- Method 1: To quickly close a not-responding app on Windows 10, use the āAlt + F4ā keyboard shortcut.
- Method 2: Open the āProcessesā tab in Task Manager, select the app or process, and click āEnd task.ā
- Method 3: Open Settings> Apps> Apps & features, open the appās āAdvanced options,ā and terminate the app.
- Method 4: On Command Prompt (admin), run the ātaskkill /im AppName /t /fā command.
- Method 5: On PowerShell (admin), run the āStop-Process -Name ProcessNameā command.
On Windows 10, itās possible to close applications that are not responding in several ways, and in this guide, Iāll teach you how. Every now and then, youāll come across apps that start acting up and stop responding. Usually, youāll notice this because in the app title bar, youāll see a āNot respondingā message, and the app will simply become unresponsive and frozen.
If you want to force a close an app that isnāt working, Windows 10 offers several ways through a keyboard shortcut, Task Manager, Settings app, Command Prompt, and PowerShell.
In this guide, Iāll teach you how to quickly close an app when itās not responding on Windows 10 using the Settings app and Task Manager.
Terminate unresponsive apps on Windows 10
If an app appears frozen or unresponsive, you have at least five ways to close it.
1. Use keyboard shortcut to close app thatās not responding
To force-quit an app with a keyboard shortcut on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Click the appās title bar to bring it to focus.
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Press the Alt + F4 keyboard shortcut.
Quick note: Depending on the keyboard, you may need to press the āAlt + Fn + F4ā shortcut combo.
2. Use Task ManagerĀ to close app thatās not responding
To terminate an unresponsive apps from Task Manager, use these steps:
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Open Start.
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Search for Task Manager and click the top result to open the app.
Quick tip: Alternatively, to quickly open the Task Manager, you can use the āCtrl + Shift + Escā keyboard shortcut or right-click and choose the āTask Managerā option from the Taskbar.
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Click the More details button.
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Click on Processes.
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Select the app.
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Click the End taskĀ button.
3. Use Settings to close app thatās not responding
To force-quit app you acquired from the Microsoft Store, use these steps:
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Open Settings.
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Click on Apps.
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Click on Apps & features.
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Select the app that is acting up and click the Advanced options option.
Quick tip: Alternatively, you can right-click the app tile from the Start menu, select āMore,ā and click āApp settingsā to navigate to the settings page for a particular app quickly.
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Click the Terminate button.
4.Ā Use Command Prompt to close app thatās not responding
To close an unresponsive app from Command Prompt on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Open Start.
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Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
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Type the following command to view the running applications and press Enter:
tasklist
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Type the following command to force quit the application and press Enter:
taskkill /im AppName /t /f
In the command, change AppName for the appās name as it appears in
tasklist
command output. For example, this command closes Task Manager:taskkill /im Taskmgr.exe /t /f
5. Use PowerShell to close app thatās not responding
To force close a not-responding app from PowerShell on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Open Start.
-
Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
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Type the following command to view the apps currently running and press Enter:
Get-Process
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Type the following command to close the unresponsive program and press Enter:
Stop-Process -Name ProcessName
In the command, change ProcessName for the appās name as it appears in the
Get-Process
command output. For example, this command closes Task Manager:Stop-Process -Name Taskmgr
Once you complete the steps, Windows 10 will terminate the application thatās not working correctly.
If none of the above methods are working, restart your computer, as this process will also close and restart all the processes.
Update February 2, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.
Source: Pureinfotech