Something happened that the computer took a very long time to shut down when turned off. Blame it all open source software, which Windows 7 She refuses to forcefully close it herself.
Terminating frozen programs in Windows 7 without user intervention
You have the ability to force programs to automatically shut down when you turn off your computer without clicking the "Force shutdown" button.
To do this in the registry Windows 7 you need to create a string parameter AutoEndTasks .
This setting is located in the Windows 7 registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. The value of this parameter "1" allows the operating system to automatically shut down processes without clicking the "Force shutdown" button. If you select the value "0" This parameter means that programs will not terminate automatically.
Or import next file to the Windows 7 registry:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 "NoLowDiskSpaceChecks"=dword:00000001 "LinkResolveIgnoreLinkInfo"=dword:00000001 "NoResolveSearch"=dword:00000001 "NoResolveTrack"=dword:00000001 "NoInternetOpenWith"=dword:00000001 "Auto EndTasks"="1" "HungAppTimeout" ="1000" "MenuShowDelay"="0" "WaitToKillAppTimeout"="2000" "LowLevelHooksTimeout"="1000" "WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="1000" "WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="1000" "WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="1000" "AutoEndTasks"= "1" "HungAppTimeout"="1000" "MenuShowDelay"="0" "WaitToKillAppTimeout"="2000" "AutoEndTasks"="1" "HungAppTimeout"="1000" "MenuShowDelay"="0" "WaitToKillAppTimeout"=" 2000"
Sooner or later, many users have a question about how to close a program if it does not close. In fact, the topic is not so simple. After all, frozen applications are a huge problem for users. They not only load the operating system and processor, but also interfere normal operation with a computer. The following will provide the best tips and recommendations for what to do if you cannot close an application.
How to determine if a program is frozen
Before racking their brains for an answer to the question of how to close a program if it won't close, the user must understand whether the application is truly frozen. It is likely that the computer's performance leaves much to be desired, and the "close" command simply takes a long time to process.
Typically, if an application is frozen, it stops responding to user input and the cursor turns into either an hourglass or a small circle (depending on operating system), and the application title will say "Not responding". In this case, all attempts to complete work with the program in the usual way (by clicking on the cross in the right top corner screen) do not give results. Also, when you click on the working area of the program, the screen becomes “covered in fog.” All these are signs of freezing. How can I close a program if it won't close? Top tips and recommendations will be presented below.
Expectation
The first advice is to wait a little. Don't forget that a computer has a certain power. When the processor is loaded and random access memory OS speed decreases. And it takes longer to process the transaction.
Accordingly, you will have to wait a little. When the computer takes a long time to respond to actions performed in the program, all signs of freezing are observed. The waiting period should not exceed 5-10 minutes. If after this time there are no responses to user actions, you can proceed to other shutdown methods.
Method 1: Hotkeys
So, it turned out that the program is not responding. How to close a frozen program? If waiting does not produce results, the user must choose one course of action or another. You can press some keys on the keyboard, as well as their combinations.
When the program freezes, you are prompted to click on:
- Ctrl + W.
- Alt + F4.
These combinations contribute to the emergency closure of many frozen programs. Not the most effective, but a valid method. But this is just the beginning. There are several more options.
Method 2: through the menu
How can I close a program if it won't close? The following trick works more often than a keyboard shortcut. Users use it in practice with noticeable success. To close a frozen application, you can call up the program action menu, and then select the appropriate function there.
To do this you need:
- Place the cursor over the program window on the taskbar.
- Right-click on the appropriate application.
- In the menu that appears, select "Close window". If the system issues a warning, agree with it.
- Wait a while.
As a rule, after the actions taken, the program closes on its own after 10-15 seconds. If this method didn't help, no need to panic. You can try using other methods. Luckily, Windows provides quite a few ways to close applications.
Method 3: Task Manager
Which ones exactly? How can you close a program if it freezes? When the listed methods do not produce results, the user is asked to act somewhat differently. For example, call the task manager, and then end the process launched by a particular program.
This method is the most effective. It allows you to urgently close almost any program. Doesn't work only in some cases. Therefore, users often prefer it.
How to close a program that is frozen or unresponsive? This requires:
- Press the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Del. Or Ctrl + Shift + Esc will do.
- Select "Task Manager" in the window that appears. If you used a combination with "Shift", you can skip this step. The corresponding service will open immediately.
- Go to the "Applications" tab.
- Select the frozen program and click on the “End task” or “End task” button.
- Accept the operating system warning (if it is issued), and then wait a bit.
As a rule, after 5-15 seconds the program will be closed urgently. In some cases, it is suggested to send a message about the error of the corresponding application. This method can be improved a little. To do this, go to the "Processes" tab in the "Task Manager", then select the name of the process that is being executed by the frozen program, and click on "End". This will close the application approximately 99% of the time.
Method 4: additional programs
In some situations, additional software helps. Some processes are terminated forcibly only with their help. Not the most common, but an effective solution to the problem. How to close a program that has frozen? The user must download and install a special additional application to search for processes running on your computer, and then repeat the same steps as in the Task Manager. Process Explorer is perfect for this idea.
How can I close a program if it won't close? The user will have to:
- Download Process Explorer for yourself.
- Run the program. The application does not require installation, which makes users very happy.
- Find the desired program/process in the list on the left side of the screen.
- Select it by right-clicking on the corresponding line.
- In the menu that appears, perform the “Kill” operation.
After this, the application will be closed on an emergency basis. The advantage of using the program is that it displays processes and programs hidden from the standard Task Manager.
Method 5: radical approach
How can you close a program if it freezes? The next method is radical. There is no need to rush with it, even though it is considered the simplest. The thing is that to successfully complete programs, you need... a reboot of the operating system.
Skype won't close? How to close it? Exactly the same as all other applications. First, try all the methods listed earlier. If they do not help, then the user has no choice but to restart the computer.
It is not recommended to use Start. After all, frozen programs sometimes interfere with the corresponding operation. Instead, you need to find the Reset button on your computer and click on it. This is an emergency reboot. This option works on desktop computers. It is recommended to save all data in other applications before using it. In addition, it is worth considering that constant reboot computer does not have the best effect on the performance of the device.
Method 6: for laptops
Now it’s clear how to close a program that has frozen. The user could easily familiarize himself with examples of actions in a particular case. Detailed instructions will help solve the problem.
What to do if all the previously listed methods do not help, and the person does not work for desktop computer, and behind the laptop? Or if for a number of reasons the operating system refuses to reboot even after pressing Reset?
In this case, you need to urgently shut down the operating system. But before that, save all the data on your computer. Next, press the power button on the laptop (or computer) and hold it for about 5-10 seconds. The operating system will shut down. Then you can turn on the computer and continue working with it.
The disadvantage of this method of action is its danger to the device. Frequent emergency shutdowns lead to operating system failures and hardware malfunctions. This step will not solve the problem with programs freezing. Therefore, you can use it only as a last resort.
The reader should already understand how to force close a program on Windows. All of the above methods help to bring your idea to life without much difficulty. What tips will help you avoid app freezing next time?
The most common recommendations among them are:
- Make sure that it is the program that has frozen, and not the computer. The list of actions in one case or another will be different. Most often, when your computer freezes, an emergency reboot or shutdown helps.
- Scan your computer for viruses. Treat it if necessary.
- Reinstall a frozen program. Sometimes this method helps very effectively.
- Do not open many programs and applications when working with problematic software. The less the processor is loaded, the faster certain operations will be performed on it.
- Learn to wait. As already mentioned, sometimes processes simply take a long time to process. And so it begins to seem that computer program stuck.
- Try all the listed methods. It is recommended to postpone rebooting and shutting down the computer as a last resort.
That's all. In fact, there is nothing difficult about ending a stuck program. All of these methods are successfully used by PC users to varying degrees.
When you turn off or restart your computer, the operating system often displays a message indicating that it cannot shut down on its own. In this case, the reason is indicated and most often it is open application. The user is immediately prompted to perform forced reboot. When you press the corresponding button, all holding processes will be closed and the computer, depending on what action the user has chosen, will shut down or reboot. To some, this feature may seem unnecessary, slowing down the process of restarting the computer, but in fact it can be very useful.
Important documents with unsaved data may be open in the application, and if you forget about it and forcefully terminate the process, all the work done may be in vain. But if you are confident in your actions or still think that the shutdown or reboot speed is more important, you can disable the option to display such messages. If you disable the function of displaying messages about forced shutdown, slowing down processes will be closed without any questions asked, which means that Windows will reboot a little faster.
Now how to implement this. The first thing you need to do is make sure that the auto-complete process feature is enabled. Launch Registry Editor and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop.
There will already be many different parameters. We are looking for a string (REG_SZ) parameter AutoEndTasks and set its value equal to one.
If the parameter AutoEndTasks for some reason in the subsection Desktop it turns out you will need to create it manually and then set the value 1 . This will enable automatic shutdown of processes, but will not disable forced shutdown messages, although the system will shut down successfully after a certain amount of time.
You can find out exactly how long this delay is by looking at the parameter value WaitToKillAppTimeout, located in the same registry branch. In Windows 7 it is usually equal to 10000 milliseconds, in Windows 8 its value can be 20000 milliseconds By changing this value, you can control how long the force quit message is displayed.
If you're in a hurry and want to quickly shut down your Windows 8.1 or Windows 8 computer, you might be bothered by an annoying warning that says there are programs running on your computer that need to be closed. If you want to disable this warning permanently, continue reading this step by step guide to find out how to do this.
Almost every time we want to shut down or restart a computer running Windows 8 or 8.1, the operating system displays a message that a number of programs require closing, and there may be one, two or even more such programs. This is because unfinished applications may have unsaved data, which is why they prevent Windows from shutting down quietly. However, in most cases, these programs that should be closed do not use any data, so the warning message is of no use and is very annoying for this reason.
So if you are sure that you always save application data before turning off or restarting your computer, then you can safely disable this feature, and to do this, follow the steps described below.
Step 1: First of all, press the Win + R key combination to open the Run dialog.
Step 2: Type the command "regedit" and click "OK" to open the Registry Editor window.
Step 3: In Registry Editor, follow the following path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Step 4: On the right side of the Registry Editor, right-click on an empty space. Select “Create -> String Parameter”. Then name it "AutoEndTasks".
Step 5: Double-click on the newly created parameter and set its value to 1.
Now when you turn off or restart your computer, you will no longer see any prompts or warnings.
Have a great day!
Every computer user has encountered how to close a frozen program. This situation occurs quite often when working on a computer.
While working on a computer, it happens that some program does not respond to user commands. The program does not respond to the mouse or keyboard, a window appears with the inscription “the program is not responding.”
How to close a frozen program? Some users immediately press the “Reset” button, which is located on the front panel of the computer. After this, the Windows operating system restarts.
But this is not recommended. A reboot may negatively affect the operation of the operating system or individual programs running at that moment. After a new launch, errors may appear in the program that was running at the time of sudden shutdown.
If defragmentation occurred at the time of the reboot, then files that were being processed at that time may be damaged due to the reboot. And if these were any system files, then problems with the operating system may begin.
If problems with the operating system have already begun, then one of the ways out will be until it is operational.
What to do if the program does not respond?
Let's look at the easiest case first. The program is frozen and does not respond to computer user commands. You need to disable the frozen program; to do this, you need to launch the “Task Manager” by pressing the “Ctrl” + “Alt” + “Del” keys simultaneously on the keyboard in the operating Windows system XP.
In the operating systems Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, after pressing these keys, in a new window of the operating system, in open menu You will need to select the “Start task manager” item at the very bottom, or simultaneously press the key combination “Ctrl” + “Shift” + “Esc” on the keyboard.
In the Windows operating system, there is a more convenient way to launch the “Task Manager” - right-click on the “Taskbar”, and then select in context menu item “Run task manager” (In Windows XP, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 - “Task Manager”).
In the “Task Manager” window that opens, go to the “Applications” tab. Usually, opposite the name of the frozen program, in the “Status” column the inscription “Not responding” will be visible.
Next, select the frozen program, and then click on the “End task” button, or select in the context menu, after clicking right button mouse, select “Cancel task”. In the warning window, agree to complete the process.
After some time, the frozen application will shut down. If this does not happen, go to the “Processes” tab.
Attention! You will need to be careful with this tab. Don't look for a hung process unless you know the name of the process!
In the Applications tab, select the frozen program, and then right-click on it and select Go to Process.
Task Manager will automatically switch you to the Processes tab and highlight the frozen application.
After that, click the “End process” button, or select “End process” in the context menu by right-clicking the mouse.
If the hung program is not displayed in the “Applications” tab, then you need to go to the “Processes” tab yourself, find the process of the frozen program and disable it, if you can find this process correctly. If you don’t know the name of the process, then it’s better not to do anything in this tab!
If these steps do not help, then go to the “Users” tab, click on the “Log out” button, or after right-clicking, select “Log off” from the context menu.
You will have to wait a while until the system completes all processes, and then an operating system window with your icon will appear on your monitor. account. Click on this icon, and then log back into the operating system to continue working.
Similar actions can be performed using the Start menu, if you have access to the menu. In the Start menu, hover your mouse over the Shut Down button, and then select Sign Out from the pop-up context menu.
Restarting Explorer
One way to “revive” Windows is to restart Explorer. Windows Explorer is not only file manager, in the operating system it is responsible, among other things, for displaying the Desktop and the Taskbar.
First, launch the Task Manager using the “Ctrl” + “Shift” + “Esc” keys. Then go to the “Processes” tab, then click on the “Image name” button, and then click on the “E” button (in the Latin keyboard layout).
The "explorer.exe" process will be highlighted. Terminate this process using the “End Process” button or from the context menu.
After this, Explorer will complete its work, and all icons will disappear from the monitor screen. In the Task Manager, go to the “File” menu, and in the context menu select “New task (Run...)”.
In the "Create" window new task", enter "explorer" in the input field, and then click on the "OK" button.
After this, the operating system should work normally.
Removing a hung process from the command line
Run Command Prompt as Administrator. In the interpreter command line enter the command: “tasklist” (without quotes), and then press the “Enter” key.
You will see a list of all processes running in the operating system. Next to each application name, its “PID” and the amount of memory consumed are displayed.
Remember the “PID” (numbers) of the frozen application that you need to disable. In the command line interpreter window, enter a new command: “taskkill/pid...” (without quotes). Instead of "..." after PID, insert the value that you remember. Then press the "Enter" key. The hung application will be closed.
other methods
The most difficult case is when some program or game that was deployed to fill the entire monitor screen freezes. In this case, you will not have access to the Desktop, the Task Manager, or the Start menu.
In this case, try exiting the window with the frozen program to the “Desktop” using the keys on the keyboard.
Press the keyboard keys “Alt” + “F4”. This key combination in the Windows operating system is used to close applications.
You can try pressing the “Esc” or “Enter” keys on your keyboard; perhaps, in some cases, you will be able to access the Desktop.
When you press the “Windows” key, you can also sometimes get to the Desktop when the program is frozen.
Try pressing the function keys “F1” - “F12” on your keyboard. In some cases, pressing these keys will open the Desktop. Which one specifically? function key may help, depends on the specific computer you have different computers it happens in different ways.
If the Desktop has opened, then to exit the frozen application, follow the steps described above in this article.
But, there are situations when the computer does not respond to any user actions. The mouse does not work, the computer does not respond to keystrokes on the keyboard. In this case, rebooting the operating system can no longer be avoided. Then you will have to click on the "Reset" button.
Conclusions of the article
If the program freezes. does not respond to user actions, try to shut down the frozen application without rebooting the operating system.