Microsoft employees share Win10/11 tips: hold down the CTRL key to keep the task manager application process still

CTOnews.com, August 17, many Windows users may not know that Task Manager has a very useful shortcut that allows its interface to pause updates, thus preventing the application process shown above from jumping around, making it easier to select an application to kill it. This shortcut is to hold down the CTRL key, which works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, and perhaps on older versions of Windows (unverified).

This practical tip was shared by Microsoft employee Jen Gentleman, a member of the Windows engineering team who often posts useful keyboard shortcuts and tips about Windows on social media.

If you often use Task Manager to end a malfunctioning application, Microsoft is developing a forced exit feature in Windows 11 that can turn off the application without Task Manager, just right-click on the taskbar. But holding down the CTRL key to pause the task manager can be useful for users who haven't upgraded to Windows 11 yet.

By the way, in the notepad of Windows 11, you can rotate the gear icon, like a digital fingertip top, which is one of the many pleasant little features in Windows 11, and CTOnews.com 's buddies can give it a try.