Best Ways to Close Frozen Apps and Programs

Regardless of whether you are a Windows or Mac user, you will encounter the problem of frozen programs and applications. Unless the apps or programs are unfrozen or forcefully quit, you will be staring at a frozen screen. It is a serious problem and can be quite annoying because you won’t be able to complete your tasks. So, here is a guide to help you know the different ways you can close frozen programs and apps without losing files or corrupting data.

Closing Frozen Apps and Programs on Mac

Keyboard Shortcut

One of the easiest ways to quit a program is using the system-wide Force Quit function. You have to press Command + Option + Escape. The Force Quit dialog box will pop up, and you need to choose the app or program name and click the Force Quit button. The program will end immediately.

Quit Apps from the Dock

In the Dock, you can use Option + right-click on any application icons, and the Force Quit options will crop up. You need to choose the app to confirm your selection and end it.

From the Apple menu

Hold the Shift key + click on the Apple menu and find the Force Quit option. It is an easy method, and you don’t need much to remember here. But if your system is frozen, you might not be able to use this method because you will find your mouse cursor stuck in one place. You have to choose the program or app and then confirm your choice.

Control + Alt + Delete on Mac

Did you know Mac users can use the Windows alternative of Control Alt Delete on Mac? Windows users use this shortcut to open the Task Manager window; from there, all the processes and programs can be tracked and managed. You can also kill the unresponsive ones.

Similarly, you can bring up the Activity Monitor window on your Mac system. To bring this up, you can press Command + Space. Alternatively, you can launch Spotlight and type Activity Monitor on the search bar. When the Activity Manager window opens, you must go through the open or running processes list. You can also check the CPU usage tab to check the programs using too much of your system resources. You can kill unresponsive apps and programs by selecting the Force Quit option.

If these options don’t work, you can restart your system. Typically, rebooting your system will fix all the issues and help you to stay on track with your tasks.

Closing Unresponsive Apps or Programs on Windows

Windows Shortcut

Windows 10 users can quickly close frozen applications by remembering a simple shortcut. You must choose the apps you wish to quit and press Alt + F4. Then, click OK to confirm your selection.

Use the Command Prompt

One of the interface programs Windows users use to execute actions is the Command Prompt. Using this, you can close unresponsive processes. Press Windows + R on your keyword to launch the Run dialog box. Then, type cmd and click OK. When the window opens, you must enter the tasklist and press Enter to run the command. You need to enter the command taskkill/im name_of_program.exe.

You have to hit enter on your keyword and run the command. You will get a message saying the process is successful.

If you don’t want to go through the Command Prompt, you can create a shortcut to quit frozen applications. You have to right-click on any location on your system and go through the list of options. Click on New and select Shortcut. You will receive a prompt where you need to provide the shortcut’s location. Type taskkill/f/fi “status eq not responding” and name the shortcut. Then, click Finish.

You will find the new shortcut on your desktop, and then you can click on it to finish the quitting process.

Using the Task Manager

The Windows Task Manager is responsible for monitoring programs, apps, and processes that are currently running on your system. Thanks to the Task Manager, you can easily identify unresponsive apps and close them.

You must press Control + Alt + Delete on your keyboard to launch the Task Manager. If your keyboard doesn’t have the delete key, you can press Control + Alt + Escape. Then, you must select the processes or apps you wish to quit from the pop-up window and click on End Task. Once you have clicked this option, the program will close automatically.

Like Mac systems, you can reboot your Windows device if these methods don’t work and you are still staring at a frozen screen.

The Bottom Line

These are some of the best methods to close unresponsive apps and programs. Keep these in mind to stay on track with your work, and there’s no need to reach out to a technician.

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