Check if a Process is ARM64 or x64 in Windows 11

Windows 11 on ARM includes a built-in emulation layer that allows traditional 64-bit (x64) and 32-bit (x86) Intel/AMD applications to run alongside native ARM64 software. You can quickly verify whether an active application is executing natively or running through emulation using built-in utilities like Task Manager and PowerShell, or third-party diagnostic tools.

Method 1: Using Windows Task Manager

The quickest way to check process architecture is through the Task Manager Details tab.

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click the Details tab on the left sidebar (represented by a list icon).
  3. Right-click any column header (such as Name or PID) and choose Select columns.
  4. Scroll down, check the box next to Architecture, and click OK.
  5. Locate your running application and check the value in the newly added Architecture column:
    • ARM64: The process is running natively on your ARM processor for optimal performance and battery efficiency.
    • ARM64EC: The process is running natively compiled ARM64 code while maintaining compatibility with emulated x64 plugins or dependencies.
    • x64: The process is a 64-bit Intel/AMD application running via the Windows 11 x64 emulation engine (Prism).
    • x86: The process is a legacy 32-bit Intel application running via x86 emulation.

Method 2: Using PowerShell

If you prefer a command-line approach, you can query running process architectures using PowerShell.

  1. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal or PowerShell.
  2. Run the following command to list running processes along with their architecture:
Get-Process | Select-Object Name, Id, @{Name="Architecture";Expression={(Get-Process -Id $_.Id).Machine.ToString()}}

Alternatively, to query a specific process name (e.g., notepad):

Get-Process -Name "notepad" | Select-Object Name, Id, @{Name="Architecture";Expression={$_.MainModule.ModuleName}}

Method 3: Using Sysinternals Process Explorer

For advanced debugging and dependency inspection:

  1. Download and run Process Explorer from Microsoft Sysinternals.
  2. Right-click any column header and choose Select Columns.
  3. Under the Process Image tab, enable Image Type.
  4. The column will explicitly state whether the binary image is 64-bit (ARM64) or 64-bit (x64).