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{{Short description|Freeware system monitor for Windows}}
{{refimprove|date=June 2011}}
{{Infobox software
| screenshot = Process Explorer Screenshot.png
| caption = Process Explorer v16.02 running on [[Windows 7]]
| name = Process Explorer
| author = [[Winternals Software]]
| developer = [[Microsoft]]
| latest_release_version = v17.06
| latest_release_date = {{release date and age|2024|5|28}}
| operating_system = [[Windows 8.1]] / [[Windows Server 2012]] and later
| genre = [[Task manager]] and [[system monitor]]
| license = [[Freeware]]
| website = {{URL|https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer}}
}}
'''Process Explorer''' is a [[freeware]] [[task manager]] and [[system monitor]] for [[Microsoft Windows]] created by [[SysInternals]], which has been acquired by [[Microsoft]] and re-branded as Windows Sysinternals. It provides the functionality of [[Windows Task Manager]] along with a rich set of features for collecting information about [[Process (computing)|process]]es running on the user's system.<ref>[https://www.pcworld.com/article/3181348/how-to-use-process-explorer-microsofts-free-supercharged-task-manager-alternative.html How to use Process Explorer, Microsoft's free, supercharged Task Manager alternative]</ref> It can be used as the first step in debugging software or system problems.

Process Explorer can be used to track down problems. For example, it provides a means to list or search for named resources that are held by a process or all processes. This can be used to track down what is holding a file open and preventing its use by another program. As another example, it can show the command lines used to start a program, allowing otherwise identical processes to be distinguished. Like Task Manager, it can show a process that is maxing out the [[CPU]], but unlike Task Manager it can show which thread (with the callstack) is using the CPU – information that is not even available under a debugger.<ref>[https://www.cnet.com/news/process-explorer-part-2/ Process Explorer, Part 2]</ref>

== History ==
Process Explorer began in the early Sysinternals days as two separate utilities, HandleEx and DLLView, which were merged in 2001.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120707170259/http://blogs.msdn.com/b/microsoft_press/archive/2011/06/14/rtm-d-today-windows-sysinternals-administrator-s-reference.aspx RTM’d today: Windows Sysinternals Administrator's Reference] </ref> Until 2008, Process Explorer worked on [[Windows 9x]], [[Windows NT 4.0]] and [[Windows 2000]]. Versions of Process Explorer up to 12.04 work on Windows 2000; versions 14.0 and higher do not require {{mono|credui.dll}} (which is only available since Windows XP/[[Windows Server 2003|2003]]). [[Windows XP]] is supported up to version 16.05, [[Windows Vista]] until version 16.42,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Process Explorer - Windows Sysinternals |url=https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211071738/https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653 |archive-date=11 December 2015 |access-date=26 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Process Explorer - Windows Sysinternals {{!}} Microsoft Docs |url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725093514/https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer |archive-date=25 July 2021 |access-date=30 June 2024}}</ref> Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 until 17.05.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Process Explorer - Sysinternals {{!}} Microsoft Learn |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528055401/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer |archive-date=28 May 2024 |access-date=22 August 2024}}</ref> The current version runs on [[Windows 10]] and upwards. The [[open-source software|open source]] software "Process Hacker" has been developed with the aim to replicate its functionality.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Arntz |first1=Pieter |title=Advanced tools: Process Hacker |url=https://blog.malwarebytes.com/101/how-tos/2018/11/advanced-tools-process-hacker/ |website=Malwarebytes Labs |access-date=22 January 2022 |date=9 November 2018}}</ref>

== Features ==
* Hierarchical view of processes
* Ability to display an icon and company name next to each process
* Live CPU activity graph in the task bar
* Ability to suspend selected process
* Ability to raise the window attached to a process, thus "unhiding" it
* Complete [[process tree]] can be killed
* Interactively alter a service process's access security
* Interactively set the priority of a process
* Disambiguates service executables which perform multiple service functions. For example, when the pointer is placed over a {{mono|svchost.exe}}, it will tell if it is the one performing automatic updates/secondary logon/etc., or the one providing [[remote procedure call|RPC]], or the one performing terminal services, and so on
* There is an option (in a process's context menu) to verify a process in VirusTotal
* There is an option to display [[Dynamic-link library|DLL]]s loaded by process (View → Lower Pane View → DLLs); an option Show Lower Pane has to be switched on
* There is an option to display processes' [[Handle (computing)|handles]] which includes named mutants, events, sockets, files, registry keys etc. (View → Lower Pane View → Handles); an option Show Lower Pane has to be switched on
* In properties of a process a user can view the process's threads and threads' [[stack trace]]s
* There is a command to create a process dump (mini or full) (Process → Create Dump)
* There is a Find command which allows for searching a handle or DLL which can be used to identify the process(es) holding a file lock
* There is an option (in handle context menu) to close a selected handle
* Version 15 added [[GPU]] monitoring

== See also ==
* [[Activity Monitor (macOS)|Activity Monitor]]
* [[Ksysguard]]
* [[Process Lasso]]
* [[Resource Monitor]]
* [[Taskkill]]
* [[Tasklist]]
* [[Process Monitor]] – capturing [[file system]] and Registry activity.
* [[ProcDump]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://technet.microsoft.com/sysinternals/bb896653 Process Explorer Official Webpage] Microsoft Retrieved on December 29, 2008
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080217173733/http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13554_1-9867426-33.html Using Process Explorer to tame svchost.exe - Advanced topics] February 9, 2008
* [https://archive.today/20130102053450/http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13554_1-9868661-33.html Process Explorer Part 2] February 10, 2008
* [http://forum.sysinternals.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=10998 Process Explorer Guide for Newbies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100318020447/http://forum.sysinternals.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=10998 |date=2010-03-18 }} February 27, 2009
* [https://technet.microsoft.com/sysinternals/bb842062 Sysinternals Suite at Microsoft Technet] Updated continuously as of August 2009
[[Category:Utilities for Windows]]
[[Category:2001 software]]
[[Category:Microsoft software]]

Process Explorer - Revision history

imported>Akira625: Added links.