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Kill all Processes on Windows: 4 Ways to Stop All Processes

Using the Command Prompt is often effective

5 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

Do you need to kill all processes on Windows? Come along with us. If multiple windows are running on your PC,your system might become slow, and you may face some errors. To solve this, you need to kill all those tasks.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to kill all the running tasks simultaneously with just one click.

The first thing that comes to mind when you’re in a situation like this is forceful restarting. But it would be best if you didn’t do that because forcefully restarting your PC coulddamage your computerand its system files.

So, forget about forceful restarting and perform some of the following actions in this article.

How do I kill a process on Windows?

How do I kill a process on Windows?

Killing a process will increase the number of resources available to other processes. For example, you can kill your Windows processes via any of the following:

Before we head to killing processes, you mustfind the process ID for each applicationto avoid trivial issues.

How do I kill all processes on Windows?

How do I kill all processes on Windows?

1. Kill processes in Command Prompt

This command should kill allprocessesrecognized as unresponding, and you’ll be good to go. Command Prompt is very useful and is one of the most powerful features of Windows, so killing a couple of unresponding processes is a piece of cake for such a tool.

2. Use CloseAll

If you prefer to use third-party software to solve problems,CloseAllis probably the best task-killing tool. It automatically closes all running processes, leaving you on your Desktop. All you have to do is to open it and press OK, and that’s the whole philosophy.

Some users recommend you pin it to Taskbar to have easy, instant access to it every time you need it. You can downloadCloseAllfrom its official website for free.

3. How to end all processes in Task Manager

In newer Windows 10 versions, related processes are grouped under one common cluster. As a result, you can end all the processes gathered under the same cluster.

4. Clean boot your computer

Another method to kill unnecessary processes is to clean and boot your computer. This method allows you to start Windows using only a minimal set of drivers and programs. Of course, you’ll need to restart your computer for this solution to take effect.

5. End all processes using Powershell

How do I kill all processes by name on Windows?

This command will get a list of all processes with the specified name and then force them to stop.

So, this is how you can end all theprocesseson Windows 10 or only a specific category ofprocesses.

Using the command prompt or Powershell, you have a lot of flexibility and may tweak the script’s parameters to modify how it operates.

Regardless of your chosen solution, you should still achieve the same result. You may also be interested interminating all app windows in Windows 11 at once, so check out how to proceed by visiting our expert guide.

Lastly, we like to hear from you in the comments below. So, please tell us what your favorite approach is.

More about the topics:Windows 10 Guides

Ivan Jenic

Windows Hardware Expert

Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.

When he’s not tackling diverse driver-related problems, Ivan enjoys watching good movies and spending time hiking with his family and friends.

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Ivan Jenic

Windows Hardware Expert

Ivan has delved deep into understanding the Windows OS, with a specialization in drivers and driver troubleshooting.

Reviewed byAlex Serban