This hidden Windows 11 setting lets you kill unresponsive apps right from the taskbar
When a Windows 11 app crashes, the usual workaround is to open Task Manager, look through the list of running processes, and use the End Task option in that utility.
But there is another way. I will show you how to add an End Task menu item to every running task on your taskbar.
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Here are the before and after images. The screenshot on the left does not have this new feature enabled. The screenshot on the right shows the menu after this new feature is enabled.
Turns out, this is a developer setting that you can enable with just a few clicks. You don’t even need to be a developer!
How to Add ‘End Task’ to Your Taskbar
To enable End task in the taskbar, open Settings. Click System, then scroll down until you see For Developers. Click it.
Next, scroll down the large list of developer options until you see End Task. Turn this option on.
That’s it. Close your Settings. The End Task feature on the taskbar should now be available.
Things to know
This is a developer tool, which means you should remember Uncle Ben’s warning to Peter Parker: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
When you click End Task on the taskbar, you don’t get a chance to gracefully close the application or save your files. The task ends right then and there, instantly — gone, gone, gone! This is similar to what happens when you’re in Task Manager and use the End Task option.
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This is a forced kill. Normally, when an application is told to close, it sends a signal that initiates a series of cleanup routines. The most important of these is the request to save the file. For applications that autosave, it initiates a save.
But with End Task, that signal is not sent. It just ends. System resources are released and there is no further user interaction for the task.
This method is very effective and convenient when the application crashes, but remember that there is still a possibility of data loss.
Do you have this feature enabled? What other secret Windows 11 features do you use? Share any cool tips or tricks with us in the comments below.
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