Has+Been+Disabled+by+your+Administrator%22). Then [Quite often, the first link will contain a solution](http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Taskmanager_error.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075/4 "2005-10-13T15:46:47Z")
Damn you **QED** _shakes fists_. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075/5 "2005-10-13T15:48:49Z")
😃 Well, in fairness, I just gave him a fish. You taught him _how_ to fish. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075/6 "2005-10-13T16:30:51Z")
Never mind fishing - my line is tangled. I wasn’t doing anything in the Registry recently. Any ideas what could have caused the change? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075/7 "2005-10-13T18:08:30Z")
A lot of viruses and spyware/malware will disable the task manager. If you don’t have a virus checker, I recommend AVG. It’s free (although it’s a pain in the backside to find the free version on their web site). Adaware and Spybot are both good at getting rid of spyware. Each will catch things that the other does not, so you might want to use both. Internet explorer seems to be an open door to let this sort of junk into your computer. If you are still using IE you might want to consider moving to firefox or some other non IE browser. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075/8 "2005-10-13T18:17:31Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > A lot of viruses and spyware/malware will disable the task manager. > > If you don’t have a virus checker, I recommend AVG. It’s free (although it’s a pain in the backside to find the free version on their web site). > > Adaware and Spybot are both good at getting rid of spyware. Each will catch things that the other does not, so you might want to use both. > > Internet explorer seems to be an open door to let this sort of junk into your computer. If you are still using IE you might want to consider moving to firefox or some other non IE browser. I have UTD Symantec AV and use Mozilla and Firefox. ---
**Author:** ![MyNameIsEarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@MyNameIsEarl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyNameIsEarl)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075/9 "2005-10-13T18:22:27Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > I have UTD Symantec AV… /me shudders ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-undisable-task-manager/326075/10 "2005-10-13T21:17:54Z")
> [@MyNameIsEarl](#): > > /me shudders Why? The software works fine.