Using the Task Manager in Windows NT 4.0, 2000, or XP, how do I close an application that is not responding?

If a program has stopped responding in Windows NT, 2000, or XP, you will need to use the Task Manager to close it. To use the Task Manager, follow these steps:

1. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del. This will open the Windows Security window.
   
   
2. Click Task Manager, and then select the Applications tab. You will see a list of all the programs running.
   
   
3. From this list of programs, select the program that has stopped responding (under "Status", you will see "Not Responding"), and click End Task.
   
   
4. A new dialog box will appear. You can click Wait to see if the program will respond, or click End Task to close the application.

Note: You also can open the Task Manager directly by pressing Ctrl-Shift-Esc.

Also see:

• In Windows NT, 2000, and XP, what are NTVDM and WOW?
• In Microsoft Word, how can I use the AutoRecover feature to restore a document?