A frozen screen in Windows is not what you want to see when you are doing some important work or playing a game. But how to get over it? How to force close an unresponsive app?
The answer to those questions is a force quit, which is when you force quit an unresponsive app. And we can show you at least three different ways to do it. Let’s take a look at three ways you can force close an application in Windows so you can get back to work or fun.
How to force quit using keyboard?
Step 1: CTRL + Shift + ESC
This shortcut opens the familiar Task Manager. The task manager will show all the applications that are currently running and the resources they are taking up. Find an app that isn’t responding, select it, and then select it End of task. This will force close the app in question.
It’s also a good idea to use Task Manager to check how much memory your apps are using. If the percentage is particularly high, you could have RAM problems that are causing the crashes. Try dropping some of the apps and background processes that are taking up a lot of memory to see if that improves your situation.
Task Manager is also a simple test to see how bad things are. If the shortcut starts Task Manager and you can interact with it successfully, that’s good news. If you can’t use the Task Manager, the whole operating system has problems.
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Step 2: ALT + F4
If you don’t want to mess with Task Manager or can’t get it to work, this is an alternative shortcut you should try. It skips the steps in between and continues to force quit the application you are currently using. Press it once and wait a few seconds for the app to respond.
If this doesn’t work, try pressing FN key so that the indicator light is on, then try the keyboard shortcut again. This may be required on some laptops like Microsoft’s Surface laptops. (Also, some laptops may still require you to press FN key even if that key does not have an indicator light.)
Note that it is ALT + F4 the shortcut will work on the app you’re currently using. Don’t walk away from an app with errors or you’ll end up closing something else by mistake.
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Step 3: Windows key + X > command prompt
Note: In Windows 11, you may have to choose Terminal from the list of options that Windows key + X the shortcut opens. Doing so will still open the Windows PowerShell screen.
Here you can go straight to the source and run some commands to shut down the app, which can be useful if Task Manager isn’t working, etc. Note that the Command Prompt option can also be invoked Windows PowerShell in some versions of Windows. Once there, type “tasklist” and select input. This will display a list of currently running tasks, similar to the Task Manager. Find the specific program you want to close and note its name. Now type the command:
taskkill /im ProgramName.exe /t /f
Where it says “ProgramName”, type the name of the application as it appears in the task list. choose input again, and that should automatically close that program.
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What if the window doesn’t close?
If none of the commands work, the problem affects the entire operating system. It’s a good idea to completely restart your computer when this happens.
Try it out CTRL + ALT + DEL keyboard shortcut. If it works, a will appear settings menu where you can choose Power button in the lower right corner and select Shut down.
If the keyboard shortcuts don’t work at all, you have a last resort with the manual power button. Press and hold Power until the computer is forced off. If necessary, press Power again to boot the system.
If your apps are still freezing and causing problems, try to find the source of the problem. Updating your operating system or BIOS can help resolve the issue, and you should always ensure that third-party applications are updated as well. On the other hand, if a recent update started causing freezing issues, it might be time to downgrade to a previous OS version.
Frequently asked questions
How can I force close a frozen window?
The fastest way to force quit a frozen window on a Windows computer is to use the following shortcut: Alt + F4 (or Alt + Fn + F4). Just make sure the application window you want to close is the one you’re currently using. This keyboard shortcut tends to close the window that is active.
Which keys turn off the computer?
If you don’t want to click around to get to the Turn off computer option, you can use keyboard shortcuts instead. The main shortcut for shutting down a personal computer is actually also Alt + F4 (or Alt + Fn + F4). But before using this shortcut, you must make sure that you have minimized or closed the application windows you are using. Once you’ve done all that, you should see the shutdown menu appear.
There are other options for shutting down Windows computers. To learn more about them, check out our guide on how to turn off your computer using a shortcut.
Can you force close apps on other devices?
Yes, you can force close apps on other types of devices. For example, you can do this with apps on an Android device. If you need to learn how to do this, check out our how-to guide on force closing apps on Android.
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