How To Force Quit An App On Windows 11

By Marlo Strydom

When a program on your Windows computer stops responding, it can be incredibly frustrating. This often leads to the need to "force quit" or "end task" the unresponsive application.

Method 1: Using Task Manager

Task Manager is the most common and straightforward tool for force quitting an application.

  1. Open Task Manager:

    • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager directly.

    • Alternatively, right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager from the context menu.

  2. Identify the Unresponsive Program:

    • In the Processes tab, you'll see a list of all running applications and background processes.

    • Look for the application that is not responding. It might be labeled as "Not Responding."

  3. End the Task:

    • Select the unresponsive application.

    • Click the End Task button at the bottom right corner of Task Manager.

    • This will immediately close the program.

Method 2: Using Alt + F4

If the application window is still visible but not responding, you can try closing it with a keyboard shortcut.

  1. Bring the Application to the Foreground:

    • Click on the program’s window to ensure it's the active window.

  2. Use the Alt + F4 Shortcut:

    • Press Alt + F4 on your keyboard.

    • This command will attempt to close the active window. If the application is too frozen, it may not work, and you'll need to try another method.

Method 3: Using Command Prompt

For advanced users, the Command Prompt can be a powerful tool to force quit programs.

  1. Open Command Prompt:

    • Press Windows + R , type cmd , and hit Enter .

    • Alternatively, search for Command Prompt in the Start menu and run it as an administrator.

  2. List Running Processes:

    • Type tasklist and press Enter .

    • This will display a list of all running processes, including their names and process IDs (PIDs).

  3. Terminate the Process:

    • Identify the name or PID of the unresponsive program.

    • To terminate by name, type taskkill /IM program_name.exe /F and press Enter .

    • To terminate by PID, type taskkill /PID pid_number /F and press Enter .

    • Replace program_name.exe with the actual name of the executable, and pid_number with the correct PID.

Method 4: Using Windows PowerShell

PowerShell offers similar functionality to Command Prompt but with more scripting capabilities.

  1. Open PowerShell:

    • Right-click the Start button and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the menu.

  2. Use Stop-Process Command:

    • To close a program by its name, type Stop-Process -Name program_name -Force and hit Enter .

    • To close by PID, type Stop-Process -Id pid_number -Force and hit Enter .

    • This command works similarly to taskkill in Command Prompt.

Method 5: Using Resource Monitor

Resource Monitor provides a more detailed view of your system’s resource usage and can be used to force quit stubborn applications.

  1. Open Resource Monitor:

    • Press Windows + R , type resmon , and hit Enter .

  2. Locate the Program:

    • Go to the CPU tab.

    • Look for the unresponsive program in the Processes section.

  3. End the Process:

    • Right-click on the process and select End Process .

    • Confirm if prompted, and the program will be terminated.

When Force Quit Doesn’t Work

Sometimes, even after trying all the above methods, an application might refuse to close. In such cases, you can try restarting your computer as a last resort. To avoid data loss, save any open documents or work in other applications before attempting to force quit or restart.