Windows 11 is a complete design overhaul from its previous iterations. One of the many freshly designed elements includes the Taskbar which houses the Start Menu and quick icons in the center, unlike previous versions. But it’s still a work in progress. Even in the latest build of Windows (at the time of writing this article) users complain about not being able to reposition the taskbar and/or not being able to access the right-click menu that comprised customization options.

Now, Windows 11 might not be perfect, but Microsoft is constantly refining it. The company recently rolled out the “Moment 1” update for Windows 11 22H2 globally. And there’s one surprise addition: Microsoft has finally added an option to access the Task Manager by simply right-clicking anywhere on the taskbar.

However, many users still aren’t getting the option, despite Microsoft mentioning it in the changelogs. Thankfully, you can easily enable it using either the Vive Tool or the Registry Editor on your Windows device.

Make Sure you are on Moment 1 Update

Now, before you head on to enable the feature on your Windows device, you will first need to make sure that you have the Moment 1 update already installed on it.

To do so, head to the Start Menu and type winver in the search box. Then, click on the run command tile or press Enter on your keyboard to execute it. This will open a separate window on your screen.

Now, make sure that the Windows 11 build installed is 22621.675 or newer, if you are on the stable/public channel. If you are enrolled in the Windows Insider program, you might be able to use the feature in previous builds than the one mentioned above, depending on the channel you are currently flighting on your PC. (For Dev Channel users, make sure you are on OS Build 25217.1001 or newer.)

1. Download and Use Vive Tool

After ensuring you are on the correct version of the OS, all you would need to do is download and use the Vive Tool to enable the Task Manager option in the Taskbar context menu.

First, head to github.com/ViVe using your preferred browser. Then, click on the .ZIP file to continue. This will open a separate window on your screen. Then, from the file explorer window, click on the ‘Save’ button to initiate the download.

Now, head to the downloaded file, and right-click on it.

Then, click on the ‘Extract All’ option from the menu to continue. This will again open a separate window to your screen.

Then, if you wish to extract the contents of the folder in the current directory, click on the ‘Extract’ button right away. Otherwise, click on the ‘Browse’ button to navigate to the directory of your preference. Once you have set the directory, copy the path and keep it handy as it will be required in further steps.

After extracting the contents, head to the Start Menu and type Terminal to perform a search for it. Then, from the search results, right-click on the ‘Terminal’ tile and select the ‘Run as administrator’ option from the context menu.

Now, a UAC (User Account Control) window will appear on your screen. If you are not logged in with an admin account, enter the credentials for one. Otherwise, click on the ‘Yes’ button to continue.

After that, click on the chevron (downward arrow) in the title bar and select the ‘Command Prompt’ option.

Then, in the Command Prompt tab, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned command and hit Enter to execute it.

Note: Replace the <copied directory> placeholder with the directory path you copied earlier in the guide where you extracted ViveTool.

cd <copied directory>

Next, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned command and hit Enter on your keyboard to execute it.

vivetool/enable/id:36860984

Once the command has been successfully executed, restart your PC and right-click on the Taskbar. You should be able to see the ‘Task Manager’ option in the context menu now.

2. Use Registry Editor

In case you do not wish to use a third-party tool, you can use the Registry Editor to achieve the same result. While making changes to the Registry, be careful to follow the steps exactly.

First, head to the Start Menu and type ‘Registry’ to perform a search for it. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Registry Editor’ tile to open it.

Now, a UAC (User Account Control) window will appear on your screen. If you are not logged in with an admin account, enter the credentials for one. Otherwise, click on the ‘Yes’ button to proceed.

After that, type or copy+paste the below path into the address bar and press Enter on your keyboard to navigate to the directory.

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\4

Now, right-click on the sub-directory and hover over the ‘New’ option. Then, click on the ‘Key’ option from the menu to proceed. Then rename the key to 1887869580.

After that, from the right section of the window, right-click on the empty space and hover over the ‘New’ option. Then, click on the ‘DWORD’ option to continue.

Rename the DWORD file to EnabledState and then double-click on it to open it. This will open a separate window on your screen.

From the opened window, enter 2 in the ‘Value Data’ field and click on the ‘OK’ button to proceed.

Next, again right-click in the empty space and hover over the ‘DWORD’ option, and rename the file to EnabledStateOptions.

Then, double-click to open the newly created file. Next, enter 0 in the ‘Value Data’ field and click on the ‘OK’ button to confirm and close.

Finally, restart your PC from the Start Menu and right-click on the Taskbar. You should be able to see the ‘Task Manager’ option.

If you are one of the unlucky ones that were not able to see the ‘Task Manager’ option in the Taskbar context menu, follow the simple and easy-to-follow methods mentioned above to quickly enable them for you. However, if you find either of the above methods risky, you can wait for Microsoft to deliver an update for the same.