How to Kill a Process in Windows Using CMD

When a Windows application stops responding, most users open Task Manager to end or terminate the process. However, Task Manager is not the only way to manage running processes in Windows.

If an application becomes unresponsive, you can kill a process in Windows using Task Manager or directly from Command Prompt (CMD). In this guide, we’ll show you how to kill a process in Windows using commands such as tasklist and taskkill.

These commands can be particularly useful when Task Manager is unavailable, disabled by an administrator, or when you need to manage processes quickly from the command line.

In this guide, we will look at some useful Windows Command Prompt commands for starting and terminating processes, including Taskkill, Start, and Tasklist.

Commands Covered in This Guide

1. Tasklist
2. Taskkill
3. Start

1. How to Find a Process in Windows Using CMD – Tasklist Command

Before terminating a process, you may want to find out which processes are currently running.

The tasklist command displays a list of running processes on your Windows computer.

Open Command Prompt and type:

tasklist

You will see information such as the process name, Process ID (PID), session information, and memory usage.

For Example:

Image Name                     PID Session Name        Mem Usage
========================= ======== ================ ============
notepad.exe                  12345 Console             12,456 K
explorer.exe                  2345 Console             85,120 K

The PID can be useful when you want to terminate a specific instance of a process.

To learn more about the tasklist command, type:

tasklist /?

2. How to Kill a Process in Windows Using CMD – Taskkill Command

The taskkill command is used to terminate a running process from Command Prompt.

Kill a Process by Name

For example, to terminate Notepad, use:

taskkill /IM notepad.exe

Here:

• /IM specifies the image name of the process.
• notepad.exe is the process name.

To Forcefully Kill a Process

If a process does not respond normally, you can forcefully terminate it using the /F option:

taskkill /F /IM notepad.exe

Here:

• /F forces the process to terminate.
• /IM specifies the process name.

How to Kill a Process by PID in Windows

 You can also terminate a specific process by using its Process ID.

First, find the PID using:

tasklist

Then use:

taskkill /PID 12345

To forcefully terminate the process:

taskkill /F /PID 12345

Replace 12345 with the actual PID of the process.

Kill Processes That Are Not Responding

You can also use a filter to terminate processes whose status is Not Responding:

taskkill /F /FI "STATUS eq NOT RESPONDING"

The /FI option applies a filter to the processes.

To see all available options for taskkill, type:

taskkill /?

Note: Some processes require Command Prompt to be opened with administrator privileges before they can be terminated.

3. Start Command

The start command can be used to launch applications, programs, and other commands from Command Prompt.

Start Notepad

To open Notepad, type:

start notepad

This starts a new Notepad window.

Start Calculator Maximized

To launch Calculator in a maximized window:

start /MAX calc

Start Paint Minimized

To launch Paint in a minimized window:

start /MIN mspaint

You can also use start to open files, folders, URLs, and other applications.

For more information about the start command, type:

start /?

How to Restart Windows Explorer Using CMD

If Windows Explorer becomes unresponsive, you can terminate explorer.exe and start it again.

First, terminate Explorer:

taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe

Then start it again:

start explorer.exe

This can be useful when the Windows taskbar, Start menu, desktop, or File Explorer is not responding correctly.

These commands can save time when working with Windows, troubleshooting unresponsive applications, or managing processes from the command line.

Important: Be careful when terminating processes. Ending critical Windows system processes can cause applications or Windows itself to become unstable.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I kill a process in Windows?

You can use the taskkill command in Command Prompt. For example:

taskkill /IM notepad.exe

How do I force kill a process in Windows?

Use the /F option with taskkill:

taskkill /F /IM notepad.exe

How do I kill a process using PID in Windows?

First find the PID with tasklist, then run:

taskkill /PID 12345 /F