Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Productivity, Freeware
Better Windows task management with MKN TaskExplorer
by Lee Mathews Oct 17th 2008
Windows' built in Task Manager is good enough to get by, but it's not really changed much since NT. If you're looking for a better alternative, MKN TaskExplorer is an option worth downloading.
The program window's default view provides a good amount of information without being overwhelming. Double clicking any task brings up a detailed view of its activity including CPU, memory, disk, and network utilization, handle, thread, and file information, and more.
Want to replace Task Manager with TaskExplorer? Hit the tools menu, click options, and check the box. It works like a charm, and launches just as quickly.
In addition to being able to terminate or pause, there's also an option to "page out" a selected process, forcing it out of physical memory. While there might not be many situations where this is necessary, it's still an interesting option to have at your disposal.
You can also launch standalone memory and performance monitors from Task Explorer. Both provide graphical and numerical information about your computer's activity. The Memory Monitor can perform automatic memory optimizations as well, either when your PC is idle or when the amount of free memory falls below a certain percentage. It works fairly well, and didn't destabilize my Windows XP Pro machine during testing.
TaskExplorer is freeware for Windows only.
With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet.
They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...
