Disable access to Windows Task Manager in Windows 7

The Windows Task Manager is accessible by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del, can be used to see the applications, processes, CPU, memory usage and other information. However, you can also delete a process being used and it may be interested to restrict users access to the task manager for security reason.

It is specially an important part for creating a Windows 7 based KIOSK or embedded system, for banks or other institutions, or any where where the administrator simply do not want the user to know what operating system is running or simply to stop users to modify the registry.

Click Start button, type “regedit” (without the quotation marks) and press Enter from keyboard. Accept the security prompt to run Windows registry editor:

Go to the key: “HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies” ; create a new sub key named “System” by right click over Policies > New > Key :

In the right pane, create a new 32 bit DWORD value named “DisableTaskMgr” and set as data “1”  (Simply right click on the right pane > New > 32 bit DWORD value to create it):

Now when you press Shift +Ctrl + Del, Simply nothing happens. When you press Ctrl + Alt + Del, the screen appears without the option to start Windows task manager.

To re enable Windows task manager, simply delete the subkey you have created or, set the value to “0” (Zero).