Overview
- Microsoft says the issue is resolved in KB5068861, the November Windows 11 security/cumulative update.
- The flaw originated in the optional KB5067036 released on October 28, which failed to fully close Task Manager when the window was dismissed.
- Independent tests by Windows Latest confirm the fix on OS builds 26200.7171 and 26100.7171, with normal quit behavior restored.
- Accumulated hidden Task Manager processes consumed roughly 20–25 MB of RAM and up to about 1.5% CPU each, degrading performance over time.
- Users unable to update immediately can end the background processes manually, for example by running: taskkill.exe /im taskmgr.exe /f.