How to force quit an application in Windows
This is a common problem we all face. You were using an application in Windows when it stopped working. There could be an error that caused the app to become unresponsive, or it could be that the app crashes with no indication of when or if the app can recover. At best, freezing only affects the app itself, so you can still use other Windows programs and features. At worst, your entire system could be locked with no obvious way to recover. Yes, this situation is frustrating, but there are ways to recover.
For this procedure, I am working with a PC running Windows 10. However, the steps to deal with frozen applications and systems are mostly the same between Windows 10 and 11. To start, let’s assume you was running several different programs and one program started running slowly and then hung. For this example, I chose iTunes because it’s a pretty buggy and often crashing piece of software in my experience.
Try to close the app yourself
Naturally, the first course of action is to attempt to shut down the offending app via the Close button. In response, a message will probably pop up letting you know that the app has stopped working. Depending on the program and the nature of the freeze, the message may give you two options: Check online for solution and close the program or Close the program. Otherwise, it may just provide an option to close the program. You may also see a drop-down arrow for View problem details. Clicking that will show the name of the associated executable and other details but won’t help you restore the app. Click the button to close it and wait a few seconds to see if it turns off.
If the Close button doesn’t do the trick, another option is to right click on the application’s Taskbar icon and select the option for Close the window. Again, wait a few seconds to see if the program closes.
What if your mouse is unresponsive and you can’t click the Close button or the Taskbar icon? Pressing Alt+F4 will also attempt to close the currently active window or application.
Try to close the app through Task Manager
If you can’t close the app directly, another option is to try to shut it down through the Task Manager, which shows you a list of all running apps, files, and processes. There are several ways to enable Task Manager. In Windows 10, right-click the Taskbar and select Task Manager. In Windows 10 or 11, right-click the Start button and select Task Manager from the menu or press Ctrl+Shift+Esc. If Task Manager opens in compact view, you can click the button to More details to see the whole picture. In both views, the status of the entry for the misbehaving app may show as Unresponsive. Right click on the entry and select End of mission. Wait a few seconds to see if the app closes.
Using the Taskkill command
Another way to close a frozen application is through the built-in Windows command called Taskkill. To try this, open a command prompt and type task list. Find the executable for the suspended application, such as iTunes.exe. At the next prompt, type taskkill /f /im followed by the name of the exe file, for example: taskkill /f /im itunes.exe.
Terminate an application in Windows 11
Here’s another trick that works in Windows 11 but only for certain apps. With a frozen app, go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps. Click the ellipsis icon for the frozen app. If you see a setting for Advanced Options, click it. Scroll down the next screen to the Termination section and click the Termination button.
What if your Windows environment is frozen or unresponsive? First, you’ll want to identify and try to shut down any apps or processes that are affecting Windows using any of the methods I mentioned. If Windows is still unresponsive, it may be time to quit.
Log out or shut down Windows
Try logging out of your current session first. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and then select Log out. If that works, then sign back in to see if Windows is now responding. If not, then you may need to shut down your PC completely. From the Ctrl-Alt-Del screen, click the Source icon, and then select Turn off. If Windows is still stuck, then your last resort is to press and hold the power button on your PC until it turns off.
Finally, keep in mind that using any of these methods to shut down apps will likely result in the loss of any work you’ve recently created that you haven’t saved. That’s most concerning for a productivity program like Microsoft Office, aka Microsoft 365. Some programs, such as Word and Excel, offer automatic recovery that can attempt to restore. the latest version of the file even if you forgot to save it. recently. Check the productivity apps you use to see if they offer such a feature and enable it.