How to fix Task Manager duplicate process bug on Windows 11

• A new Windows 11 bug in the November 2025 Security Update (KB5067036) causes Task Manager to keep running in the background after it’s closed, creating duplicate processes each time you reopen it.
• This glitch can slow down your system over time, but there are several ways to fix it.
• You can temporarily resolve the issue by using the taskkill command, tweaking the Registry, or using ViVeTool to restore normal Task Manager behavior.

The upcoming November 2025 Security Update (currently in preview) for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2 introduces a bizarre bug that prevents the Task Manager from closing properly, leaving its process running in the background and creating duplicate Task Manager instances every time you reopen it.

This issue might seem harmless at first, but over time, duplicate processes can pile up and consume noticeable system resources, especially on lower-end hardware. Fortunately, there are a few ways to fix or at least mitigate the problem until the company rolls out an official patch.

Currently, Microsoft recommends terminating the Task Manager with the taskkill command-line tool. However, the community has a better solution using the ViveTool and the Registry.

In this guide, I’ll outline the different ways to resolve the Task Manager bug after installing the update KB5067036 on Windows 11.

Fix Task Manager duplicate process on Windows 11

You have at least three ways to mitigate the Task Manager bug, including using the “taskiill” command, editing the Registry, or using the ViveTool.

Option 1: taskkill command

To terminate the Task Manager duplicate processes on Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result to open the command console.

3. Type this command to terminate the Task Manager processes and press Enter:

   taskkill.exe /im taskmgr.exe /f

   

Once you complete the steps, the Task Manager processes will be terminated. However, you’ll have to run this command every time you close the utility.

Option 2: Registry

To mitigate the Task Manager bug with the Registry, follow these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result to open the command console.

3. Type this command to enable most of the features with the update and press Enter:

   reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\14\1318466191" /v EnabledState /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f
   reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\14\1318466191" /v EnabledStateOptions /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

   

4. Type this command to fix apps not grouped with processes and press Enter:

   reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\14\4188347533" /v EnabledState /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f
   reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\14\4188347533" /v EnabledStateOptions /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

5. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, the app should no longer create duplicate processes.

You can always undo the changes by running the REG DELETE "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\14" /f command.

Option 3: ViveTool

To resolve the Task Manager processes bug on Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Open the GitHub website.

2. Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file on your computer.

3. Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.

4. Click the Extract all button.

   

5. Click the Extract button.

6. Copy the path to the folder.

7. Open Start.

8. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

9. Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:

   cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x

   In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.

10. Type this command to fix the Task Manager running in the background after closing and press Enter:

    vivetool /enable /id:49407484,57048231

11. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the Task Manager should no longer continue to run in the background after it’s closed.

You can also use the vivetool /enable /id:49407484,57048231 command to revert the changes on versions 25H2 and 24H2.