C:\WINDOWS\TASKMAN.EXE is a different Task Manager.
I have three TASKMAN.EXE on machine.
C:\WINDOWS\TASKMAN.EXE for old 16-bit programs.
C:\WINDOWS\system32\TASKMAN.EXE this one gets used, for what, I have no
idea.
C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\TASKMAN.EXE this is for backup.
TASKMAN.EXE specifies the task-switching application that appears when you
press CTRL+ESC in old Windows 9x and NT4.0. It seems to be left there for
backward compatibility or something.
Class Name: MSTaskSwWClass Application: TASKMAN.EXE
I think that this explains it, sort of...
A more obscure example occurs when the Setup program for an application does
not run unless it can find TASKMAN.EXE in the System Root directory. This
Setup program should call GetWindowsDirectory() to find TASKMAN.EXE; why it
does not is not known.
Now, this is confusing...
<quote>
Task Manager (Taskman.exe)
Viewing and ending active processes running on your system. In addition, you
can use Task Manager to view system information, such as CPU and memory
usage statistics.
<quote>
On this same page they refer to taskmgr.exe as being the Task Manger.
Whaich we know is true on XP.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/z03c621675.mspx
They must have originally intended to use TASKMAN.EXE when XP came out, but
added taskmgr.exe instead. But that makes NO sense because Windows 2000 has
taskmgr.exe. Of course, Windows 2000 also has TASKMAN.EXE. Microsoft
Windows XP Service Pack 1 even includes taskman.exe. With a file Date of
8/17/2001.
Someone smarter than me will have to explain what TASKMAN.EXE is and why it
exists on Windows XP (NT 5.1).
I found one reference to taskman.exe in my registry...
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileAssociation
Value Name: KillList
Data Type: REG_SZ
ValueData:
%1;explorer.exe;dvdplay.exe;mplay32.exe;msohtmed.exe;quikview.exe;rundll.exe
;rundll32.exe;taskman.exe;bck32api.dll;
Apparently this is used to keep programs OUT of the MFU Program list in the
Start Menu.
Frequently Used Programs Not Automatically Added to the Start Menu
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/282066
<quote>
SUMMARY
Windows NT Setup installs a small group of files in more than one location.
The files are present in both the System Root (%systemroot%) directory and
in the %systemroot%\SYSTEM32 directory, or in both the %systemroot%\SYSTEM32
and %systemroot%\SYSTEM directories. Some examples of these files include
TASKMAN.EXE, VER.DLL, and WRITE.EXE.
The Windows NT system executable files must be in the SYSTEM32 directory for
security reasons. The SYSTEM32 directory is first on the search path; if
someone placed a dangerous version of a system file (such as a buggy copy of
WRITE.EXE, for example) into another directory on the path, the version
shipped with the system runs instead. Some programs must be in the System
Root or in the SYSTEM directory for compatibility with 16-bit Windows 3.1.
For example, some application setup programs create a program item and set
its command line to "%systemroot%\WRITE.EXE README.WRI". In this case,
WRITE.EXE must be in the System Root directory. A more obscure example
occurs when the Setup program for an application does not run unless it can
find TASKMAN.EXE in the System Root directory. This Setup program should
call GetWindowsDirectory() to find TASKMAN.EXE; why it does not is not
known.
<quote>
Duplicated Files in Windows NT System Subdirectories
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/101657
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In
