Process Explorer

17.05 System process viewer for Windows

Portability perks - Screenshot of Process Explorer
System tray indicators and hierarchically displayed processes - Screenshot of Process Explorer
Manipulate the processes' behavior and view system information - Screenshot of Process Explorer
View detailed info about processes on PC - Screenshot of Process Explorer
Find active processes and DLLs in your system - Screenshot of Process Explorer
Process management utility that picks up where Task Manager leaves off - Screenshot of Process Explorer

Advanced tool to monitor running processes, services and their system impact in real-time with detailed info.

Process Explorer is a freeware process viewer app and process manager developed by Microsoft for Windows. It's light on system resources, portable, advanced and powerful.

The download has been tested by an editor here on a PC and a list of features has been compiled; see below. We've also created some screenshots of Process Explorer to illustrate the user interface and show the overall usage and features of this process viewing program.

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Gives you access to the various processes running on Windows

Ever wondered which program has a particular file or directory open? Now you can find out. Process Explorer shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.

The Process Explorer display consists of two sub-windows. The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'll see the handles that the process selected in the top window has opened; if Process Explorer is in DLL mode you'll see the DLLs and memory-mapped files that the process has loaded. Process Explorer also has a powerful search capability that will quickly show you which processes have particular handles opened or DLLs loaded.

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. Or as another example, it can show the command lines used to start a program, allowing otherwise identical processes to be distinguished.

Features of Process Explorer

  • Customizable display: Tailor columns, colors and fonts to your preferences.
  • DLL inspection: Examine loaded DLLs and mapped files within processes.
  • Detailed process information: Access in-depth data on running processes.
  • GPU usage tracking: Monitor graphics card performance and utilization.
  • Handle search: Locate and close handles to resolve system issues.
  • Hierarchical view: Visualize process relationships in a tree structure.
  • Job object management: Control process groups using job objects.
  • Network activity: Monitor active TCP and UDP connections.
  • Process prioritization: Set priority levels to optimize system performance.
  • Real-time updates: Stay current with adjustable refresh rates.
  • Resource monitoring: Observe CPU, GPU, memory and I/O usage.
  • Security analysis: Verify process signatures and detect malware.
  • System integration: Replace Task Manager with Process Explorer if desired.
  • Tooltip information: View quick process details by hovering over items.

Compatibility and License

Process Explorer is provided under a freeware license on Windows from process management with no restrictions on usage. Download and installation of this PC software is free and 17.05 is the latest version last time we checked.

Is Process Explorer for Windows 10?

Yes. It can run on a PC with Windows 11 or Windows 10. Previous versions of the OS shouldn't be a problem with Windows 8 and Windows 7 having been tested. It comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit downloads.

Filed under:
  1. Process Explorer Download
  2. Free Process Management
  3. Portable Software
  4. Process Viewing Software
  5. Software for Windows 10
Process Explorer has been tested for viruses and malware.
We have tested Process Explorer 17.05 against malware with several different programs. We certify that this program is clean of viruses, malware and trojans.