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I'm writing a tool to fix various windows annoyances, but I'm having trouble with the Windows Task Manager.

One of the first things I do on a new machine is to expand the task manager so it looks like it's supposed to instead of that useless simplified "process list" only version that's the default with new Win 11 machines.

I think this key might be the right one: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TaskManager

The problem is that it only has a "preferences" value that appears to be a long binary string. Is there a way to detect if that's a data structure and what kind? If there's any way to adjust that to leave all settings alone except for the expanded view vs min view?

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  • Why bother? Microsoft (Sysinternals) has the much-more competent Process Explorer, learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/….
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Jun 20 at 23:46
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    Neat link, but not a useful alternative for what I'm trying to do. I need to be able to toggle the compact vs full view of the task manager.
    – not_a_generic_user
    Commented Jun 21 at 20:36
  • Export Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\TaskManager/Preferences twice, once default, once detailed view and compare. DYOH.
    – Joep van Steen
    Commented 2 days ago
  • I can't return to the compact view after expanding it, but I did install a new installation of Win 11 in a VM and do as you said by exporting before opening Taskmanager and then after, but the changes were throughout the string. There doesn't seem to be a clean/easy/simple way to work with it.
    – not_a_generic_user
    Commented 2 days ago

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