How to List Running Processes Using PowerShell in Windows 11
Listing the processes running on your PC from PowerShell gives you a clear view of what programs and background tasks are active, along with their resource use. This is the command-line equivalent of Task Manager’s process YYGACOR list and is useful for scripts and quick checks.
The Command
Get-ProcessWhat It Does
`Get-Process` lists every running process with details including its name, ID, and how much CPU and memory it is using. The output is a table you can read at a glance or process further. Each row represents a running program or background task, giving you an overview of everything active on the system.
When You’d Use This
This is the command-line way to see what is running, useful when a program seems stuck, when you want to check resource use without opening Task Manager, or when a script needs to know whether a process is active. Sorting by memory or CPU quickly reveals which processes are the heaviest, which helps when investigating why the system feels slow.
Useful Variations
To find a specific process, add its name: `Get-Process chrome` shows all Chrome processes. To sort by memory use, pipe to `Sort-Object WS -Descending`. To see the top resource users, combine sorting with `Select-Object -First 10`. To view CPU time, the `CPU` column shows accumulated processor time for each process.
If It Doesn’t Work
If a process you expect is missing, remember names exclude the .exe extension, so search for `chrome` rather than `chrome.exe`. If details look incomplete for system processes, run PowerShell as administrator to see them fully. If the list is overwhelming, filter by name or pipe to sorting and `Select-Object -First 10` to focus on just the processes that matter most.
Good to Know
Process names do not include the .exe extension in `Get-Process`, so search for `chrome` rather than `chrome.exe`. Some system processes require administrator rights to show full details, so running PowerShell as administrator reveals more complete information for protected processes.
Putting It Together
Once you have run it once or twice, this becomes second nature. As part of understanding and controlling what runs on your PC, this command is one you will return to whenever the system feels slow or a program misbehaves. Paired with the related process commands, it gives you a full command-line alternative to Task Manager for diagnosing and managing what is running. Like anything in the terminal, the real value comes from trying it on your own system and adapting the variations above to what you actually need, so it is worth experimenting with in a safe, low-stakes situation before relying on it in a script or during troubleshooting. Keeping a note of the commands you find most useful, along with the variations that fit your workflow, turns scattered one-off tricks into a personal reference you can draw on whenever a similar task comes up again.