Is a program or app unresponsive on your Windows 11 PC? Do you want to close/kill/end the program or app that is not responding? This guide shows you seven easy ways to close unresponsive programs or apps on a Windows 11 PC.
Method 1 of 7
Use Alt + F4 hotkey to close the unresponsive program/app in Windows 11
When a program/app is not responding, the close/minimize/maximize buttons do not work either. In that case, you can simultaneously press Alt and F4 keys to close the program/app. Note that this method is only helpful if the app/program works at least partially.
If the Alt + F4 hotkey fails to close the app, please follow the other methods below.
Method 2 of 7
Close the not-responding app via Task Manager in Windows 11 (best way)
Using the Task Manager is probably the best way to kill an unresponsive program.
Step 1: Perform a right-click on an empty spot on the taskbar and then click Task Manager. You can also use Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager.
Step 2: Once the Task Manager is launched, select the Processes tab on the left side and look for the program/app’s entry on the right side.
Step 3: To close/end the app/program, right-click on its entry and then click the End task option.
Method 3 of 7
Close unresponsive programs from the Taskbar in Windows 11
Step 1: First, go to Windows 11 Settings > System > For Developers page and then turn on the End task option. This will add the End task option when you right-click on a program’s icon on the taskbar.
Step 2: Now, right-click on the unresponsive program’s icon on the taskbar and then click the End task option. This should terminate the program immediately.
Method 4 of 7
Close non-responding apps (only apps installed from Microsoft Store) from Settings in Windows 11
This method cannot be used for classic desktop programs.
Step 1: Open the Windows 11 Settings app. Go to Apps > Installed apps page.
Step 2: Ensure that the List view is selected (refer to the picture below), and then look for the app’s entry.
Step 3: Click the three dots next to the app’s entry and then click Advanced options.
Step 4: Finally, scroll down the page and then click the Terminate button to close the unresponsive app.
Method 5 of 7
Close unresponsive programs from Command Prompt in Windows 11
Step 1: Launch the Command Prompt as an administrator. To do that, type CMD in the Start or taskbar search, right-click on the Command Prompt entry in the search results, and then click the Run as administrator option.
Click the Yes button when you see the User Account Control prompt. If asked to type your administrator account password, please do so.
Step 2: In the Command Prompt window, type tasklist and then press the Enter key to see a list of programs running on your Windows 11 PC.
Step 3: Go through the generated list to find the name of the program that you would like to close. Note the name of the program.
Step 4: Finally, type taskkill/im programname.exe and then press the Enter key to close the program immediately. For instance, to close Notepad, type taskkill/im notepad.exe and press Enter.
You will see a “Success” message. You may close the Command Prompt window now.
Method 6 of 7
Restart or force restart your Windows 11 to kill unresponsive programs
If the above-mentioned methods are unable to close the unresponsive program or app, you can consider rebooting your computer. Needless to say, restarting the computer will close all running programs, not just the unresponsive ones.
Right-click on the Windows logo button, click Shut down or sign out, and then click the Restart option to restart your computer. If this is not working, refer to our how to force restart Windows 10/11 PC guide for directions.
Method 7 of 7
Hold down the power button to shut down your PC
At times, the Windows operating system itself might freeze along with the non-responding program. In that case, you might not be able to use the methods mentioned above.
Press and hold the power button on your PC until your PC turns off to shut down your Windows 11 PC. After a few seconds, you might press the power button again to turn on the PC.
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