How to get Detailed Information on Each Running Process in Windows

This guide will show you how to get very detailed information about any app or process running on your Windows computer.

  1. Download the excellent (small and completely free) Process Explorer and double-click the zip file to open it.
  2. an arrow pointing to a zip file in Windows Explorer

  3. Click the Extract All button in the Menu Bar.
  4. an arrow pointing to the Extract All button in a zip file

  5. For the time being, let’s extract the files to your Downloads folder – we can move it later. So just click the Extract button without changing anything.
  6. extracting files to the Downloads folder

  7. Now you’ll find a new folder named ProcessExplorer in your Downloads folder. Open it up. If you’re using a 32bit version of Windows, double-click the file named procexp.exe. If you’re using a 64bit version of Windows, double-click the file named procexp64.exe. If you’re not sure which version of Windows you’re using, we have a brief guide that explains how to determine if you’re using a 32bit or 64bit version of Windows.
  8. an arrow pointing at an exe file in Windows Explorer

  9. Click the Agree button on the Licence Agreement window.
  10. the license agreement for process explorer

  11. Process Explorer will now open up and display a list of every single process running on your computer.
  12. detailed information on each Windows process displayed by the Process Explorer app
    click to enlarge

  13. Select File and then Show Details for All Processes
  14. the File menu with an arrow pointing at the Show Details for All Processes line

  15. In the example screenshot below, I selected a file with the rather unhelpful name RtkNGUI64.exe. By looking at the Description and Company fields I was able to quickly identify that file as the RealTek HD Audio Manager – software used to control my audio.
  16. Windows process for the Audio Manager with detailed information displayed
    click to enlarge

  17. For even more detailed information on any given Windows process, right-click the item in question and select Properties…
  18. an arrow pointing to the properties line item in a context menu

  19. From here you can find out everything about the process you could possibly want to know :)
  20. the properties window for a process

  21. Don’t forget about that ProcessExplorer folder (in your Downloads folder), especially if you think you might use the Process Explorer app again. You can move it to somewhere like your Program Files folder and then create a shortcut to the app from there.

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