Support old style Task manager

[chris-ayers-uk]

The Windows 10 (and previous versions of Windows) had a clean task manager. The new Windows 11 version is horrible and wastes space on the screen. Luckily the old version is available inside Windows 11 by using the command taskmgr -d

Can you add an option to your code to support this older (and better) version of the tool from your task bar right click menu?

[chris-ayers-uk]

[pyrates999]

can I ask what feature you use in the old task manager that you don't use in the new task manager?

[chris-ayers-uk]

nothing - its just neater and easier to use the old format - just like using a Windows 10 task bar - its all down to user preference.

[pyrates999]

I've been thinking this over and I don't think this will be implemented because I could see this as being a security hole, causing MS to say they were right for flagging EP in windows defender.

Instead of the standard task manager launching, you have some other exe launching, such as malware, that then intercepts everything you are doing and hides certain processes, while looking just like the old task manager or the current task manager.

So what I suggest you do is run taskmgr -d and pin that to your taskbar. Then just open the pinned icon if you need to run task manager.

[chris-ayers-uk]

I respect your decision on this - its is your application after all. I agree I can pin the Task manager to the Task Bar - in fact I put it in my Quick Launch menu - the main reason why I chose your application (apart from the Task Bar being able to be on the LHS of the screen)

I'm not sure I understand your reasoning about the issue of malware execution, though. I'm not asking for the option to change the Task Manager to another application. The old style Task manager executable is the same as you are calling now - the same signed application that Microsoft provides. All I'm suggesting is that you add an option in your preferences to optionally add the -d parameter to the end of the execution string that you pass to the OS, so that when a user right clicks the task bar and selects Task Manager they get the old version.

If in future versions Microsoft remove the -d functionality, nothing will break as the EXE will just ignore the parameter.

[pyrates999]

It's not my application, I'm just here to help.

I know that running taskmgr -d instead of taskmgr may not seem like a security hole, but it is still changing the command ran when you try to open the task manager through normal means. And any application that changes that may get flagged as malware because that is exactly what malware has done in the past.

[pyrates999]

try this: https://www.xda-developers.com/how-replace-default-windows-task-manager/

[chris-ayers-uk]

nice try, but it did not work with parameter - I got

[pyrates999]

then try searching to find out what that error message means. If you can find out how to get it working, that's a start.

[shikulja]

I also had the same problem.
The only way I found was to use the wrapper and copy the files from system32 in the form of this structure:

Taskmgr\win11 taskmgr.cmd
Taskmgr\default taskmgr.cmd
Taskmgr\SystemResources\Taskmgr11.exe.mun
Taskmgr\system32\Taskmgr11.exe.
Taskmgr\system32\en-US\Taskmgr11.exe.mui.
Taskmgr\system32\ru-RU\Taskmgr11.exe.mui.mui

win11 taskmgr.cmd

reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft/Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\taskmgr.exe” /v Debugger /t REG_SZ /d “%CD%\system32\taskmgr11.exe -d” /f

default taskmgr.cmd

@echo off
reg delete “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft/Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\taskmgr.exe” /v Debugger /f

This is a rather non-trivial method, but reliable.
I also ported Taskmgr10 (from windows 10) to windows 11.
(there are similar builds on the net)
This is really the right one.
But with it there were problems, right-click on processes crashes the task manager. It would be nice if there was a way to fix it, apparently the error is in the Taskmgr.exe.mun resource file.

[shikulja]

Updated the script, can switch modes, most likely need administrator privileges, run under a subdirectory

@echo off
setlocal

rem Проверить, существует ли файл Taskmgr11.exe
if exist "%CD%\System32\Taskmgr11.exe" (
    rem Если файл существует, удалить параметр реестра
    taskkill /f /im taskmgr11.exe >nul 2>&1
    reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\taskmgr.exe" /v Debugger /f

    rem Удалить папки без запроса
    rd /S /Q "%CD%\SystemResources"
    rd /S /Q "%CD%\System32\"

    exit /b
)

rem Создать необходимые директории
mkdir "%CD%"
mkdir "%CD%\SystemResources"
mkdir "%CD%\System32\en-US"
mkdir "%CD%\System32\ru-RU"

rem Копирование файлов
copy "%SystemRoot%\SystemResources\Taskmgr.exe.mun" "%CD%\SystemResources\Taskmgr11.exe.mun"
copy "%SystemRoot%\System32\Taskmgr.exe" "%CD%\System32\Taskmgr11.exe"
copy "%SystemRoot%\System32\en-US\Taskmgr.exe.mui" "%CD%\System32\en-US\Taskmgr11.exe.mui"
copy "%SystemRoot%\System32\ru-RU\Taskmgr.exe.mui" "%CD%\System32\ru-RU\Taskmgr11.exe.mui"

echo Копирование завершено.

rem Добавить параметр реестра
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\taskmgr.exe" /v Debugger /t REG_SZ /d "%CD%\System32\Taskmgr11.exe -d" /f

endlocal

[shikulja]

Another way

sudo64 %CD%\win11_taskmgr_2.cmd

@echo off
set “PathTskMgr=%SystemRoot%\SystemResources\Windows.UI.TaskManager”
taskkill /f /im taskmgr.exe >nul 2>&1
if “%PathTskMgr%” exists (ren “%PathTskMgr%” “Windows.UI.TaskManager_orig”) else (ren “%PathTskMgr%_orig” “Windows.UI.TaskManager”)
pause && exit