How to Fix Task Manager is Disabled by Administrator?

It is fair to say that almost every Windows user knows about Task Manager. This part of the operating system is a mission-critical component, a control room where you monitor resource consumption, active processes, startup apps, and many more. You also need Task Manager when a program stops responding, or a specific process starts hogging too much RAM, network, or CPU. Regardless of how you use your computer, Task Manager should always be accessible, nothing can prevent you from opening it.

Tip. Did you know that you can open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc buttons?

Task Manager is a well-polished app that rarely fails. Still, you might encounter a weird situation when attempting to open Task Manager results in the “Task Manager is disabled by Administrator” error. This article will show you how to enable Task Manager when it displays the “task manager has been disabled by your administrator” message.

Why Was My Task Manager Disabled by Administrator?

The “Task Manager disabled by Administrator” error should not appear on your home (non-managed) computer. This notification is the most common on devices schools or businesses provide to their students or employees. IT Admins select what parts of the operating system and hardware the users can access, customize, and work with. Some devices must operate 24/7/365. Therefore, administrators block access to utilities that can disrupt the workflow, including Task Manager. If you have such a computer, a “task manager has been disabled by admin” message should not surprise you. Also, there are probably other tools that allow managing specific parts of the computer.

You can do nothing if your school or work-supplied computer shows the “Task Manager disabled by Administrator. Windows will not allow you to enable Task Manager unless you get permission from the IT Admin.

Alternatively, you can fix the Task Manager has been disabled by your administrator with several options. Task Manager will not open (unless you get permission from your Admin), but you can perform some of its tasks without launching it:

Press Alt + F4 to quit an app. If the program is stuck, click anywhere on its window a few times. Windows will show you a message that the app is not responding and offer you to force-close it.
If possible, install third-party monitoring software. There are many great apps for monitoring resource consumption on your computer.
Check Windows Settings. Some of the Task Manager options are available in Windows Settings. For example, you can disable or enable startup apps in Apps > Startup.

If the “Task Manager is disabled by administrator” message appears on your home computer, you better start troubleshooting. There are two reasons why the “Task Manager disabled by Administrator” message appears:

Misfired modifications of Windows Registry or group policies
Malware that intentionally blocks access to Task Manager to prevent detection or closing
Bootleg Windows ISO

How to Fix Task Manager Disabled by Administrator Error?

Check your Windows SKU before you start. You need to know this information to select a method to troubleshoot the situation and fix the “Task Manager is disabled by administrator” error. Open Settings and go to System – About. If your computer runs Windows 10 (or 11) Professional, you can pick either of the following methods. If you have Windows 10 or 11 Home, go for Windows Registry Editor since your edition does not support Group Policy Editor.

Another thing worth noting is that we recommend turning off all the tweakers, optimizers, and other software promising to “boost performance,” disable “spying,” turn off telemetry, etc. These apps often modify registry and policies and can misfire and take down incorrect values, resulting in all sorts of bugs and problems, including the one causing the “task manager has been disabled by admin” error.

Finally, you can try different methods to enable Task Manager:

Right-click the Start menu button and select Task Manager
Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager (including Windows 11 with the latest updates)
Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Task Manager
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc
Press Win + R and type “taskmgr”
Go to Disk C > Windows > System32 and open Taskmgr.exe

Another thing worth trying when encountering the “Task Manager disabled by Administrator” error is Safe Mode:

Press Win + R and type “msconfig” then press Enter.
Go to the Boot tab.
Place a check mark next to the Safe Boot option.
Click Ok and restart your computer.
Once in safe mode, try opening Task Manager using one of the above methods. If the problem is caused by a virus or botched third-party app, Task Manager will run without issues.

Important. The “Task Manager is disabled by Administrator” might appear when using bootleg Windows images. Some users pirate the operating system and download activated Windows ISOs to use it without purchasing a license. Do not do that! That is how you get viruses, miners, and bugs. Always download official Windows ISOs from the official Microsoft website (even if you plan to use “unconventional” activation methods).

Fix Task Manager Disabled by Administrator Using Windows Registry

Press Win + R and type “regedit” to launch Windows Registry Editor. You can also use other methods.
Navigate to the following path: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System.
The right part of Windows Registry Editor must contain the “DisableTaskMgr” value with the value data set to 1.
Double-click the “DisableTaskMgr” value and change its data from 1 to 0.
If there is no “DisableTaskMgr” value, right-click anywhere and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and rename it to “DisableTaskMgr” with 0 value data.
Restart your computer. After that, Task Manager should start without issues.

Fix Task Manager Disabled by Administrator Using Group Policy Editor

You can try fixing the “Task Manager disabled by Administrator” error using Group Policy Editor, which is available in Windows 10 and 11 Professional.

Press Win + R and type “gpedit.msc“
Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Ctrl + Alt + Del options.
Open the “Remove Task Manager” policy and set it to “Disabled” or “Not configured.”
Click OK and restart your computer.

If you still have no luck fixing the “Task Manager is disabled by administrator” error on your computer, reinstalling Windows is your only option. Back up all important data, then install Windows from scratch. Fortunately, the process is relatively easy and does not take too much time or effort.

Now Task Manager should work as expected. This is how you fix the “Task Manager disabled by Administrator” error.

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Cyril Kardashevsky

I enjoy technology and developing websites. Since 2012 I'm running a few of my own websites, and share useful content on gadgets, PC administration and website promotion.

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