As you probably know, Task Manager is what you use in Windows to view (and kill) currently active processes. There are several ways you can easily open Task Manager so I thought I would list four easy ones here:

1. Ctrl + Alt + Del > Click Task Manager. This is the most commonly used method.
2. Right click on the Task Bar and select “Task Manager” from the popup menu.
3. Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
4. Start > Run > taskmgr. This is handy for making a shortcut.

There you have it. If you have an easier way, post it below.

One thing I have noticed is a lot of people like to treat their Desktop as a “dumping ground” for all their personal files, folders and shortcuts. Yes, it is very convenient, but quickly gets overwhelming and hard to navigate. If you are one of these people, a handy shortcut is to add a menu containing all your desktop items on your taskbar.

Here is how you do this in Windows Vista:

1. Right click on your Start Menu and select Properties.
2. Go to the Toolbars tab.
3. Check the box for “Desktop”.
4. Click OK.

Now a new menu will appear in your taskbar, appropriately named “Desktop”. By clicking the arrow on this item a pop-up menu of all files and folders will appear. This is a great way to access your desktop items without having to minimize all your open applications.