Windows 11 KB5067036 Keeps Task Manager Running in the Background; Users Can't Quit Process

Windows 11’s latest optional update, KB5067036, is giving Microsoft yet another headache. Users who installed the October 2025 preview update report that the Task Manager refuses to quit even after closing it (via Bleeping Computer). Not to mention, this very problem is eating up system resources in the background.

Well, last week, the same KB5067036 update also rolled out new, redesigned Start menu (enable it from here). Now, in an update to its Windows Release Health dashboard, Microsoft has detailed the issue where the Task Manager process doesn’t fully terminate when users hit the Close (X) button.

Per the company, multiple entries of taskmgr.exe remain active. Additionally, Microsoft has also confirmed that these can accumulate over time, creating noticeable lag, stutters, and CPU spikes. And that’s quite frustrating with PCs with limited memory.

While having one or two hidden processes may not cause much harm, dozens of them running unseen can slow down other apps or even cause the system to hang. Microsoft has acknowledged the task manager stuck in background issue and is investigating.

But for now, affected users can manually end all background instances. Microsoft notes:

Workaround: If you are experiencing this issue, you can mitigate the issue by following one of the steps below:

• When closing Task Manager, instead of closing it with the ‘X’ button, use End Task on the Task Manager process itself. This can be done by going to the Processes tab, selecting the Task Manager process, and clicking End Task.
• To close multiple instances of Task Manager, you can use the command line prompt:
• Click Start (Windows icon) or press the Windows key.
• Type cmd or Command Prompt in the search box.
• Click Command Prompt from the results.
• To run as Administrator: Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
• Run the command taskkill.exe /im taskmgr.exe /f and press enter.
• This will close all instances of Task Manager

Next Steps: We are working on a resolution for this issue and will provide more information when it is available.

As Microsoft continues to improve Windows 11 version 24H2, it seems every “optional” patch comes with a tradeoff. Are you also experiencing the same issue after installing KB5067036? If yes, do let us know i the comments below. Also, don’t forget to add whether Microsoft’s resolution worked for you.