Windows Task Manager crippled?

[gimmickless]

Sometime about two weeks ago, Windows XP (Home) decided to cripple Task Manager. (AKA: the ALT-CTRL-DEL program) Somehow, it will come up for a split second and than immediately shut back off again. If I time it right, I might be able to kill a program, but the process is a real pain.

Two questions: how could this have happened, and how can I fix the thing?

 

[Plexus]

Have you done a virus scan lately?

 

[funxus]

Can you start it manually? If so, then it might be something wrong with the short-command.

press Start->Run->write taskmgr->press OK

 

[GenMarshall]

Its possible you might be infected with a computer virus or a mallicious Spyware.

 

[jeannie]

Can you start it manually? If so, then it might be something wrong with the short-command.

press Start->Run->write taskmgr->press OK

Gimickless -
With Windows XP, you can also start up the TaskManager by right-clicking on your task bar and choosing to start up TaskManager.

You say you've been having the problem for a couple of weeks. Have you tried looking at TaskManager right after a reboot (once windows has brought up all the other programs to be 'completely' up)? If so, does it behave correctly, or does it freeze up on you? I'm asking this because once in a great while I'll have so much 'stuff' running on my computer that TaskManager 'freezes up' on me or even begins to start and then just disappears entirely.