What does chrome.exe *32 mean in Process Manager?

In 64-bit Windows, you might find a process name with a *32 suffix, especially chrome.exe *32 (as shown below). What does this mean?

64-bit Windows includes a 32-bit application runtime environment that allows 64-bit and 32-bit applications to run simultaneously. In the Task Manager, in order to distinguish between the two, the 32-bit application will be followed by the words "*32". “*32“just that this application is 32-bit, it does not mean that it has 32 running at the same time, so don't panic when you see the above picture, Chrome's process is not that much. Currently Chrome does not have a 64-bit version on Windows, so all Chrome processes will have “*32“.

Not only Chrome, but other applications, as long as it is 32-bit, will be marked with “*32“, otherwise 64-bit will not.

As for why there is a row of Chrome processes, it’s because of Chrome’s tag management mechanism. Simply put, Chrome supports multiple tabs, each of which is a separate process, plus some management processes and background downloads, and the total looks a lot. The advantage of this is that after a tag crashes, the other tags and Chrome itself are not affected, making Chrome run more stable. Of course, the downside is that a lot of processes are opened, which is very much a system resource. If you want to make Chrome run faster, you can turn off a few tabs, especially those with complex interfaces and animations or movies.

Extended reading: What is the difference between 64-bit and 32-bit?