Process Explorer Display Options

Learn how to configure Process Explorer window behavior, fonts, process visibility, automatic scrolling, system information, and Task Manager integration.

Process Explorer provides controls for how its window behaves and how the process list is presented. These settings are useful when monitoring applications, investigating performance, or working on a shared computer.

This lesson assumes that you know basic Windows desktop navigation and can launch Process Explorer. The relevant controls are found primarily in the Options and View menus.

Where display-related settings are located

The Options menu mainly contains settings that affect Process Explorer itself: window visibility, minimizing behavior, single-instance behavior, font selection, automatic scrolling, and integration with Windows.

The View menu contains presentation and scope controls for the process list. For example, Show Processes From All Users determines whether the list includes processes belonging to other accounts and system-level accounts.

Window behavior: Always On Top, Hide When Minimized, and Allow Only One Instance.
Visual presentation: font selection and related list-display preferences.
Process-list behavior: Scroll to New Processes.
Process-list scope: Show Processes From All Users.
System integration: System Information and the Task Manager replacement setting.

Process Explorer display and behavior options

Option — What it changes — Typical use case — Potential tradeoff

Always On Top — Keeps the Process Explorer window above other desktop windows — Monitoring a process while using another application — The window can obstruct content.

Hide When Minimized — Moves the minimized application to the notification area instead of leaving a taskbar button — Keeping Process Explorer available without occupying taskbar space — The Close button behaves like minimize, which can be confusing.

Allow Only One Instance — Prevents simultaneous Process Explorer instances — Maintaining one consistent process view and configuration — A second launch does not create another window.

Font — Changes the interface font used to display text — Improving readability on high-resolution screens or for accessibility needs — A larger font displays fewer process rows.

Scroll to New Processes — Automatically moves the process list to a newly created process — Watching installers, launchers, or short-lived helper processes — The list can jump away from the part of the process tree being examined.

Show Processes From All Users — Expands or limits the accounts represented in the process list — Machine-wide troubleshooting and administrative monitoring — Some details or actions still require elevation.

Keeping the window visible with Always On Top

Always On Top is a window behavior setting that keeps Process Explorer above other open windows. Enable it from the Options menu when you need the process tree or performance columns visible while working in another application.

For example, you can monitor a long-running application while using a text editor or a test program. Resize and move Process Explorer so that it remains visible without covering the work area.

The tradeoff is that the window stays above other content even when you switch applications. If it becomes obstructive, disable Always On Top or reposition and resize the window.

Minimize and notification-area behavior

Hide When Minimized

Hide When Minimized changes what happens when Process Explorer is minimized. Instead of retaining a visible taskbar button, the application is placed in the Windows notification area, also called the system tray.

When applicable, the notification-area icon includes a small CPU usage graph. This compact graph provides an at-a-glance indication of current processor activity without requiring the main window to remain open.

Enable this setting from the Options menu when Process Explorer should remain available but take up little desktop and taskbar space.

Restoring and exiting

Locate the Process Explorer icon in the notification area. If it is hidden, open the notification-area overflow area.
Activate the icon to restore the main Process Explorer window.
To intentionally exit, use the application's exit command or the appropriate command on the notification-area icon rather than assuming that the title-bar button will terminate the program.

With Hide When Minimized enabled, the normal title-bar Close button behaves as minimize rather than exit. This is useful for continuous monitoring, but it can make the application appear to have closed when it is still running in the notification area.

Allowing only one Process Explorer instance

Allow Only One Instance prevents multiple Process Explorer instances from running simultaneously. Enable it from the Options menu when one shared window should handle monitoring, configuration, shortcuts, and file associations.

A single instance reduces confusion because there is only one process tree, one set of visible columns, and one active monitoring window. It also prevents accidentally comparing two windows that have different display states.

If a second launch does not create another window, check whether this option is enabled. Use the existing window, or disable the restriction when separate instances are specifically required.

Changing the Process Explorer font

Process Explorer lets you select a different interface font from the Options menu. Font selection changes the visual presentation of the interface, not the process data collection itself.

Consider a larger or clearer font when using a high-resolution display, when text is difficult to read, or when accessibility requires increased size or contrast. A smaller font can show more rows in a dense process list, while a larger font can improve readability but reduce the number of visible rows.

Font changes are therefore a usability choice. They do not add process information, change CPU measurements, or alter which processes are running.

Automatically revealing new processes

Scroll to New Processes controls whether the process list automatically moves to show a newly started process. Enable it from the Options menu when you are watching an installer, launcher, application startup sequence, or suspected short-lived helper process.

For example, enable the setting before launching an installer. When the installer creates child processes, Process Explorer can move the view so that the new entries are easier to notice.

Automatic scrolling can interrupt inspection of another location in a large process tree. A process tree is the hierarchical list of running processes, commonly organized by parent-child relationships. If the list repeatedly jumps away from the process you are examining, temporarily disable Scroll to New Processes.

Controlling process visibility

Show Processes From All Users

Show Processes From All Users is a process-list scope setting found in the View menu. When enabled, it includes processes started by other user accounts as well as system-level accounts. This gives an investigator a broader view of activity on the computer.

When disabled, the list is limited to processes associated with the account running Process Explorer. This narrower view can be useful when you are interested only in your own applications, but it can hide activity needed for machine-wide troubleshooting.

Administrators and support technicians often enable the setting when investigating a shared workstation, server, services, unexpected background activity, or resource usage that is not explained by the current user's processes.

Visibility does not guarantee unrestricted access. Some process details and actions still require elevated rights because protected processes and security boundaries limit what a standard user can inspect or change. If expected information is unavailable, consider running Process Explorer with suitable administrative permissions. See Run Process Explorer as Administrator.

Process visibility scope

Setting state — Processes shown — Best suited for

Show Processes From All Users enabled — Processes belonging to the current user, other user accounts, and system-level accounts, subject to access permissions — Machine-wide troubleshooting, administration, and shared computers.

Show Processes From All Users disabled — Processes associated with the account running Process Explorer — Personal monitoring or investigations limited to the current user's applications.

Opening the System Information window

The System Information window is a companion display for overall system performance and activity information. It complements the per-process tree: the tree helps identify which processes are involved, while System Information provides broader context about processor, memory, input/output, and other system activity.

Open System Information from the Process Explorer interface when you need to compare machine-wide activity with the behavior of an individual process. This is especially useful when a process appears busy and you want to determine whether the whole system is under load or whether the activity is isolated.

For a focused lesson on this view, see System Information Window.

Replacing Windows Task Manager

The Task Manager replacement setting integrates Process Explorer with the familiar Windows Task Manager launch route. When configured, invoking the standard Task Manager action opens Process Explorer instead of the default Windows Task Manager.

This is helpful for users who routinely need Process Explorer's process tree, detailed properties, performance views, and process actions. It provides a familiar way to reach the more detailed tool without creating a new shortcut or remembering a separate launch procedure.

Restore the default Windows behavior if other users expect the standard Task Manager, if support instructions depend on the built-in interface, or if Process Explorer should not be used for every Task Manager launch. Use the Task Manager replacement setting to remove the integration.

Practical configurations

Monitoring an application while working

Enable Always On Top from the Options menu.
Resize or move Process Explorer so it does not cover the active work area.
Observe the process tree and relevant columns while using the other program.

The process list remains visible, but disabling Always On Top later may be preferable for normal multitasking.

Running unobtrusively during a performance investigation

Enable Hide When Minimized.
Minimize the main window.
Use the notification-area icon and compact CPU usage graph to notice processor activity.
Restore the main window when detailed inspection is needed.

Finding a newly launched helper process

Enable Scroll to New Processes.
Launch the application or installer under investigation.
Watch for the process list to move to newly created entries.
Disable the option temporarily if automatic movement interferes with examining another branch of the process tree.

Investigating activity across a shared computer

Enable Show Processes From All Users.
Review processes belonging to other accounts and system-level accounts.
Run Process Explorer with suitable permissions if protected details or actions are required.

Using the familiar Task Manager route

Configure Process Explorer as the Task Manager replacement.
Invoke the normal Windows Task Manager launch action.
Confirm that Process Explorer opens.
Remove the replacement configuration when the default Task Manager should be restored.

Troubleshooting display and behavior settings

The Close button does not exit Process Explorer: Hide When Minimized is probably enabled. Restore the window from the notification area and use the intended exit method, or disable the minimize-hiding behavior.
Expected processes are missing: The list may be limited to the current account. Enable Show Processes From All Users and, if necessary, restart or elevate Process Explorer to obtain access to protected information.
The process list keeps jumping: Scroll to New Processes is enabled while new processes are being created. Disable it temporarily.
Process Explorer covers other applications: Always On Top is enabled. Disable it, or reposition and resize the window.
A second launch does not create another window: Allow Only One Instance is enabled. Use the existing window or disable the restriction.
The standard Task Manager no longer opens: Process Explorer is configured as the Task Manager replacement. Remove that configuration to restore the default behavior.

Exam-relevant notes

Always On Top changes window stacking, not process visibility.
Hide When Minimized places the application in the notification area and can make the Close button act like minimize.
Allow Only One Instance prevents simultaneous Process Explorer instances.
Scroll to New Processes changes list navigation and can interrupt manual inspection.
Show Processes From All Users expands visibility, but elevation may still be required for protected details or actions.
System Information provides system-wide context that complements the per-process tree.
A Task Manager replacement changes which application opens through the standard Task Manager launch mechanism.

For related Process Explorer topics, continue with Process Explorer Course, Default Process Explorer Tree View, or Process Properties.