Taskbar Task Manager

A compact, always-on-top system monitor that snaps into the empty space on the right side of the Windows 11 taskbar. Shows CPU %, RAM %, disk activity, storage, GPU %, VRAM, and CPU/GPU temps with green → amber → red threshold coloring.

Run it

run.bat

It launches without a console window and asks for admin once (UAC) — admin is required so LibreHardwareMonitor can read the CPU temperature. Everything else works without admin.

Right-click the widget → Quit to close it.

Start automatically at login (recommended)

Right-click install_autostart.bat → Run as administrator. This registers a logon task that starts the widget elevated every time you sign in — with no UAC prompt each time. Remove it with uninstall_autostart.bat.

Configure

Edit config.py:

• LOAD_WARN/LOAD_CRIT, TEMP_WARN/TEMP_CRIT — color thresholds
• TRAY_GAP — gap kept left of the clock/tray
• REFRESH_MS — update rate
• DISK_MODE — "activity" (Task-Manager-style busy %) or "space" (used % of system drive)
• APP_GAP / HIDE_HYST — spacing kept from the app icons; the widget auto-hides if the bar fills up
• palette colors

Notes

• GPU stats need an NVIDIA GPU (uses NVML). On non-NVIDIA machines the GPU/VRAM/GPU-temp cells show --; CPU/RAM still work.
• CPU temp needs admin (LibreHardwareMonitor). Without elevation that cell shows --.
• Built for the primary Windows 11 taskbar.

Stack

Python + PySide6. stats.py (psutil + NVML + LibreHardwareMonitor), app.py (the widget), config.py (tunables), lib/ (LibreHardwareMonitor net472 DLLs).

Setup from scratch

py -3.11 -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install -r requirements.txt

(lib/LibreHardwareMonitorLib.dll + HidSharp.dll are the net472 build from LibreHardwareMonitor v0.9.4.)