The issue shows up to have surfaced after the discretionary upgrade KB5067036 for Windows 11 (Construct 26200.7019 or 26100.7019) discharged around October 28, 2025.
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Here’s the scenario:
You open Assignment Chief (by means of Ctrl+Shift+Esc, right-click on the taskbar, or other means).
When you press the “X” (near) button on Errand Chief, instep of completely ending the prepare, Errand Supervisor shows up to near its window but the fundamental taskmgr.exe handle remains running “hidden” in the foundation.
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If you at that point re-open Errand Supervisor once more, a modern occurrence begins, whereas the past occurrence proceeds to run. Rehash the “open → near → open” cycle and you can conclusion up with different Errand Supervisor forms in the foundation.
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The unmistakable window may as it were be one Errand Supervisor, but beneath the surface numerous forms collect. Each may utilize e.g. ~20-25 MB Smash and a little CPU utilization (0-1.5 %).
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Over time and different employments, particularly if you as often as possible open/close Errand Supervisor (for observing, investigating, etc.), these apparition occurrences can include up and start to definitively possess assets (Smash + little CPU overhead), which seem affect execution, framework responsiveness, battery life (on portable workstations), etc.
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Despite the seriousness and the reality it's being detailed in client gatherings and tech-media, Microsoft hasn’t formally recognized the bug (at the time of detailing) in the update’s “known issues” list.
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Why it matters
At to begin with look, you might think “so what—it’s fair Assignment Manager” but there are a few reasons why this is a shockingly genuine bug:
Resource amassing: Indeed in spite of the fact that each additional occasion is humble (~20-25 MB Slam, little CPU cycles), if handfuls of these gather (as a few analyzers have done), the overhead can heighten. For illustration, one test opened and closed Assignment Director ~100 times, and finished up with ~100 occasions, devouring generally 2 GB of Slam.
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Performance/latency hazard: On lower-end equipment or frameworks with restricted Slam, the overhead seem lead to slacks, stammers, slower app dispatches, or corrupted multitasking responsiveness.
Battery/thermal affect (tablets): Tireless foundation forms cruel additional wakeful CPU cycles and memory movement, which can abbreviate battery life or increment heat/thermals.
System solidness concerns: A bug so essential (closing a built-in framework apparatus) raises questions approximately the update’s by and large solidness and testing — if Errand Supervisor is letting phantom forms run, what else might be misbehaving?
User believe / overhaul hazard: Numerous clients depend on upgrades to settle issues, however this appears a relapse in a center device. That may lead to delay in applying upgrades, or expanded burden on IT/administration teams.
How to check if you’re affected
Here’s how you (or your IT group) can confirm whether your PC is enduring this bug:
Open Errand Supervisor (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).
Click the “X” (near) button to near the Assignment Chief window.
Open Errand Supervisor again.
Go to the Forms tab (or Points of interest tab) and check for numerous occurrences of Errand Chief (taskmgr.exe). If you see more than one and the number increments each time you open/close it, you’re likely influenced.
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If you like, rehash the open → near → open cycle a few times and track how numerous Assignment Director forms collect. On an unaffected framework you’d regularly see as it were one occasion; on an influenced framework you may see many.
Monitor asset utilization: for case, in one report each Errand Chief prepare utilized ~20-25 MB Smash. Increase that by the number of occurrences to appraise overhead.
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What you can do (workarounds)
Since this is a bug, and an official settle may take time, here are suggested workarounds to dodge or relieve the impact:
Preferred workaround: Maintain a strategic distance from utilizing the “X” (near) button
Instead of clicking the “X” beat right of the Errand Supervisor window, open Errand Supervisor → find the occurrence in the Forms list → right-click it → select Conclusion errand. This guarantees that the particular Errand Supervisor prepare is ended, or maybe than clearing out a apparition occurrence.
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Alternatively, from another Errand Supervisor occasion, you can select all the “Task Manager” sections in the list and bulk-End assignment them.
If you as it were open Assignment Chief every so often, this might be adequate to maintain a strategic distance from build-up of phantom instances.
Quick command-line kill
If you as of now suspect numerous apparition Assignment Chief occurrences, you can run the command:
task ill /im taskmgr.exe /f
in Command Provoke (admin) or PowerShell (admin). This persuasively murders all occasions of taskmgr.exe at once.
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This is particularly valuable if you’ve accidentally opened numerous occasions and need to reset the number quickly.
Consider deferring the update
Since this bug was presented in the discretionary upgrade KB5067036 (see) and numerous clients are supposedly influenced, one methodology is to stop or concede introducing that upgrade until Microsoft issues a settle or official affirmation.
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If you have as of now introduced it, screen the framework and work around the issue as above.
Monitor framework resources
Keep an eye on Assignment Director (unexpectedly) or asset screens such as Handle Pioneer (from Sysinternals) to check how numerous occurrences of Errand Supervisor exist and how much memory/CPU overhead they consume.
On tablets, you may moreover screen battery utilization or sleep/idle behavior to see if something is abnormal.
Follow official updates
Watch for official declarations from Microsoft by means of Windows Upgrade discharge notes, Windows Discharge Wellbeing dashboards, or tech-news outlets for a settle or fix tending to this issue.
Until it’s formally acknowledged/fixed, treat this as an “opt-in” hazard (i.e., this is an discretionary overhaul — if you have not introduced, you may essentially wait).
What might be the basic cause
While Microsoft has not authoritatively clarified the correct cause freely however, investigation by tech outlets recommends the bug is likely established in the component of Assignment Director that was altered in this update.
One of the change-log things for KB5067036 notices: “Fixed an issue where Assignment Director might not accurately gather apps with their processes.”
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The doubt is that the settle planning for “process grouping” presented a relapse in the shutdown/close-logic of Assignment Chief — particularly, the “X” near button did not trigger the end of the entirety handle, but as it were the window, taking off the foundation prepare lively.
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The reality that the bug permits unbounded collection of unused Errand Supervisor occasions recommends the code way for clean-up (“when Errand Chief window closes, end the process”) was bypassed or broken in certain hardware/software configurations.
This kind of bug might surface as it were on certain setups (equipment, drivers, security computer program, virtualization, etc.). As famous by one location, around ~30% of their virtual-machine pool tried with the overhaul replicated the conduct.
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It’s too telling that this is in an optional/preview upgrade — meaning this construct may not have passed all the same broader testing as a “general availability” Windows Upgrade. Such see overhauls regularly carry hazard of regressions.
Should you panic?
No — but you ought to take it truly if you are influenced. Here’s a breakdown of the chance levels:
If you once in a while open Errand Supervisor and your framework has bounty of Slam + CPU headroom: you might never take note the issue — as it were one or two apparition occurrences will exist, so the overhead is negligible.
If you as often as possible open/close Errand Supervisor, or are running something resource-sensitive (diversions, video altering, battery-sensitive portable workstation sessions): the amassing of apparition forms seem inevitably debase involvement (slack, stammers, slower switch between apps).
On low-spec frameworks (more seasoned tablets, restricted Smash, coordinates illustrations, virtual machines) the overhead might be more significant.
Because the bug influences a center framework device, it too raises questions approximately overhaul quality — so from a systems-administration or IT viewpoint, it’s a flag to be cautious around introducing “preview/optional” builds in generation environments.
In brief: screen and oversee until a settle is accessible — don’t expect your framework is fine fair since nothing clearly crashed.
What to observe for in up and coming updates
Since this bug is moderately later, keep an eye out for:
Official affirmation by Microsoft in “Windows Discharge Health” pages or update-knowledge-base entries.
A modern upgrade (aggregate or out-of‐band) named as settling Assignment Chief “close” or handle end issues.
Community reports affirming the bug is settled (i.e., after fix establishment, opening/closing Assignment Director no longer clears out apparition instances).
Additional relapses – once in a while fix-patches for one bug can present modern ones; remaining overhauled but cautious is shrewd.

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