How to Reset Task Manager Back to Default Settings

Task Manager in Windows allows you to view all the programs, apps and services running on your system. You can terminate or restart any of these processes just by right-clicking on them. In addition, it also displays the performance status of various things in your PC like the CPU, memory, disk, network, Wi-Fi and the GPU along with a list of all the signed-in users, all the services, and all the apps.

When you launch Task Manager for the first time in Windows 10, it is shown in the fewer details mode in the form of a small window. It retains all the customizations you make to the Task Manager window such as switching to more details mode, window size, columns size, sorting order and so on. If you want to bring back the default mini mode view of Task Manager then you have to reset all the Task Manager settings. By resetting the Task Manager settings, it returns back to the default settings.

Here is how you can reset the Task Manager settings:

1. Close Task Manager window if it is open.
2. Press the hotkey Win+R to open the Run dialog.
3. Type regedit in the Run dialog and press Enter. This will launch Windows Registry Editor.
4. In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TaskManager.
5. Find the value named Preferences, right-click on it and select Delete to remove it.
6. Now if you launch Task Manager, you will find it has gone back to its default settings.

There is another method of resetting the Task Manager which is quicker and uses PowerShell:

1. Press the hotkey Win+X and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the menu that is shown.
2. In the PowerShell window, type the following and press Enter: Remove-ItemProperty HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TaskManager -name Preferences
3. Close PowerShell and launch Task Manager to see that it has been reset.