How to Kill a Process Through Task Manager

The Task Manager is a tool supplied with Microsoft Windows operating system. The Task Manager displays information about the programs and processes running at any given time. The process or program name, the amount of memory used for that process and the processor usage are displayed in real time, as well as the overall processor and memory usage. The Task Manager in Windows Vista separates programs from processes, but all previous versions keep them all in one list.

Instructions

1. Press "Ctrl," "Alt" and "Delete" simultaneously to activate the Task Manager. For corporate versions of Windows, such as NT or XP Professional, this will bring up a security window. Click the "Task Manager" button in the security window.

2. Select the "Processes" tab, and find the process you wish to kill. Click the process name to highlight it. The process names can be cryptic at times, so choose carefully.

3. Click the "End Task" button. Since killing processes through the Task Manager is considered a "last resort," a security window will pop up warning that killing processes can cause instability. Click "OK" to confirm that you wish to kill the process.

Tips & Warnings

• Many processes are directly linked to the operating system itself. Killing a system process can cause instability, or even a system crash. Only kill processes you know are safe to kill.

References

• Microsoft Task Manager Overview