The most recent version of Windows 11, which is still in beta, has a pretty odd bug in Task Manager in addition to a few other issues.
According to Windows Latest, the issue with Task Manager—the panel you may call to view all of the processes that are currently operating on your computer, along with other information—is that it does not truly shut down when you close it.
To be clear, clicking the 'X' in the upper-right corner of Task Manager's window does not close it, even though this is how most people typically end their sessions. But in this instance, it continues to run, and if you visit Task Manager several times, you will find that it is operating in the background in several copies.
To demonstrate that you could theoretically run an infinite number of instances of Task Manager (well, until your system is overloaded with the resource requirements, anyway), Windows Latest displays multiple instances of the application running in screenshots and videos. It even opens 100 copies.
Thankfully, there is a solution for this, as well as a method for correctly shutting off Task Manager, which I will return to briefly.
Let us start by discussing the other issues with Windows 11's October optional update (patch KB5067036), one of which is that some users can not get it to install. There have been several instances of installation difficulties (and not for the first time), as mentioned in the official Reddit thread for KB5067036, with the update sometimes reaching 100% complete before failing at the very last step.
Aside from that, there have been sporadic instances of PCs being bricked by the upgrade. However, this is a preview release, as I mentioned yesterday, and I do not want to install these optional updates because they are still being tested and could go wrong.
Those who are eager to obtain the new Start menu in Windows 11, which is coming with KB5067036, may want to keep this in mind if they are tempted to download this update right away.
How to resolve the Task Manager overload issue
Many people have complained about the Task Manager flaw on Reddit, and in fact, the website was the first to notice it. Redditor BNSoul then offered a fix for the app's incorrectly repeated copies.
You must pick the instances of Task Manager (in Task Manager itself) and click 'End Task' to end the Task Manager window rather than using the 'X'.
It will be a tedious operation (I apologize) if you have launched numerous instances of operation Manager, but you must do it.
Windows Latest recommends using the command line as a quicker option for those who have many Task Managers open. Type "cmd" into the search box in the Windows 11 taskbar, then select "Command Prompt" to use the following command:
taskkill /im taskmgr.exe /f
This will instantly terminate all open Task Manager instances.
If you are asking why having multiple Task Managers open at once is problematic, it is because they consume system resources and continuously monitor your computer. With a few copies of Task Manager running, this might not be a big concern, but if you have launched a lot of them, the performance impact could be evident, especially if your computer's resources are already being used by other programs.
How could Microsoft have broken Task Manager without realizing it? Unfortunately, updates can cause these issues; that is a reality of computing. Furthermore, since this upgrade is optional, there are risks involved. To reiterate, I advise exercising caution rather than rushing to install the new Start menu.
This Task Manager bug should be fixed by the time the complete release of this update, which is in less than two weeks, arrives. Although Microsoft has not officially acknowledged the error, it is likely that it will soon.
