Post by drcard on Jan 8, 2024 7:18:59 GMT -5
Unhang a Hung App with One Click
What
Instructions to create a shortcut that will force the closure of any app that is not responding to your commands (aka: hung) with one click, which is a faster and easier method than other ways of handling a hung app.
Why
Most users at some time will experience one of their apps “hanging” and not responding to their commands. Even closing the app doesn’t stop the background process that is causing the app to “hang”. To handle this problem most users opt to restart the PC to unhang the app, which usually generates a query from Windows that the app is not respond and to close it anyway, which you say yes to. Some users opt to force the app to close using the Task Manager, but you need to know the name of the file for the app that is hung (such as OUTLOOK.EXE for Outlook being hung) as well as find and end that task in the Task Manager. Windows also has a Command line tool called Taskkill that operates much like the Task Manager and can be used to force a hung app or service to close. Windows calls these apps and services “Tasks” and “End Task” to close the app or service. Since a Taskkill command can be used to close the hung app, then that command can be placed in a shortcut so one click runs the command. A one click shortcut to unhang a hung app.
Note: I have tested this on Windows 10, but should work on other versions that have taskkill.exe in the Windows/System32 folder.
How
o Right click a blank area of the Desktop and select New > Shortcut to open the Create Shortcut wizard.
o In the Type the location of the item: box copy and paste the following command:
taskkill /FI “STATUS eq NOT RESPONDING” /F
o Press Next. Use the default name taskkill or name it what you want and click Finish.
o You can move the shortcut anywhere on that drive you desire.
o The command tells the taskkill tool to end task any task with the Status of Not Responding (aka: hung).
o When an app “hangs” and is not responding, press the shortcut and the app will close. You should be able to open the app again which may not hang again because it is starting anew.
o This command will work as long as Windows has labeled the app “not responding”.
Comments
I called my shortcut “Hung App” and placed in my Utilities Toolbar for out of sight quick access.
If you click the shortcut and don't have an app "not responding" it will appear that nothing happened, but it did check. If you run the same command in a Command window the prompt will answer with no tasks met the criteria "not responding". With the shortcut you don't get that statement to let you know it checked.
What
Instructions to create a shortcut that will force the closure of any app that is not responding to your commands (aka: hung) with one click, which is a faster and easier method than other ways of handling a hung app.
Why
Most users at some time will experience one of their apps “hanging” and not responding to their commands. Even closing the app doesn’t stop the background process that is causing the app to “hang”. To handle this problem most users opt to restart the PC to unhang the app, which usually generates a query from Windows that the app is not respond and to close it anyway, which you say yes to. Some users opt to force the app to close using the Task Manager, but you need to know the name of the file for the app that is hung (such as OUTLOOK.EXE for Outlook being hung) as well as find and end that task in the Task Manager. Windows also has a Command line tool called Taskkill that operates much like the Task Manager and can be used to force a hung app or service to close. Windows calls these apps and services “Tasks” and “End Task” to close the app or service. Since a Taskkill command can be used to close the hung app, then that command can be placed in a shortcut so one click runs the command. A one click shortcut to unhang a hung app.
Note: I have tested this on Windows 10, but should work on other versions that have taskkill.exe in the Windows/System32 folder.
How
o Right click a blank area of the Desktop and select New > Shortcut to open the Create Shortcut wizard.
o In the Type the location of the item: box copy and paste the following command:
taskkill /FI “STATUS eq NOT RESPONDING” /F
o Press Next. Use the default name taskkill or name it what you want and click Finish.
o You can move the shortcut anywhere on that drive you desire.
o The command tells the taskkill tool to end task any task with the Status of Not Responding (aka: hung).
o When an app “hangs” and is not responding, press the shortcut and the app will close. You should be able to open the app again which may not hang again because it is starting anew.
o This command will work as long as Windows has labeled the app “not responding”.
Comments
I called my shortcut “Hung App” and placed in my Utilities Toolbar for out of sight quick access.
If you click the shortcut and don't have an app "not responding" it will appear that nothing happened, but it did check. If you run the same command in a Command window the prompt will answer with no tasks met the criteria "not responding". With the shortcut you don't get that statement to let you know it checked.