Fix: Task Manager Disabled by Administrator on Windows 10

How do I fix the task manager disabled by the administrator? How do I enable a disabled task manager? How to Fix “Task Manager is Greyed out” in Windows 10? If you are experiencing issues where you cannot open the Windows Task Manager on Windows 10, this gearupwindows article will guide you to solve it.

A malicious program often alters the settings, and when you try to open the Task Manager from the shortcut or Start menu, you may see the message, “Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator.”

When you try to access the Task Manager by right-clicking on the Windows Taskbar, you will see the Task Manager option greyed out. Unfortunately, that means you can not also open the Task Manager from the Taskbar.

A situation where you can’t open your Task Manager in Windows 10? Whenever you try to open it manually or by using shortcut keys, an error message pops up that says, “Your administrator has disabled task Manager.”

Also Read: How to Run Task Manager as Administrator in Windows 10?

The whole story is that you can’t open Task Manager on your Windows 10 PC using any method. This can be a very unpleasant situation if you try to close an unresponsive program on your PC. Furthermore, if you cannot open the Task Manager, you can’t see the running processes on your PC.

In this post, we will learn the following:-

  1. Fixing Task Manager Disabled by Administrator
  2. Enable the Task Manager option on right-click of the Taskbar
  3. Fix Unable to Access Task Manager using Command Prompt

How to Fix “Task Manager Disabled By Administrator” on Windows 10 using Local Group Policy Editor?

Step 1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2. In the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following path:-

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Ctrl+Alt+Del Options

Step 3. On the right side of the “Ctrl+Alt+Del Options” folder, look for the policy name “Remove Task Manager” and double-click on it to open its settings.

Step 4. Select Enabled.

Step 5. Click Apply.

Step 6. Click OK.

Once you complete the above-mentioned steps while opening the Task Manager, you should not see the message “Task Manager Disabled By Administrator.” In other words, Task Manager on Windows 10 will work as expected. Furthermore, you can even open the Task Manager by right-clicking on the free spaceTaskbar and selecting “Task Manager” from the available options.

How to Enable the Task Manager option on right-click of the Taskbar using Registry Editor?

Using Registry, you can enable the Task Manager option by right-clicking on the Windows 10 Taskbar. Furthermore, after perming the below steps, you will not see a message, “task manager disabled by the administrator,” while opening the Taskbar using any other methods.

Step 1. Open Registry Editor.

Step 2. From the left side pane, navigate to the following registry key:-

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies

Step 3. Right-click on the Policies folder, select New, and then the Key option. Name the newly created key as System.

Step 4. Now, do right-click on the System folder. Select New and then DWORD (32-bit) value option. Name it to DisableTaskMgr.

Step 5. Now, double-click on DisableTaskMgr to set its Value data. To re-enable the Task Manager, set the Data value to 0. If you want to disable Task Manager, change its Value data to 1.

After completing the above steps, when you open the Task Manager, you will not see the message “Task Manager Disabled By Administrator.” Furthermore, when you perform right-click on the Windows 10 Taskbar, you can click the Task Manager option.

How to fix Unable to Access Task Manager using Command Prompt?

This is the last resort to easily enable the Task Manager on Windows 10 using Command Prompt. Do the following steps:-

Step 1. Open Command Prompt with an administrator privilege.

Step 2. In the elevated Command prompt, type the following and hit Enter from the keyboard to enable the Task Manager:-

REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableTaskMgr /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

After executing the above command, Task Manager will start working immediately. That means there is no need to restart your computer or laptop.

If you change your mind and really want to disable the Task Manager, execute the following command on the elevated Command Prompt:-

REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableTaskMgr /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Conclusion

In conclusion, the inability to open the Task Manager on Windows 10 can be a frustrating experience for any user. However, with the right steps and tools, it is possible to fix the issue and regain access to the Task Manager. This gearupwindows article provides three methods for fixing the “Task Manager Disabled by Administrator” issue, including using the Local Group Policy Editor, Registry Editor, and Command Prompt. By following the step-by-step instructions provided in the article, users can easily enable the Task Manager and resolve the issue of it being greyed out or disabled. With the Task Manager back to full functionality, users can effectively manage their PC’s running processes and close unresponsive programs as needed.

Leave a Reply