Windows 11 Task Manager Bug: Ghost Processes Draining Your System Resources

Microsoft has confirmed a significant bug in the latest Windows 11 preview update that causes Task Manager to spawn "ghost" processes, consuming system resources and potentially degrading your PC's performance.

What's Happening?

If you've installed the optional Windows 11 KB5067036 update (released October, 2025), you may be experiencing a frustrating problem: every time you close Task Manager using the window's close button (X), the application doesn't actually quit. Instead, it continues running invisibly in the background.

The real issue becomes apparent when you reopen Task Manager — a new instance launches while the previous one continues running. Each time you repeat this open-and-close cycle, another Task Manager process accumulates in the background, quietly consuming your system's RAM and CPU resources.

Which Systems Are Affected?

This bug specifically impacts Windows 11 devices that have installed the KB5067036 update, which was released October, 2025.

The update was released as an optional preview, which means it won't install automatically unless you manually selected "Download & Install." However, because this update introduced the highly anticipated redesigned Start menu and new taskbar battery icons, many users rushed to install it.

Importantly, not every device that installed KB5067036 exhibits the issue. The bug appears to be triggered by specific runtime conditions, hardware configurations, or driver combinations, making it affect only a subset of updated systems.

What's the Impact?

Each orphaned Task Manager instance consumes approximately 20-30 MB of RAM and can use up to 2% CPU when actively polling system counters. While one or two ghost processes are relatively harmless, the problem compounds quickly for power users, IT professionals, and system administrators who frequently use Task Manager for troubleshooting.

Independent testing demonstrated extreme cases where hundreds of accumulated Task Manager instances resulted in:

Significant memory consumption (hundreds of MB or even GB)
Degraded overall system performance
Increased battery drain on laptops
System stuttering and slowdowns

Microsoft has officially acknowledged the issue, stating: "These lingering instances consume system resources and may affect device performance."

How to Check If You're Affected

To determine if your system has ghost Task Manager processes:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
Click the close button (X) to close it
Repeat this 2-3 times
Open Task Manager one final time and leave it open
Go to the Processes tab and look under "Background processes"
Search for "Task Manager" or look for multiple taskmgr.exe entries

If you see more than one Task Manager process with unique Process IDs, you're affected by this bug.

The Quick Fix: Remove Ghost Processes

Method 1: Manual Termination

You can manually end each Task Manager process:

Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc)
Locate each "Task Manager" entry under Background processes
Select each one and click "End task"
Repeat for all orphaned instances

Method 2: Command Line Fix (Recommended)

The fastest way to eliminate all ghost Task Manager processes is through Command Prompt:

Press Windows Key + X and select "Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)"
If prompted by User Account Control, click "Yes"
Type or paste the following command:

taskkill /im taskmgr.exe /f

What this command does:

taskkill - Windows utility to terminate processes
/im taskmgr.exe - Targets all processes with the image name "taskmgr.exe"
/f - Forces termination of the processes

This single command will immediately terminate all Task Manager instances, freeing up the consumed system resources.

Prevention: Avoiding the Bug

Until Microsoft releases a permanent fix, follow these best practices:

Don't Use the Close Button

Avoid clicking the X button to close Task Manager. Instead, use one of these methods:

Select "Task Manager" in the Processes list and click "End task"
Right-click the Task Manager process and select "End task"
Press Alt + F4 while Task Manager is the active window

Reboot Regularly

A full system restart clears all orphaned Task Manager processes. If you typically leave your PC running for extended periods, consider rebooting more frequently until the fix arrives.

Consider Uninstalling the Update

If this bug significantly impacts your workflow, you can remove KB5067036:

Open Settings → Windows Update → Update history
Scroll down and click "Uninstall updates"
Find KB5067036 in the list
Click Uninstall and restart your computer

When Will Microsoft Fix This?

Microsoft has confirmed the bug and stated that an engineering fix is in progress. However, the company has not provided a specific timeline for the patch. Given that KB5067036 is an optional preview update (not a critical security update), Microsoft will likely include the fix in the next:

Monthly "Patch Tuesday" update (second Tuesday of each month)
A subsequent optional preview cumulative update

Technical Background: Why This Happened

The bug appears to stem from changes Microsoft made to Task Manager's process grouping logic in KB5067036. Task Manager uses separate threads for different functions:

UI threads that render the visible window
Background monitoring threads that sample performance counters and system data

When you click the close button, the UI window is destroyed, but the background monitoring threads and associated resources aren't properly cleaned up. This causes the process to remain resident in memory even though it's no longer visible, creating the "ghost" process phenomenon.

Bottom Line

The Windows 11 Task Manager ghost process bug is a confirmed issue that can impact system performance, especially for users who frequently monitor system resources. While Microsoft works on a permanent fix, using the command-line solution provided above will quickly clean up any accumulated ghost processes.

Quick Reminder of the Fix:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator
Run: taskkill /im taskmgr.exe /f
Avoid using the X button to close Task Manager until the fix arrives

💡 Pro Tip: You can create a desktop shortcut for the taskkill command to make cleanup even easier. Right-click your desktop → New → Shortcut → Enter cmd.exe /c taskkill /im taskmgr.exe /f as the location, and name it "Kill Ghost Task Managers."