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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

General questions about CyberManager features, configuration, and troubleshooting.

General

What is CyberManager?

CyberManager is a lightweight, high-capacity virtualized task manager. Powered by the native NT engine, it offers instant search and a compact mode. The ultimate alternative to Windows Task Manager.

Is CyberManager free?

Yes. CyberManager is free and open source under the GPLv3 license. You can help keep it free here.

Does it replace Windows Task Manager?

No. CyberManager runs alongside Task Manager. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc for Task Manager, Alt+Shift+M for CyberManager.

Why is CyberManager faster than Task Manager?

CyberManager uses UI virtualization (only renders visible rows) and direct NT API calls, avoiding the overhead of WMI or Performance Counters.

Process Management

How do I end a process?

Select a process and press Delete, or right-click → End task.

How do I end several processes at once?

Select them with Ctrl+click, Shift+click, or by dragging over the rows, then press Delete or use the End selected button in the action bar. A single confirmation reports how many instances will be ended. Selecting a group parent includes every instance of that application.

Why are some actions greyed out when I select several processes?

Actions such as Properties, restart, suspend, resume, priority, copy path, open folder, and search online only apply to one process. They are disabled while a batch is selected instead of silently acting on a single row.

Can I restart a process?

Yes. Right-click a process → Restart, or use the restart button in the toolbar. The replacement is started first and the original is terminated only when the relaunch succeeds. Packaged apps (UWP / Microsoft Store) cannot be restarted this way and are refused with an explanatory message.

Can I run a new task and reuse previous commands?

Yes. Click the plus button beside the process actions or press Ctrl+N. The dialog opens programs, folders, documents, and URLs, supports arguments and environment variables, and keeps 20 successful requests in history. Browse starts in Program Files. Administrator privileges are optional and not remembered. See Run New Task.

Does typing only explorer.exe work?

Yes. Windows resolves simple executable names through its executable search locations and registered App Paths. Programs outside those locations need their full path or Browse. Quote paths containing spaces.

What does "pause detection" do?

It freezes the process list snapshot while keeping the rest of the interface live: the list stays as it is, but CPU and RAM sampling continues so the gauges, totals, and sparklines keep updating. Toggle it with Ctrl+P or the toolbar button.

How do I hide Windows system processes?

Enable Hide system processes in the footer or in Settings → Process list. Kernel tasks, driver images, and anything running from the Windows directory are filtered out, while the desktop shell stays visible.

How do I choose which columns are shown?

Right-click any column header, or the empty strip after the last header, and use the checklist. Hidden columns are remembered across restarts, and the last visible column cannot be hidden.

What is "End Tree"?

End Tree terminates the selected process and all its child processes.

Can I suspend processes?

Yes. Right-click a process → Suspend. Resume later with right-click → Resume.

Why would I suspend a process?

Suspending pauses a process without terminating it:

  • Freeze unresponsive apps
  • Temporarily stop background tasks
  • Resume when needed

How do I change process priority?

Right-click a process → Set priority → Choose level. Requires elevation for some priorities.

Search and Filter

How do I search processes?

Click the search box or press Ctrl+F, then type to filter by name, PID, or path.

Can I filter by PID?

Yes. Type the PID number in the search box to find a specific process.

How do I group processes by application?

Enable Group processes in Settings → Display. Processes are grouped under their parent application.

Features

What is the Resource Heatmap?

Heatmap shows resource usage with color tinting:

  • Green/Blue — Low usage
  • Yellow/Orange — Medium usage
  • Red — High usage

What are the sparklines at the bottom?

The CPU and RAM sparklines show real-time resource usage history (60-sample rolling window). The CPU graph shows total and kernel time; the RAM graph shows memory load percentage. They update at the configured refresh interval.

What is the System Information view?

The integrated Performance view has five tabs: Summary, CPU, Memory, System Activity, and Disks. It includes hardware topology, memory and kernel pools, and physical-disk activity. See System Information for details.

What do the disk LED colors mean?

Green indicates reads, red indicates writes, and amber indicates both during the latest 500 ms sample. Click an LED in either window layout or the floating widget, or press Ctrl+4, to open Disks. Choose combined metrics or one physical disk in its selector.

Can I change the theme?

Yes. Go to Settings → General → Theme. Choose from CyberManager, Dark, or Light.

How do I minimize to tray?

Minimizing and closing are configured separately in Settings → General. Send to tray when minimizing is off by default, so minimizing keeps a taskbar button, while Send to tray when closing is on by default.

Why does closing the window ask me a question?

Closing now asks whether to minimize to the notification area or exit completely. Both options can remember your choice, and a remembered choice skips the dialog on later closes. Press Enter for minimize to tray, Space to exit, or Escape to cancel.

What is the global hotkey?

Default is Alt+Shift+M. Customize in Settings → General.

Performance

How many processes can CyberManager handle?

3000+ processes at 144fps with zero lag, thanks to UI virtualization.

Does CyberManager use a lot of CPU?

No. CyberManager uses delta-based calculations and async collection for minimal overhead.

Can I adjust the refresh rate?

Yes. Go to Settings → Display → Refresh interval (default: 800ms).

Troubleshooting

Windows shows a SmartScreen warning on install

Expected for new releases until Windows builds enough reputation for the file; see Installation & Setup: click More info, then Run anyway.

CyberManager doesn't start

  • Ensure .NET 10 runtime is installed
  • Try running as Administrator
  • Check Windows Event Viewer for errors

The global hotkey doesn't work

  • Check for conflicts with other apps
  • Verify the hotkey in Settings → General
  • Try a different key combination

Processes are not showing

  • Check if filters are active in search
  • Verify "Show suspended" setting
  • Try refreshing (F5)

Can't end a system process

  • Some system processes require elevation
  • Run CyberManager as Administrator
  • Some critical processes cannot be ended

Contributing

How can I report a bug?

Open an issue on GitHub Issues with:

  • CyberManager version
  • Windows version
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected vs actual behavior

How can I contribute code?

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch
  3. Submit a pull request
  4. Describe your changes in the PR description

How can I help with translations?

UI strings are in src/CyberManager.Common/I18n/. Submit a PR with your translation.

How can I donate?

See the Donate section on the main README.

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