Windows Resource Monitor allows you to end or suspend processes and start, stop, or restart services.

Note

If you are not sure whether a process or service is critical, or if you do not know what a process or service does, you can right-click the process or service name in the table, and then click Search Online to search for more information on the Web using the name of the process or service.

To start Resource Monitor
  • Click Start, click in the Start Search box, type resmon.exe, and then press ENTER.

Control processes using Resource Monitor

Caution

You should use Resource Monitor to end a process only if you are unable to close the program by normal means. If an open program is associated with the process, it will close immediately and you will lose any unsaved data. If you end a system process, it might result in system instability and data loss.

Note

If you use Resource Monitor to suspend a process, you will not be able to use the program you suspended until you resume it again. Suspending a process might result in data loss if other programs are dependent on it.

To end a process using Resource Monitor
  1. In the key table of any Resource Monitor tab, in the Image column, right-click the executable name of the process you want to end, and then click End Process.

    Note

    To end all processes dependent on the selected process, click End Process Tree.

  2. In the dialog box, confirm that you want to end the process.

To suspend a process using Resource Monitor
  1. In the key table of any Resource Monitor tab, in the Image column, right-click the executable name of the process you want to suspend, and then click Suspend Process.

  2. In the dialog box, confirm that you want to suspend the process.

    Note

    Suspended processes appear as a blue entry in the table.

To resume a process using Resource Monitor
  1. In the key table of any Resource Monitor tab, in the Image column, right-click the executable name of the program you want to resume, and then click Resume Process.

  2. In the dialog box, confirm that you want to resume the process.

Control services using Resource Monitor

Caution

Other applications and services can be dependent on running services. Stopping or restarting a service that other applications and services need in order to function properly might result in system instability and data loss. You might not be able to stop a critical service using Resource Monitor.

To start, stop, or restart a service using Resource Monitor
  1. On the CPU tab, click the title bar of Services to expand the table.

  2. In Name, right-click the name of the service you want to change, and then click Stop Service, Start Service, or Restart Service.

    Note

    To sort services according to whether they are running or stopped, click the Status column label.

Additional references