TASKLIST - CMD

Overview

The TASKLIST command in Windows CMD displays a list of currently running tasks and their corresponding details. This command is primarily used for monitoring system activity and managing processes. It’s particularly useful in debugging issues related to system performance or application failures.

Syntax

The basic syntax for the TASKLIST command is:

TASKLIST [options]

This command can be used with various parameters to filter, format, and display the task list specifically as required.

Options/Flags

Here are the key options/flags available with the TASKLIST command:

/S system: Specifies the remote system to connect to.
/U username: Specifies the username context under which the command should execute.
/P password: Specifies the password for the given username.
/FO format: Specifies the output format. Valid values are TABLE, LIST, CSV.
/NH: Specifies that the “Column Header” should not be displayed in the output. Useful for scripting purposes.
/FI filter: Specifies the types of processes to include in or exclude from the query.
/M [module]: Displays all tasks currently using the specified exe/dll module. If module is omitted, all modules are shown.
/V: Displays verbose information. Useful for detailed troubleshooting.
/APPS: Displays application packages only.
/SVC: Displays services in each process.

Examples

Basic Usage: To list all running tasks in table format:
```
TASKLIST
```
Filtering Tasks: List all processes that are using more than 50,000 K memory:
```
TASKLIST /FI "MEMUSAGE gt 50000"
```
Using Verbose Mode: Get detailed informations of each running process:
```
TASKLIST /V
```
Specify Output Format: List all tasks in CSV format:
```
TASKLIST /FO CSV
```
Remote System: List tasks on a remote system:
```
TASKLIST /S system /U username /P password
```

Common Issues

Access Denied: When trying to list tasks on a remote system, you might encounter access issues. Ensure you have the right permissions or provide correct credentials.
Module Filtering: The /M flag sometimes does not return expected results if the module name is not correct or if it is not loaded.

Integration

Combine TASKLIST with other commands like FINDSTR to filter output based on specific criteria. For example, to find tasks with “notepad” in their names:

TASKLIST | FINDSTR "notepad"

This can be expanded into scripts where process monitoring is looped or additional actions are taken based on task conditions.

TASKKILL: Used to terminate tasks by process ID or image name.
WMIC: Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line tool, which provides more detail and management capabilities.

For more details, you can refer to the official Microsoft documentation at:
Tasklist documentation