How do I force close a frozen program?

Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete → Task Manager → select the frozen program → End Task.

Windows Guides

Beginner

1 min read 5 stepsJanuary 7, 2026Verified January 2026

How to Open and Close Programs on Windows

Master the basics of launching and closing applications on your Windows PC.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Open from the Start menu
2.Open from the desktop
3.Open from the taskbar
4.Close a program
5.Force close a frozen program

Open from the Start menu

~15s

Click the Windows icon (Start) in the taskbar. Browse or search for the app you want to open.

Open from the desktop

~15s

Double-click a desktop shortcut icon to launch that program directly.

Open from the taskbar

~15s

Click any pinned app icon on the taskbar for quick access to frequently used programs.

Close a program

~15s

Click the X button in the top-right corner of the program window to close it.

Force close a frozen program

~15s

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del → Task Manager → select the frozen program → End Task.

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Official Resources

Microsoft Support How-To Geek — Windows GCFGlobal — Windows Basics

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