>

Force-Close a Frozen Program with taskkill

End an unresponsive application from Command Prompt using taskkill by image name or PID.

WindowsProcessessystemcmdMedium risk
Run `taskkill /IM notepad.exe /F` (replace notepad.exe with the program's executable) to force-close a hung app instantly.

01Command

Command
$ taskkill /IM notepad.exe /F  ::  or by process id:  taskkill /PID 12345 /F

02What it does

When Task Manager itself struggles or you prefer the command line, taskkill ends processes directly. /IM targets the executable name and /PID targets a specific process id; /F forces termination instead of politely asking the window to close. Find the exact image name or PID with Task Manager's Details tab or `tasklist`.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk
RequirementsKilling processes of other users or system processes requires an elevated prompt.
!Warning: Forcing a kill skips the save-prompt, so any unsaved document or project state in that program is gone.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • taskkill
    Microsoft Learn · vendor-doc · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Reference lists /IM, /PID and /F (forceful termination) flags for ending one or more tasks or processes.
  • TaskKill — Kill processes from the command line
    SS64 · technical · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Shows TASKKILL /IM image name usage and the /F force flag.

Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Category: System & Settings

06Related solutions

Create a scheduled task from CMD with schtasks
WindowsProcessessystemTerminal

Register a recurring Windows task entirely from the command line — ideal for scripts, cleanup jobs, and monitoring probes you want to run unattended.

Medium risk ✓ 2026-09-17
Scan and repair Windows system files with SFC
WindowssystemTerminalDiagnostics

Use the System File Checker to verify every protected Windows system file against known-good copies and automatically replace the damaged ones.

Low risk ✓ 2026-09-17
Install any app from the command line with winget
WindowssystemTerminaldeveloper

Use Windows Package Manager to install, search, and upgrade thousands of applications from the community repository in one command.

Low risk ✓ 2026-09-17