System Explorer – An Alternative to Task Manager

excellent
key review info
application features
  • Detailed information about Tasks, Processes, Modules, Startups, IE Addons, Uninstallers, Windows, Services, Drivers, Connections and Opened Files
  • (4 more, see all...)

As useful as Windows Task Manager is on a fresh system, power-users know that third-party developers make available far more flexible solutions in terms of options.

System Explorer is one of the alternatives that pack additional functionality compared to the utility provided by Microsoft. It is free of charge and the developer makes available a portable version, as well, which we chose for our review.

In order to benefit from the full functionality of the application, it is best to launch it with administrative rights (a message reminds you of this and offers to restart System Explorer). By default, the application minimizes to system tray when closed (this can be disabled from the configuration panel).

The tab-based interface is straightforward and reminds of an early version of Google Chrome. The four tabs available by default show details about the applications currently opened, running processes, system performance; “history,” a tab that logs basic actions (connections opened, processes that start/close) performed by processes or applications, is also available.

These are the tabs most users would rely on, but System Explorer is perfectly capable to retrieve details that go well beyond the need of an average user. You can pull up a tab that shows information about the connections each application makes through TCP/IP or UDP.

Furthermore, the application can scan for drivers, load up the modules for the running processes, show the list of services and their startup type or the processes that start with the operating system.

Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image

Running processes are displayed together with their children and the application tracks the system resources they use. This becomes very useful if you want to see how a certain program has been launched.

Furthermore, System Explorer provides the possibility to launch Google searches for any entries or check it in the developer’s database, which is quite comprehensive. However, if this action does not offer a clue on the legitimacy of the entry, the application can upload it to online file checking services VirusTotal or VirusScan.

Running processes can be viewed selectively. As such, the program can display only the entries started by the current user, entries started by Windows, services or all of them.

As far as the options at hand are concerned, System Explorer can initiate the same actions as Task Manager in Windows (select priority, affinity, end activity), and more (suspend and restart a process).

A security scan for all running processes can be initiated with a single click of the button. What this does is to compare the items on your computer with the entries in the developer’s online database.

The performance graph offers real-time visual representation of how system resources are being used. It shows per-core CPU load, used RAM and I/O reads and writes. System Explorer also displays the top consumers for all of them. Overall resource usage is shown at all times at the bottom of the application window.

In the case of startup items, the set of options is limited to viewing the entries that load with Windows, disable them in order to speed up the startup process or delete them altogether. The panel is quite comprehensive in details as it also presents the registry location of the entries, name of the product, publisher, file and description, if available.

Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image
Review image

Additional functionality in System Explorer is provided by the “Snapshot” module, a tool that creates a snapshot of the files and the registry in order to catch the differences between multiple states of the system.

Among the modules in the application there is “Uninstallers,” a panel that pulls up a list with all uninstall files on the system. Each installed program generally comes with an uninstaller file, an executable with instructions on the entries added to the registry and on the computer that should be removed when the user decides to eliminate said program.

System Explorer is a suite of tools that can be very helpful to a power user when searching for evidence of malware running on the computer or for beginner users to keep an eye on the processes that drain the system resources.

In the case of the latter, hovering the mouse over the system tray icon offers real-time details about CPU and RAM usage, together with system uptime. Running the application on a mobile computer allows you to enable the display of battery information (estimated time, charge rate, current charge).

Even more, to the aid of beginners, it can compare running processes with the entries in the developer’s database in order to verify their legitimacy. On the same note, all active items can be sent to online scanning services (VirusTotal or VirusScan).

Review image
Review image
Review image

The Good

It is free, portable and offers a vast list of utilities that can help uncover not only resource hogs but malware as well.

It can check the legitimacy of the active items on the computer with the entries in the developer’s online database or upload them to online scanning services.

The Bad

Some users may find it a bit overwhelming because of the numerous modules and information it makes available.

The Truth

System Explorer is not sophisticated, but it manages to provide an impressive set of features that can help a beginner user easily determine the nature of a specific process or entry.

user interface 4
features 5
ease of use 4
pricing / value 5


final rating 5
Editor's review
excellent