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Estimated Time to Fix: 3 minutes
Summary
This article guides you through forcing a frozen or unresponsive application to close using the Windows Task Manager.
Before You Start
- None required.
Instructions
1. Open the Task Manager
Task Manager lists everything running and lets you end a process that has stopped responding.
- Press the following keyboard shortcut simultaneously: Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- (Alternatively, right-click an empty space on the taskbar at the bottom of your screen and select Task Manager).
- If you see a small, simple window, click More details at the bottom left to see the full list of running apps.
2. Force Close the App
Ending the task closes the app immediately, so save other work first if you can.
- Click the Processes tab at the top of the Task Manager.
- Locate the frozen app in the list (it may say "Not responding" next to it).
- Click on the app to highlight it.
- Click the End task button in the bottom right corner (or top right in Windows 11).
3. Verify Success
The window should vanish at once, and the app should reopen normally.
- The application window should disappear immediately. You can now try reopening the app to see if it works normally.
Troubleshooting
WARNING
If your entire computer is completely frozen and you cannot open the Task Manager or move your mouse, you will need to perform a hard reset by holding the physical power button on your computer for 10 seconds.
| Symptom / Error | Potential Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Task Manager won't open with Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Keyboard unresponsive | Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and click Task Manager from the blue screen menu. |
| App reopens frozen again | Corrupted app data | Restart your computer. If it persists, the app may need to be reinstalled. |