Quick Tips
- On Windows, you can change the priority level of a program via the Task Manager or Command Prompt.
- To always launch a program at a specific priority level, create a custom desktop shortcut for it.
- Increasing the process priority level for too many apps and programs can cause system instability.
When Should You Change the Priority Level of a Program
By default, Windows 11 assigns different priority levels to each process based on its importance. Ideally, you wouldn’t need to tinker with it. However, if you want to devote more resources to a specific app or program, you can change its priority level.
Windows has six priority levels: Realtime, High, Above Normal, Normal, Below Normal, or Low. It’s worth noting that increasing the process priority level for too many apps and programs can also cause system instability. Hence, only modify process priority for a program when it is necessary.
Method 1: Change Process Priority via Task Manager
Task Manager is a handy utility that lets you manage various apps, processes, and services on Windows. You can also use it to change the priority levels for apps and programs. Here’s how.
Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on the keyboard to launch the Task Manager.
Step 2: Head over to the Details tab and locate the .EXE process for your program. Right-click on it, go to Set priority, and select from the available options.
Step 3: Click on Change priority to confirm.
Once you complete the above steps, your program will operate on the specified priority level until you close it.
Method 2: Change Process Priority Using Command Prompt
If you’re an avid Windows user who prefers to make changes via the Command Prompt, you can also change the priority level of a program by running a command. Here’s how.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Terminal (Admin) from the list.
Step 2: In the console, paste the following command and press Enter.
wmic process where name="ProcessName.exe" CALL setpriority "PriorityLevel"
Replace ProcessName in the above command with the actual name of the process. Similarly, replace PriorityLevel with the priority level you want to use: Realtime, High, Above normal, Normal, Below normal, or Low.
Once you execute the command, your program will run at a different priority level.
Method 3: Change Process Priority by Creating a Shortcut
If you want Windows to always launch a program at a certain priority level, you can also create a custom desktop shortcut for it. This will eliminate the need to change the priority level every time you launch that program.
Step 1: Right-click on your program and select Properties.
Step 2: Copy the file path mentioned in the Target field.
Step 3: Right-click anywhere on the empty space on the Desktop, go to New, and select Shortcut.
Step 4: In the Shortcut wizard, type the following path in the box.
cmd.exe /c start "ProgramName" /Priority "FilePath"
Replace ProgramName in the above command with the actual name of your program and Priority with any priority level: Realtime, High, Above normal, Normal, Below normal, or Low. Also, replace FilePath with the path copied in Step 2.
Step 5: Enter a suitable name for the shortcut and click Finish.
And you’re good to go. You can use this shortcut to run your program at the specified priority level.
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As you may already know, Windows shares your computer’s CPU resources between running apps. How many resources will be given to a process is determined by its priority. The higher the priority level, the more resources will be allocated to the process. In this article, we will see how to set or change process priority in Windows 10.
There are 6 priority levels available to processes in Windows, as follows:
- Low
- Below normal
- Normal
- Above normal
- High
- Realtime
Normal is the default level. Most apps start with this priority level and run without issues. The user can temporarily change process priority to speed up the app or slow it down and make it consume less resources. A new priority level applied to the app will take effect till the app’s process terminates. Once you exit it, the next time it will open with the default priority level (Normal) unless the app itself has a setting to change its priority automatically.
Some apps can adjust their priority automatically. The popular WinRAR and 7-Zip archivers are able to raise its priority to «Above normal» to speed up the archiving process. Or media players like Winamp can raise their process priority during playback.
Before you proceed, you need to know the following. The Realtime priority level is not meant to be set by the user. It can cause system instability. An application running at this priority can consume 100% of CPU and intercept keyboard and mouse input, making the PC unusable.
To change process priority in Windows 10, do the following.
- Open Task Manager.
- Switch it to the More details view if required using the «More details» link in the bottom right corner.
- Switch to the Details tab.
- Right-click the desired process and select Set priority from the context menu. In the submenu drop down, select the desired priority level, for example, Above Normal.
- The following dialog will open:
Confirm the operation and you are done.
There is a way to start a process with the desired priority. This can be done with a console command «start», available in the classic command prompt (cmd.exe). Here is how.
How to start an app with a specific priority level
- Open a new command prompt instance.
- Type or copy-paste the following command:
start "" /AboveNormal "C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe"
This will start Notepad with the Above Normal priority.
Replace the value with the desired priority level, for example, High or BelowNormal. Substitute the executable’s path with the full path to the app you want to run.
Finally, using the console tool wmic, you can change an already running app’s process priority level. This can be useful in various automation scripts.
How to change the app priority level using wmic
- Open a new command prompt instance.
- Type or copy-paste the following command:
wmic process where name="Process Name" call setpriority "Priority Level"
Replace the ‘Process Name’ portion with the actual name of the process, for example, «notepad.exe».
Replace the ‘Priority Level’ portion according to the next table:Priority Level Value Priority Level Name 256 Realtime 128 High 32768 Above normal 32 Normal 16384 Below normal 64 Low You can use Value or Name in the command. The following two examples do the same:
wmic process where name="notepad.exe" call setpriority 32768
wmic process where name="notepad.exe" call setpriority "Above normal"
That’s it.
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- 2 Ways – How to Set Priority Windows 10 [Step-by-Step Guide]
By Tina |
Last Updated
How to set priority Windows 10? How to change priority Windows 10? How to set a program to high priority Windows 10? This post from MiniTool will show you how to set priority Windows 10.
As is well known, Windows shares the computer’s CPU resources between running programs. However, how many resources will be given to a process is determined by its priority. In general, the higher the priority level is, the more resources will be allocated to the process.
So, in this post, we will show you how to set priority Windows 10 or how to set a program to high priority Windows 10.
2 Ways – How to Set Priority Windows 10
In this part, we will show you how to set priority Windows 10. Before going ahead, you should know some basic information about the priority. There are 6 priority levels available to processes in Windows, and they are:
- Realtime
- High
- Above normal
- Normal
- Below Normal
- Low
Normal is the default level and most programs with normal priority are able to run without issues. However, users can choose to change process priorities to speed up the app or slow down it so as to consume fewer resources.
And the new priority level applied to the app will take effect until the app’s process stops to work. Once it is stopped, the next time it will open with the default priority level unless the app itself has a setting to change its priority automatically.
Some programs are able to change their priority automatically, such as the WinRAR and 7-Zip. They are able to change their priority to Above normal to speed up the archiving process.
Note: You need to know that the Realtime priority level cannot be set by the users since it can cause system instability. An application with the Realtime priority may consume 100% of CPU and intercept keyboard and mouse input, making the PC unusable.
How to Set Priority Windows 10 via Task Manager
Now, we will show you how to set priority Windows 10.
- Open Task Manager.
- In the pop-up window, click More details.
- Then navigate to the Details tab.
- Select the process you want to set priority and right-click it.
- Then choose Set priority from the context menu and choose the desired priority level.
- After that, in the pop-up window, click Change priority to continue.
Once all steps are finished, you have set or changed the priority level of a process successfully.
Besides the above way, you can also set priority Windows 10 in another way. So, it will be introduced in the following part.
How to Set Priority Windows 10 via WMIC
In this part, we will show you how to set priority Windows 10 via WMIC.
Now, here is the tutorial.
- Open Command Prompt as administrator.
- Input the command wmic process where name=”Process Name” call setpriority “Priority Level” and hit Enter to continue. (You should replace the Process Name with the actual name of the process and replace the priority level according to the following table.
| Priority Level Value | Priority Level Name |
| 256 | Realtime |
| 128 | High |
| 32768 | Above Normal |
| 32 | Normal |
| 16384 | Below Normal |
| 64 | Low |
After that, you have successfully changed the priority level of the process.
Final Words
As for how to set high priority Windows 10, this post has shown 2 ways. If you want to set or change priority Windows 10, you can try these ways. If you have any better solutions, you can share it in the comment zone.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Tina is a technology enthusiast and joined MiniTool in 2018. As an editor of MiniTool, she is keeping on sharing computer tips and providing reliable solutions, especially specializing in Windows and files backup and restore. Besides, she is expanding her knowledge and skills in data recovery, disk space optimizations, etc. On her spare time, Tina likes to watch movies, go shopping or chat with friends and enjoy her life.
Table of contents
- Understanding Process Priority
- What Are Various Levels of Process Priority?
- Setting Priority from the Details Tab
- Changing Priority via Task Manager using Command Prompt
- Using PowerShell to Adjust Priority
- Launching Applications with Specific Priority using Command Prompt
- Conclusion
- FAQ
If you want to know how to prioritize tasks in Windows 10 , this quick guide is here to help. One advanced and practical way to boost your PC performance is to change the process priority. Setting the process priority is easy, but it can be tricky if you don’t have the right instructions.
So how to set priority in Task Manager? And what even is the process priority? This guide will answer these questions and more.
Let’s begin.
Understanding Process Priority
Computers rarely perform multitasking. In fact, when your computer looks like it’ s managing several apps or background processes, it is actually just switching between them rapidly.
There is a limit to the number of tasks your PC can take on this way—even if your computer runs on multi-core processors.
So it’ s important to manage the time assigned to each task.
Also read: CPU Cores Explained: Does the Number of Cores Affect CPU Performance
Your computer must establish a priority system to determine which jobs are more crucial to appear to be functioning in real time. The process priority determines the “importance” of each task. Tasks essential for the smooth operation of your PC get priority, mainly system processes rather than standard applications. This ensures that your computer’s core operations continue running normally, even when working hard.
What Are Various Levels of Process Priority?
Like a ranking system, process priority is separated into numerous levels. Processes are ranked from least important to most important in this order.
There are six priority levels in Windows, but you or other apps can only change five. Let’s go through them:
- Normal
Most applications operate at this standard priority level.
- Below normal
These processes use fewer resources than standard applications. This level would work best for less essential activities without strict deadlines.
- Low
This is the lowest priority level in Windows. These activities only receive resources after other processes have finished.
- Above normal
This level is a bit above average. It would be best applied to tasks that require a modest performance boost without competing with system functions.
- High
Reserved for vital system operations required for efficient computer functioning. It is not suggested for regular user applications.
- Realtime
This is the highest priority level. Here, tasks run in real time. Keep in mind that if you use Realtime priority level for routine apps, system crashes may happen. This level is mostly meant for hardware interfacing tasks. It’s recommended that you stick with Normal and occasionally Above Normal priority levels for basic tasks. Assign lower levels to less significant background processes and the higher levels for system operations. In the next sections, we’ll go through how to change priority in Task Manager.
Setting Priority from the Details Tab
Here’s how to change the priority of a process in Windows 10:
- Type
Task Managerin the search bar and click on it to open. You can also pressCtrl + Shift + Escto open Task Manager.
- Go to the Details tab and right-click the process you need.
- Choose Set priority and choose the value you want.
- Choose Change priority when the confirmation dialog displays.
If you want to know how to set high priority in Task Manager , this is the easy way. However, you’ll have to restart your computer to see the effects of the change.
Changing Priority via Task Manager using Command Prompt
To prioritize tasks in Task Manager using the Command Prompt , follow these steps:
- Type in
Command Promptin the search bar. - Right-click it and select Run as administrator.
- Enter
wmic process where name="firefox.exe" CALL setpriority "Above normal"in the Command Prompt when it starts.
- You can also use a numerical value to set the process priority. For example, you can set a value like this
wmic process where name="msedge.exe" CALL setpriority 32.
Keep in mind that the process you want to change must be running before you set this command. Here is the list of priority values you can set:
| Realtime | High | Above normal | Normal | Below normal | Low |
| 256 | 128 | 32768 | 32 | 16384 | 64 |
Using PowerShell to Adjust Priority
Here’s how to prioritize tasks in Windows 10 using PowerShell :
- Enter
PowerShellin the search bar. - Next, right-click Run as administrator, and click on it to open.
- You can also press
Windows key + Xand select Windows PowerShell (Admin). - Copy and paste this command into PowerShell:
Get-WmiObject Win32_process -filter 'name = "msedge.exe"' | foreach-object { $_.SetPriority(32768) }
You can now change the priority level and process name. Use the table below:
| Realtime | High | Above normal | Normal | Below normal | Low |
| 256 | 128 | 32768 | 32 | 16384 | 64 |
Also read: Quick Tips: How to Disable Startup Programs in Windows 10
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Launching Applications with Specific Priority using Command Prompt
If you want to know how to start applications using the Command Prompt, follow the steps below:
- Type
Command Promptin the search bar, right-click on it, and select Run as administrator.
- Enter the following command:
" /AboveNormal " C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\msedge.exe"
You can use this method to launch Microsoft Edge with an Above normal priority. Choosing the right approach gives every program a varied priority level. If you want to know how to increase priority in Task Manager, go with the Details tab method if you don’t want to use the Command Prompt or PowerShell.
Conclusion
Today, we’ ve looked into how to set priority in Task Manager. We hope you now have a clear roadmap to set the process priority for different apps and tasks on your PC.
The process priority is especially helpful when you need to provide software that uses many system resources with higher degrees of priority.
For example, choosing a higher priority level can improve the performance of a game with high system needs. In some cases, raising the priority level can even assist in fixing game crashes.
FAQ
If you can’t set priority in your Task Manager, the process might not enable priority changes, or you might not have administrative rights. You can’t change the priority of some system-critical processes.
The process is simple. Right-click on the process in the Task Manager’s Details tab and select Set priority. After that, choose the preferred priority level.
For most applications, Normal priority is the ideal option. You should limit using Realtime,” if at all, and High priority should be saved for crucial system tasks.
When you increase the process level to High, it receives extra CPU time. This enhances performance. With that said, you should only be using this priority level for essential tasks. Using this priority level excessively can make your system less responsive.
Contents:
- Set a Program Priority Overview
- How to Set an Application to High Priority in Task Manager on Windows 10, 8, 7
- How to Set Priority Automatically?
- How to Set CPU Priority Permanently for a Program on Windows 10, 7?
Set a Program Priority Overview:
When you are opening too many programs and want one program to run faster than others, you can set this program to high priority than other processes, which will allocate system prioritizes resources to that process.
For example, if you want to type while watching the movie, then you can adjust the movie’s process, set it to Below Normal, so the system will make the foreground application high priority. In this way, we can fully let the foreground program occupy the remaining system resources, and achieve efficient utilization of system resources.
There is one thing you should know. A high priority setting can only be reflected when a Windows system finds a physical memory deficit and uses the memory cache.
In other words, if you only open a game such as Warcraft, you don’t open up other big resource-demanding software, it basically doesn’t matter; if you opened the Warcraft and other software that cost a lot of system resources, but you have only set high priority for Warcraft, system will allocate more CPU to this program, thus improving the running speed of the game.
How to Set a Program to High Priority in Task Manager on Windows 10, 8, 7
Besides setting CPU priority for foreground applications and background services, some people may want to allocate high priority to a specific program or game to make it get the best performance.
We know a third-party program or game is a foreground application. So how to set a single foreground program to high priority? You can use Task Manager to do it.
1. Righ-click taskbar and choose Task Manager to open it.
2. Go to Details tab, and find the program you want to set the high priority, then right-click it to set the priority as High.
Of course, you can also reset it back to normal or other Windows 10 CPU priority such as Above normal, Below normal and Low.
These steps are performed in Windows 10. If you are using the Windows 8 or Windows 7, some of the step may a little different.
Tips:
Except the Realtime process priority, others are easy to explain. So you can learn basic things about the Realtime Priority.
What is the Realtime priority? A Realtime priority thread is higher than all the other threads, and it can run all the time and will never be pre-empted by timer interrupts in the system. And it can only set with the administrator account.
If you use task manager to set the priority for a foreground program or a game, it is temporary. After you reboot the system, the program priority will return to the original status. So if you want to permanently set CPU priority for a program, you should use other ways.
How to Set Priority Automatically?
Apart from using task manager to configure priority for some processes, you can also run Advanced SystemCare to set a high or low priority automatically.
That is to say, even if your PC runs slowly and your games are stuck, you can try this tool to make it run at a high priority on Windows 10.
As an all-in-one system optimizer, Advanced SystemCare will allow you to end the process or set high, normal, and low priority just as what task manage works for you.
1. Download, install and run Advanced SystemCare.
2. Then locate Tooolbox > Process Manager. Hit Process Manager to get it to run within the Advanced SystemCare.
3. In IObit Process Manager, under the Processes tab, find out and right-click the process or service to Set High Priority.
Of course, it is up to you whether to make this process back to run at normal or low priority on Windows 10 with the help of Advanced SystemCare.
How to Set CPU Priority Permanently for a Program on Windows 10, 7?
Microsoft does not provide a way to help you set one foreground program priority to high permanently, so you should install the third-party software. There is much software which can fix this problem.
You can download Prio (Process Priority Saver), Process Hacker, Process Tamer, etc. And I use System Explorer. It is a powerful system checker and manager tool, and it is free, absolutely. It supports Windows 10, 8, 7.
1. Download System Explorer from here, install and run it on your computer.
2. In Process tab, find the application, right-click it to choose Process Priority, then select Permanent.
If you want to change more applications’ priority, follow the above steps one by one. Of course, you can also set high CPU priority to prefer background services using this way.
So follow above methods to set up a program to high priority on Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7 to make all the system resource running well.
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