5 Steps to Adjust Task Manager Priority in Windows

Task Manager is a powerful tool that allows you to manage the processes and programs running on your computer. One of the most important things you can do with Task Manager is to set the priority of tasks. This determines how much CPU and memory resources a task is allowed to use. Setting task priority can be essential for optimizing system performance and ensuring that critical tasks get the resources they need to function properly.

There are six priority levels you can set for a task: Realtime, High, Above Normal, Normal, Below Normal, and Low. Realtime priority is the highest priority, and it means that the task will have exclusive access to the CPU and memory resources it needs. High priority is the next highest priority, and it means that the task will have priority over all other tasks except those with Realtime priority. Above Normal priority is the next highest priority, and it means that the task will have priority over all other tasks except those with Realtime or High priority. Normal priority is the default priority for all tasks, and it means that the task will have equal priority with all other tasks. Below Normal priority is the next lowest priority, and it means that the task will have lower priority than all other tasks except those with Low priority. Low priority is the lowest priority, and it means that the task will have the lowest priority of all tasks.

Setting task priority can be a simple but effective way to improve system performance. By giving higher priority to critical tasks, you can ensure that they have the resources they need to function properly. Conversely, by giving lower priority to non-critical tasks, you can prevent them from interfering with the performance of more important tasks. As a result, setting task priority can be an effective way to optimize system performance and ensure that your computer runs smoothly and efficiently.

Opening Task Manager

To access the Task Manager, there are several methods you can use:

Press the “Ctrl” + “Shift” + “Esc” keys simultaneously. This is the most common and straightforward method that works in almost all versions of Windows.

Right-click on the taskbar at the bottom of your screen and select “Task Manager” from the options.

Press the “Windows” key on your keyboard, type “Task Manager” in the search field, and select the result that appears.

If you need to open the Task Manager with elevated access rights to perform administrative tasks, right-click on the taskbar and select “Task Manager”. Then, in the menu that appears, click on “Run as administrator”.

Once you have successfully opened the Task Manager, you will be presented with a window that provides detailed information about the running processes, performance, and resource usage of your computer. You can use the Task Manager to manage tasks, view system information, and troubleshoot performance issues.

Selecting the Desired Process

To set Task Manager’s priority, you must first select the desired process. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do it:

1. Open Task Manager

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch Task Manager. Alternatively, right-click the taskbar and choose “Task Manager.” Select the “Processes” tab if it’s not already active.

2. Identify the Process

Locate the process you want to adjust the priority for. Use the following parameters to identify it:

Parameter	Description
Name	Display name of the process
PID	Unique process identifier
Status	Current state of the process (e.g., Running, Suspended)
User Name	Username associated with the process
Command Line	Full path to the executable file

You can sort the processes by any of these parameters by clicking on the corresponding column header.

3. Select the Process

Once you’ve identified the process, click on it once to select it. Multiple processes can be selected by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking on each process.

Setting Task Priority

In Windows Task Manager, you can set the priority of a task to control the amount of resources (CPU and memory) that the task is allowed to use. This can be useful for optimizing the performance of your computer by giving priority to important tasks, such as those that are running a presentation or doing heavy calculations. To set the priority of a task:

Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
In the Details tab, right-click on the task that you want to change the priority of.
Select Set Priority from the menu.
Choose the priority level that you want to assign to the task. The options are Low, Below Normal, Normal, Above Normal, High, and Realtime.

Priority Levels

The following table describes the different priority levels and how they affect the behavior of tasks:

Priority Level	Behavior
Low	Tasks with low priority are given the least amount of resources and are scheduled to run only when the system is idle.
Below Normal	Tasks with below normal priority are given slightly more resources than low priority tasks, but still less than normal priority tasks.
Normal	Tasks with normal priority are given a moderate amount of resources and are scheduled to run when there are no higher priority tasks waiting to run.
Above Normal	Tasks with above normal priority are given more resources than normal priority tasks, but less than high priority tasks.
High	Tasks with high priority are given the most resources and are scheduled to run as soon as possible.
Realtime	Tasks with realtime priority are given the highest possible priority and are scheduled to run immediately. This priority level should only be used for tasks that must be completed without any delay, such as audio and video playback.

It’s important to note that setting a task to a higher priority does not guarantee that it will run faster. The actual speed of a task depends on a number of factors, including the hardware resources available on your computer and the number of other tasks that are running.

Impact of Priority Changes

Adjusting task priorities in Task Manager can significantly impact the performance and resource usage of your system. Here’s how priority changes affect various aspects:

System Performance

Higher-priority tasks will receive more CPU time and memory access, resulting in faster execution and improved responsiveness of the system as a whole. However, this may come at the cost of lower-priority tasks experiencing delays or slowdowns.

Resource Utilization

High-priority tasks consume more system resources, including CPU, memory, and disk I/O. This can lead to increased fan noise, higher power consumption, and potential overheating if the system is strained.

Application Responsiveness

Priority settings directly influence how responsive applications appear. Higher-priority tasks will have smoother and more consistent performance, while low-priority tasks may exhibit occasional delays or sluggishness.

Background Tasks

Low-priority tasks are often used for background operations, such as system maintenance, software updates, or antivirus scans. Reducing the priority of these tasks allows essential processes to run without interfering with user-facing applications.

Multitasking

When multiple tasks are running simultaneously, the priority settings help the system allocate resources efficiently. High-priority tasks will take precedence, while low-priority tasks will yield and allow the system to focus on more important operations.

Prioritizing Multiple Processes

When you have multiple processes running on your computer, it’s important to be able to prioritize them so that the most important ones get the resources they need to run smoothly. There are two ways to do this: using the Task Manager or using the command prompt.

Here’s how to prioritize multiple processes using the Task Manager:

Open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
Click on the “Details” tab.
Right-click on the process you want to prioritize and select “Set priority.”
Select the desired priority level from the menu.

Here’s how to prioritize multiple processes using the command prompt:

Open the command prompt by pressing Windows Key+R and typing “cmd”.
Type the following command:

wmic process where name="processname" call setpriority 6

Replace “processname” with the name of the process you want to prioritize.
Press Enter.

Priority Level	Description
1	Idle
2	Below Normal
3	Normal
4	Above Normal
5	High
6	Real Time

The priority level you choose will depend on the importance of the process. For example, if you have a process that is essential for the operation of your computer, you would want to set it to a higher priority level. Conversely, if you have a process that is not essential, you could set it to a lower priority level.

Resetting Priority Settings

In certain cases, you may need to reset the priority settings for Task Manager. Here’s how you can do it:

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Task Manager by searching for it in the Start menu or using the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Right-click on the column header and select “Priority.”
3. The priority settings will now be set to the default values.

Additional Information

The following table summarizes the possible priority settings and their descriptions:

Priority Setting	Description
Realtime	The task will consume the maximum possible CPU resources.
High	The task will receive a large amount of CPU time.
Above Normal	The task will receive more CPU time than Normal tasks.
Normal	The task will receive a normal amount of CPU time.
Below Normal	The task will receive less CPU time than Normal tasks.
Low	The task will receive a small amount of CPU time.

By resetting the priority settings, all tasks will be set back to the default priority level, which is Normal.

Using Command Prompt to Set Priority

To set the priority of a process using Command Prompt, follow these steps:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Enter the following command:

“`
wmic process where “name=’processname'” CALL setpriority 128
“`

1. Replace “processname” with the name of the process you want to set the priority for.
2. The following table lists the priority levels you can set:

| Priority Level | Description |
|—|—|
| 128 | Idle |
| 64 | Below Normal |
| 32 | Normal |
| 16 | Above Normal |
| 8 | Highest |
| 4 | Realtime |

Low Priority

This setting is useful for tasks that are not urgent and can run in the background without affecting the performance of other applications. Examples include virus scans and system maintenance tasks.

Normal Priority

This is the default priority level for most tasks. It provides a balance between performance and responsiveness, allowing tasks to run smoothly without taking up too much system resources.

High Priority

This setting is used for tasks that need to run as quickly as possible. Examples include real-time audio or video processing, gaming, and tasks that require a lot of computation.

Real-time Priority

This is the highest priority level, reserved for tasks that must run immediately and without interruptions. Examples include system processes that control the operating system or critical hardware devices.

Advanced Priority Settings for Specialized Tasks

In addition to the basic priority levels, Windows also provides advanced priority settings that allow you to fine-tune the priority of tasks. These settings are available in the Task Manager by right-clicking on a task and selecting “Set Priority.”

Above Normal

This setting is higher than the Normal priority and gives tasks a slight performance boost. It can be used for tasks that are slightly more important than normal tasks, but not as urgent as High priority tasks.

Below Normal

This setting is lower than the Normal priority and can be used for tasks that are not as important as normal tasks. Examples include tasks that run in the background and do not need to be performed immediately.

Idle

This setting is the lowest priority level and is used for tasks that can be delayed until the system is idle. Examples include screen savers and tasks that take up a lot of memory but don’t need to be processed quickly.

Priority	Description
Low	Tasks that can run in the background without affecting other applications
Normal	Default priority level for most tasks
High	Tasks that need to run as quickly as possible
Real-time	Tasks that must run immediately without interruptions
Above Normal	Tasks that are slightly more important than normal tasks
Below Normal	Tasks that are not as important as normal tasks
Idle	Tasks that can be delayed until the system is idle

How To Set Task Manager Priority

Task Manager is a built-in Windows utility that allows users to view and manage the processes running on their computer. One of the features of Task Manager is the ability to set the priority of a process, which can help to improve performance or stability.

To set the priority of a process in Task Manager, follow these steps:

Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
Click on the “Details” tab.
Right-click on the process you want to change the priority of.
Select “Set Priority” from the menu.
Choose the desired priority level from thesubmenu.

There are six priority levels available in Task Manager:

Real-time: This is the highest priority level and should only be used for processes that absolutely require maximum performance. Using real-time priority for more than a few seconds can cause system instability.
High: This priority level is used for processes that are important but do not require real-time performance.
Above normal: This priority level is used for processes that are slightly more important than normal processes.
Normal: This is the default priority level for most processes.
Below normal: This priority level is used for processes that can afford to run more slowly.
Low: This is the lowest priority level and should only be used for processes that are not essential.

Setting the priority of a process can help to improve performance or stability, but it is important to use caution. Setting the priority of a process too high can cause system instability, and setting the priority too low can prevent a process from running properly.