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You don't need to install a task killer: how to manage running apps on android.

Let Android do its thing.

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Android handles automatic task killing, how to see what apps are running on android, how to close apps on android, how to force close an app on android, key takeaways.

Android has a Windows-like built-in task manager called "Running Services." You can access it from the hidden Developer Options menu. From there, you can stop processes.

Google Play is full of task managers for Android. These utilities can show you apps running in the background, kill running apps, and otherwise manage your apps -- but you don't need to install any third-party software to do this.

We'll show you how to quickly and easily kill and manage your running apps using only the software included with your Android phone. Third-party task managers are unnecessary and can do more harm than good.

Task managers and task killers are often one and the same. A task killer promises to speed up your phone by automatically killing apps running in the background. It stays running in the background, automatically removing apps from memory when you're done using them.

However, we've already explained why you shouldn't use a task killer on Android and why you shouldn't close Android apps in general . In a nutshell, Android doesn't manage processes like Windows does. Properly behaved apps running in the background aren't actually doing anything---they just remain in the memory and use very little resources. When you access them again, they'll quickly open, as they're waiting in memory for you to return.

When apps are killed, they're removed from memory, and they take longer to re-open as their data has to be transferred from system storage back into RAM. This is why a task killer can actually slow things down. Android includes its own automatic task killer ---Android will kill tasks automatically if its memory fills up and it needs more memory for other reasons. You don't have to install any software to take advantage of this.

Android has a built-in task manager like Windows that shows running services---it can be found in the hidden Developer Options menu. You'll need to follow the steps to enable the Developer Options before you can access it.

After enabling Developer Options, find them at Settings > System > Developer Options or Settings > Developer Options.

Go to

Now look for "Running Services" in the Developer Options menu.

Select

Here you'll see how much of the device memory is being used. Running apps and services are listed along with how much memory they're using. Select an app to see the option to stop it.

Android Running Services.

Tap "Stop" to close the app.

Tap

This is a great secret way to see all the apps and services running on your Android device. It shows more information than simply opening the multitasking view to see recent apps. You may also want to see which Android apps use the most battery .

To "lightly" close an app on Android, simply swipe the app up off the screen from the multitasking view. This ends the current "task" but doesn't fully kill the app. It's usually enough to fix a misbehaving app.

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause halfway to see the recent apps. Alternatively, tap the square "Recents" button in the navigation bar .

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

Scroll through the list of recent apps and swipe up on any app to "close" it.

Swipe up to close app.

That's all there is to it! As mentioned, the app is not totally killed with this method. For that, check out the section below to force-stop the app.

To fully close or kill an Android app, you can go to Settings > Apps > Select the app > Tap "Close." This method will end all processes and remove the app from memory until you open it again.

First, go to the Settings app and navigate to the "Apps" section.

Go to the

Select the app you'd like to close or tap "See All Apps" to view the full app list.

Select an app.

Now select "Force Stop" or "Force Close."

Tap

Tap "OK" on the pop-up to confirm.

Tap

This is not something you should do all the time, but it's effective for solving problems with misbehaving apps. You can try rebooting the phone entirely if problems persist.

The various task management features in Android should be more than enough for most people. There are times when Android doesn't handle tasks well , but for the most part, you don't have to worry about it. Let Android do its thing.

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5 best task manager apps for Android

SystemPanel 2 best task managers for Android

Task managers used to be a really big deal. Back in the days of FroYo and Gingerbread there weren’t a lot of ways to deal with applications and if you opened one, it remained open to sap what precious RAM was available on phones back then. Since Ice Cream Sandwich and the inclusion of the stock Android task manager, there is no reason to use an app like this anymore. Future additions like Doze Mode , Adaptive Battery , and other Android features not only make apps like this useless. In fact, it can actually cause excessive battery drain.

It’s true we can probably go with not writing one of these at all, but we care about everybody rocking Android. Even the less than 1% running a version of Android that actually needed these. Here are the best task manager apps for Android.

We only recommend these if you’re running something older than Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Otherwise, we recommend the best battery saving apps and methods to manage Android’s existing task manager better.

The best task manager apps for Android

Advanced task manager, greenify and servicely, simple system monitor, systempanel 2, taskmanager.

Price: Free / $2.99

Advanced Task Manager is another one of the more popular task management apps. It has sort of evolved into a phone booster. That’s not the best news because booster apps don’t work well. However, this is a task manager that works on Nougat. That’s fairly rare. You can use it to kill apps and games, clear out RAM, and a few other things. It has an ignore list for those apps you don’t want closed. This is one of a few that works on newer versions of Android. We wouldn’t recommend you do that, though. It’s still good for older devices as well.

See also:  The best password manager apps for Android

Price: Free / Up to $13.99

greenify best task manager apps for android

Greenify and Servicely are two more modern task manager apps. They manage tasks by stopping app services that run in the background. They don’t drain battery that way and also can’t do random stuff in the background. Greenify works without root, albeit not as well as it does with root. Servicely is a root-only app, however. Greenify also helps you identify what apps wake up your phone and how often they do it. These are still useful on modern phones, unlike most task manager apps. Another great option for spotting rogue apps is wakelock Detector, another root app on Google Play. The video above doesn’t have a thumbnail, but it is a tutorial on how to use this app.

See also: The best root apps for Android

Price: Free / $1.99

Simple System Monitor - best task manager apps

Simple System Monitor is, well, a simple system monitor. It shows a variety of system stats, including RAM and CPU usage, GPU usage, network activity, and some root options. It also includes a task manager, a cache cleaner, and some other tools. The CPU usage only works on pre-Android Oreo devices, though, thanks to changes Google made in the OS. Otherwise, it works quite well as both a system monitor app and a task manager app.

SystemPanel 2 - best task management apps for android

SystemPanel 2 is one of the only task management apps that is still worth using. Instead of boasting some magical one-click solution, it just shows you a bunch of information. It’ll show you how long apps have fun on any particular day. It’ll also show active apps, app CPU usage, and more. It can also backup some data. There are root features as well, including disabling app services and more. It should work really well up through Android Nougat at least. You can get the app for free or get the paid version as an in-app purchase.

See also:  The best work from home apps, gadgets, and tools

Price: Free

Taskmanager - best task manager apps for android

Taskmanager is an old school style task manager app. It shows you a list of tasks and the total amount of RAM used. The app also features a dark theme, the ability to kill apps if needed, and a one by one widget that kills apps for you. It also boasts no in-app purchases, unnecessary permissions, and a somewhat modern design. It’s definitely good for what it is and it’s a weird modern app killer in an era when they aren’t really needed anymore. Still, it’s good for older devices.

If we missed any of the best task manager apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out the latest Android app and game lists!

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Does Your Android Device Really Need a Task Killer?

what is task killer

Some people swear by task killer apps and believe that they help make their phone faster, while others think them to be wholly unnecessary. In fact, the latter group is of the view that task killers, in addition to being useless, can actually cause device performance to take a significant hit.

For the uninitiated, a task killer app is a program that lets you monitor programs running in the background and kill large, resource intensive programs.The goal is to free up memory for other apps and save battery power by killing heavy apps.

But is that what the task killer really does? Does your Android device really need a Task Killer? Let’s find out.

See Also:  Experiencing Lag on Your Android Device? Speed it Up With Jar Power Tools

Android Memory Management

To understand what the task killer app does, you need to first understand how Android allocates memory to an app in a device. Apps that are being used currently are loaded into your device RAM. At any given time device RAM is being used by several apps at once, which lets them run fast and lets you switch back and forth between them.

Android operates markedly differently from Windows. On your Windows PC, if the available RAM limit is exceeded, the OS will start using your hard drive as a memory resource. Hard drives are much slower than RAM chips. RAM chips are designed for fast access. So if the RAM is full, the speed at which a program runs will reduce dramatically. On Windows, therefore, it makes sense to use programs to keep the RAM free for maximum efficiency.

Android, instead of using the flash memory in your device, just kills off old processes to free up memory for new ones. All this is done automatically, so open apps are not affected by device memory. If an app lags, usually it’s the CPU that is slowing things down, not the RAM.

What Does a Task Killer App Do Exactly?

A task killer app lets you see what apps are running in the background. You can then choose to kill off multiple apps to free up memory for new apps and theoretically help your device run faster.

A task killer app will also usually include an advanced view that lets you see what app is using how much memory. It will also tell you how much free memory your device has currently and how much memory you’ll free (in theory) by killing off a process.

Does a Task Killer App Make Your Phone Faster?

In most cases, a task killer will only slow your phone down. It also drains your battery faster. A task killer is essentially redundant, because it works on the assumption that freeing up memory makes your device run faster, which is not the case at all.

All it does is let you kill processes you’re not using currently – a task that Android can manage on its own automatically. In fact, by killing off a frequently used app, it will actually increase load times the next time you open that app, because now Android is forced to load it from flash memory, all over again, instead of RAM.

Must Read:  Tired of a Slow Android Phone? Boost the Performance of Your Android Device with the SuperCharger Script  

Pros of Using a Task Killer App

There are some pros of using a task killer, however. A task killer can help you kill off bad apps – apps that use resources when they are not running, for example, or apps that you never use but are still loaded on the RAM.

A task killer can also help you stop stuck or buggy apps from running.

Cons of Using a Task Killer App

A task killer app itself will use a significant amount of CPU power and RAM. It will also drain your battery faster. When you use the task killer to free up space, the task killer, slowing down other apps that are running, puts the device CPU under pressure.

In most cases, task killer apps actually end up making your phone slower than it was before. Also, if you end up killing a system process by mistake, your Android OS may not work correctly unless you restart the phone and load the process again. Killing off apps also increases their loading times in the future.

Recommended Reading:  Tasker is The Most Powerful Task Automation Tool for Android Devices

Final Thoughts

To sum it up, only download a task killer (like the popular Auto Task Killer) if you often need to monitor and terminate buggy processes. Using a task killer made sense when Android was a new OS and wasn’t tuned to give peak performance automatically. Today, the Android OS is more than capable of managing device memory on its own.

So what are your thoughts on this matter? Do you prefer using a task killer on your device? If yes, share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Home » Android » What is an Android Task Killer App and How to Use the App

What is an Android Task Killer App and How to Use the App

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Battery life is one of the significant factors that we look at when choosing a mobile device. Of course, we want our smartphones or tablets to be able to keep up with heavy usage and hopefully last the entire day. While most of the newer phones are now made with more significant battery capacities, the additional juice usually ends up powering other features — for instance, a more prominent display means more power is drawn from the battery.

The need for longer battery life is the reason why Android task killer apps have been developed. They are the rage back in the day, but are they still relevant and useful today?

What is an Android Task Killer App?

A task killer app is a third-party mobile app designed to force-stop apps and processes running in the background. This activity is supposed to free up the device’s system memory or RAM. Necessarily, they “kill” apps, thus the moniker. Some apps of this kind are made to function automatically in timed intervals, while some will be triggered if it detects heavy RAM usage. There are also those that require manual user intervention. Some even let the user choose which of the listed apps to kill. Furthermore, several task killers have more customizable features.

How Android Task Killers Work

Task killers became popular back when complaints about the short battery life of mobile devices were growing. The concept of using a task killer is that by forcing apps and processes to stop, they are lifted from the memory. As a result, the Android phone or tablet’s CPU has fewer things to process. That means it consumes less energy, helping the battery last longer, possibly throughout the day.

The Argument Against Task Killer Apps

Over the years, task killers have been met with skepticism. Despite developers doing their best to back their claims and users swearing by the benefits of apps they were able to use, there are still opposing arguments regarding the need for these apps and their value.

Some claim that the Android operating system has already grown and has tremendously improved through the years and is now far more capable in handling every process thrown at it. Some also argue that the memory and CPU of mobile devices work differently from that of computers. Additionally, mobile hardware has come a long way to support software processes better without consuming a lot of energy. All these arguments boil into one: Android task killers are not as necessary as they are being fashioned to be.

So, Should You Use a Task Killer for Android?

Many arguments against task killer apps are based on the fact that newer Android devices have more powerful hardware and process management capabilities. The built-in Applications Manager also lets users easily force-stop apps whenever they need to. However, task killers are still beneficial in many situations. Here are the pros of using one:

  • Most task killer apps provide a detailed graph and data about apps and processes. It lets you see which of them often use too much processing and battery power for no useful and apparent reason. As a result, you can uninstall these apps and maybe find a better alternative.
  • Mobile phones and tablets running on older Android versions can still benefit from task killers’ primary function as they have less process management capabilities compared to newer devices.
  • Even if you can force-stop apps and processes through the Application Manager, you’ll have to do it manually for each app. Task killers let you force-stop apps in one go. It is especially helpful if there are apps that are designed to continually try establishing an Internet connection and generate notifications, which aside from using up your mobile data are also draining your battery.

How to Use Android Task Killer

How to Use Android Task Killer

Task killers can cause problems when they are not used and configured correctly. So, it’s a must that you learn how to use one and know which apps you can kill and shouldn’t. Every task killer app looks differently and may have different features, but they should have the same functions. All you need to do is familiarize yourself with the settings and find where you can make the changes.

The most basic way to use an Android task killer is to open the app and manually select and kill apps. The process of killing an app is pretty straightforward. Usually, you’ll have to check apps from a list provided by the task killer, then tap a button to kill them. The trickier part is the selection. If you accidentally killed an app or process needed by your system or other connected apps to work smoothly, you might experience some issues.

The rule of thumb is to kill stand-alone apps such as games and web browsers if you find them taking a toll on your device’s CPU. However, you should also consider if any of these stand-alone apps will affect YOU — not just your device — in any way. For instance, if you use a reminders app, killing it off might affect your productivity. You need to think twice before killing apps of the following nature:

  • Apps that check for updates – You might want to keep apps such as Play Store active if you like to be notified of available app updates.
  • Apps you use for events and other reminders – As exampled above, killing off apps designed to remind you of something may need to be kept running to avoid missing any significant event or task.
  • Apps that are currently doing something important – If an app is currently updating, for instance, leave it be. Killing off an app during a crucial process may affect its overall performance.

Often, you will also have the option to set a task killer to auto-kill apps. Now, this is where it gets risky. If you let your task killer just auto-kill apps without first setting it up yourself, it might not discriminate and kill apps and processes crucial for the proper functioning of your device and other connected services and apps.

Typically, task killers have some whitelist, which you can organize to make sure that essential apps are not force-stopped without your conscious knowledge. When setting up your list of apps to auto-kill and not, keep the following in mind:

  • Apps and processes that has ‘android.’ in its name should never be killed.
  • Apps and processes that bear the name of your carrier and device’s manufacturer should not be killed unless you are confident that they are just extra, stand-alone apps.
  • If an app sounds too foreign or technical, it’s probably a system process, and thus shouldn’t be killed.
  • Home replacements or launchers shouldn’t be killed, whether they’re from your manufacturer or downloaded from Play Store.

If your task killer allows setting the interval or schedule of killing apps, fix it to do so as often as possible. Installing a task killer and not using it beats the purpose of having one.

After allowing a task killer to manage your device’s apps and processes, pay attention to your device. Did it have longer battery life? Is it working just fine despite some apps and processes being killed from time to time?

By the way, if your primary reason for wanting to install a task killer is to boost your device’s RAM and extend its battery, an Android cleaner app can also help. This app is designed to clean out junk files and extend RAM, helping extend the battery for up to 2 hours.

what is task killer

Top Contributors in Windows 10: Ramesh Srinivasan  -  neilpzz  -  Horace Wiggins  -  franco d'esaro  -  _AW_   ✅

February 14, 2024

Top Contributors in Windows 10:

Ramesh Srinivasan  -  neilpzz  -  Horace Wiggins  -  franco d'esaro  -  _AW_   ✅

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Can I Uninstall Killer Control Center Without Harming My Computer?

Recently my computer did an update for Windows 10 where I had to sit and wait for it to restart a few times. Once it was done, I logged in like normal and noticed that it automatically downloaded a program called Killer Control Center. I did some research on the program and it seems to be harmless. However, I read somewhere that Killer Control Center causes one's internet to run slowly, but my computer seems to be working just fine so far. I also noticed that every time I boot up my computer, the Killer Control center notice pops up on the side and I have to close it. Should I uninstall the program? I'm worried that it's going to harm my computer if I do so. However, I'm never going to use it and the pop up every time I load up my computer is a total nuisance. What should I do?

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How to Identify and Kill Any Process in Windows 11 and Windows 10

We show you how to kill a process in Windows 10 with Task Manager, Command Prompt's taskkill, PowerShell, and third-party tools.

How to Identify and Kill Any Process in Windows 10

  • 1 How to Kill a Process in Windows 10 Task Manager
  • 2 How to Kill a Process in Windows 11 Task Manager
  • 3 How to Kill a Process with the Taskkill Command
  • 4 How to Terminate a Process with PowerShell
  • 5 How to Identify the Process of any Open System Dialog or Program Window with Process Explorer
  • 6 How to Kill Any Window-Related Process Directly With Just Two Clicks
  • 7 FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Process Management in Windows
  • 8 Extra: How to Set CPU Affinity via Windows Task Manager, System Properties, PowerShell, and CMD
  • 9 Extra: How to Change Windows Startup Programs (Add, Delete, Enable, Disable)

For the most part, Windows programs function just fine, but when one misbehaves it's often necessary to kill its process. At times, apps can refuse to close, get stuck on a blank screen, or suddenly consume a lot of system resources. Terminating the task will force it to close and free up your system for normal functioning.

Identifying and Killing a Process of Single Windows and Background Apps

There are various ways to kill a process, but all of them make use of an application's PID (Process ID), a unique identifier that ensures only the correct one is terminated. However, it's worth noting that terminating a specific application process can still have knock-on effects on the rest of the program's functions if they rely on it.

The most common way in Windows 11 and Windows 10 to terminate a process is through Task Manager . But today we'll also be covering how to kill a process with PowerShell, how use the taskkill command in Command Prompt , how to find a process ID with Process Explorer (Microsofts optional advanced Task Manager) and using a two-click-method via a task bar button.

Different Methods to Kill a Process for Different Needs

Some programs run several processes at once which means if you want to terminate the application completely you will have to kill all those processes. And there are cases where you will have a program window or system dialog but cannot identify the underlying process. In our tutorial you will find solutions for all of those issues.

How to Kill a Process in Windows 10 Task Manager

Task Manager is the bread and butter of Windows 10 task killers, providing a simple interface with all the information users need to make informed decisions about which applications they should close. Accessing it is as easy as pressing “Ctrl + Shift + Esc”.

what is task killer

How to Kill a Process in Windows 11 Task Manager

Task Manager has changed a bit in Windows 11, but still provides the standard method for killing tasks. Here is how it works to kill a process on Windows 11 with Task Manager.

what is task killer

How to Kill a Process with the Taskkill Command

If task manager isn't an option because you're using a Windows server install or it's blocked by your administrator, you can achieve similar results through the use of the taskkill command in Command Prompt.

Windows 10 - Open Elevated Command Prompt

How to Terminate a Process with PowerShell

Alternatively, those familiar with PowerShell can use it kill tasks instead. This has the advantage of quite intuitive commands.

Windows 10 - Open PowerShell as Admin

How to Identify the Process of any Open System Dialog or Program Window with Process Explorer

As you've likely realized by now, scrolling through a giant list to get the name or PID of an application can be an annoyance. To remedy this, you can use Microsoft 's Process Explorer.

Windows 10 - Download Process Explorer

How to Kill Any Window-Related Process Directly With Just Two Clicks

Though all of the above methods work just fine, if you find yourself having to kill tasks regularly they still aren't ideal. For such use cases, we recommend Grizzly Bear's “Kill”, a tiny 205KB app that you can pin to your taskbar to kill window process with two clicks.

Windows-10-Download-Kill.exe

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Process Management in Windows

How can i prevent a program from automatically restarting after i kill its process.

To prevent a program from restarting automatically, identify and disable the mechanism triggering its launch, such as a Windows service, scheduled task, or startup entry. Use services.msc to manage services , Task Scheduler for tasks , and Task Manager's “ Startup ” tab for startup entries. Be cautious when disabling services and tasks, as it may affect system functionality.

What is the difference between ‘End Task' in Task Manager and using ‘taskkill /F' in Command Prompt?

“ End Task ” in Task Manager attempts a graceful shutdown, allowing the application to save data, while taskkill /F in Command Prompt forces an immediate termination. The former is safer and less likely to cause data loss, whereas the latter is useful for unresponsive processes but with a higher risk of data corruption.

Is there a way to view the command line arguments of a running process in Task Manager?

Yes, to view command line arguments, open Task Manager, switch to the “ Details ” tab, right-click on column headers, and select “ Select columns ” to check the “ Command line ” option. This reveals the command line used to start each process, useful for understanding process context or debugging startup issues.

How do I find out what a particular process does before I decide to kill it?

Research the process name online on reputable sources or use third-party process management tools with built-in descriptions. Be cautious with system processes or essential application processes, as terminating them might impact system stability or functionality.

Can I use Task Manager to set priorities for processes?

Task Manager allows you to adjust process priorities under the “ Details ” tab by right-clicking a process and selecting “ Set priority “. Changing priorities can affect system performance and stability, so proceed with caution and avoid setting processes to “ Real-time “.

What should I do if a process I killed starts up again on its own?

Investigate if the process is managed by a service or scheduled task and use services.msc or Task Scheduler to disable it. For processes restarted by other applications, consider adjusting the application's settings or uninstalling it if not needed.

Can I kill a group of related processes at once?

While Task Manager does not support this directly, Command Prompt and PowerShell allow scripting to terminate multiple processes, using commands like taskkill /IM name.exe /F or Get-Process -Name name | Stop-Process -Force . Use with caution to avoid terminating essential processes.

How can I tell if a process is frozen or just taking a long time to respond?

In Task Manager, processes marked as “ Not responding ” are likely frozen. High, unchanging CPU or memory usage can also indicate a process is stuck. For detailed analysis, use Resource Monitor to view the resources each process is using and diagnose unresponsive behavior.

What can I do if Task Manager itself is unresponsive or won't open?

If Task Manager is unresponsive, try launching it from Command Prompt by typing taskmgr . If it fails, a system restart might be necessary. Persistent issues may indicate deeper system problems, potentially requiring system repair tools or professional help.

Are there any keyboard shortcuts to quickly access process management tools?

Utilize shortcuts like Ctrl + Shift + Esc for Task Manager, Win + R then type “ resmon” for Resource Monitor, and Win + X for access to PowerShell or Command Prompt. These facilitate quick navigation and management of system processes.

How do I kill a process that's not listed in Task Manager?

For processes not visible in Task Manager, use “Services” to manage system services or Command Prompt/PowerShell for granular control with commands like tasklist and taskkill or Get-Process and Stop-Process . Exercise caution, as this can affect system operations.

Can terminating a process cause data loss?

Terminating a process, especially forcefully, can lead to data loss or corruption if the process is engaged in writing to a file or performing critical operations. Always attempt to close programs normally and use termination as a last resort for unresponsive applications.

How can I automate the killing of a specific process at scheduled times?

Use Task Scheduler to create a task that executes a taskkill command at scheduled times, such as taskkill /IM processname.exe /F , replacing processname.exe with the actual process name. This is useful for managing known resource-consuming or unresponsive processes.

What's the safest way to experiment with killing processes if I'm unsure of the consequences?

Before experimenting, create a system restore point as a safety net. Start with non-critical applications, and monitor system behavior after terminating a process. For high-risk experiments, consider using virtual machines or sandbox environments for isolation.

Can I use Task Manager to find out which process is using a specific file?

Task Manager does not directly show file usage by processes. Use Resource Monitor or the openfiles command for this purpose. Third-party tools like Process Explorer provide a more user-friendly interface for identifying file usage by processes.

Extra: How to Set CPU Affinity via Windows Task Manager, System Properties, PowerShell, and CMD

what is task killer

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How to Use Taskkill to End Processes in Windows

Last Updated: June 26, 2023 Tested

Ending a Process

Forcefully ending a process, ending all non-responsive programs.

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 9 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 38,840 times. Learn more...

Taskkill is a Windows Command Prompt (cmd) command that ends one or more tasks. It's kind of like ending a task with Task Manager, but from the command line. [1] X Research source Taskkill can also do things like forcefully end a program if it won't close normally, or it can terminate multiple programs at once. For most people, Task Manager is the best program to use, but knowing taskkill is useful if you are writing a program, or if you need to do something more advanced. This wikiHow article will teach you how to use the taskkill command to force quit programs on your Windows PC.

Things You Should Know

  • Run the tasklist command first to see which tasks are running.
  • To kill a task, run taskkill /IM imagename .
  • To end all tasks that aren't responding, run taskkill /FI "STATUS eq NOT RESPONDING" .

Step 1 Open Command Prompt.

  • To start Command Prompt as administrator, right-click it, and select "Run as administrator". You will need to do this to end any programs that are also running as administrator.

CMD Run Tasklist.png

  • You will probably have to scroll down to review all of the processes since they won't fit all on one page.

CMD Kill Task.png

  • For this example, the whole command would look like taskkill /IM notepad.exe .

Taskkill notepad.png

  • Remember to add the space before typing /F .

Expert Q&A

  • The taskkill command is not case sensitive Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • There are many other things that taskkill can do, but most people will not need to use them. You can view all arguments for the taskkill command here . Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Be careful with the command prompt. Although taskkill cannot really harm your computer, other commands can cause damage. You can always see what a command does by typing the first part, and then typing in /? after it. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

what is task killer

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Open Windows Task Manager

  • ↑ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/taskkill
  • ↑ https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/tasklist

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Killer is an open source Task Manager that lets you end several tasks at once

Killer is an open source Task Manager that lets you end several tasks at once

Have you encountered a random program freezing up? The usual fix is to open the Windows Task Manager, and manually "End the Task". or to use a different process manager, such as Process Lasso , MiTec Task Manager Deluxe , or Process Explorer to take care of the misbehaving process. That works, most of the time.

Now, if a program has a lot of sub-processes under it and freezes, that's going to be annoying. This is where the "Kill Process Tree" option comes in handy. But only when they are grouped under one, right?

Otherwise, you've to end the tasks one-by-one. Killer is an open source Task Manager that lets you end several tasks at once. When you run it for the first time, you'll be offered the option to install the program for you, or for all users. The latter requires administrator privileges, I chose the former, but you can select either, it doesn't affect the program's functionality.

The interface seems to follow the UWP standard, with a search bar at the top. You may enter the name of a process or its ID in the box to filter the list of running processes. Killer displays the icon (in case of normal programs), the process ID, name of the process, its CPU Usage and memory usage.

Killer Task Manager open source

As if the name of the application wasn't dark enough, the label of the 2nd button at the bottom is downright creepy. Anyway, what do these buttons do? Refer to the example at the beginning of this article. To end an individual process, check the box next to it and hit the Kill button. Mark multiple ones and close them in one go by hitting the other button. If the program failed to close the application, it will display a message informing you about the same. This happened only once for me though, with the DropboxUpdate.exe.

There are 2 ways to sort the list of processes, you can double-click on the column name, or use the downwards-arrow button in the column bar to sort the list alphabetically or in the reverse order. The Up and Down arrow buttons near the bottom left corner of the screen, let you jump to the top or bottom of the process list. This is particularly useful, since the program's scrolling isn't exactly buttery smooth.

You can access Killer by pressing the hotkey Control + Shift + Key. This only works if you allowed the program to place a desktop shortcut. Basically, the installer creates a hotkey for the shortcut, you can do this yourself for any application. And as for Killer's interface, it doesn't support any hotkeys. The menu button in the top-right corner has an option to change the display font size.

Killer is written in Python. It requires about 100MB of disk space to be installed, and there's no portable version available. If you access it from the Windows Task Manager, Killer will appear under the name "That Damn Chrome". That's probably the author's way of mocking Chrome's multi-process behavior.

I noticed a lag when I tried to move Killer's window from one place to another. The only issues I had with it were the lack of support for keyboard shortcuts, occasional stutters, and a very noticeable bug in the program, right-clicking anywhere on the interface adds a "circle" icon, it goes away when you click on it. I can't say for sure, but it could be a placeholder for a context menu. I should remind you that the program is still in a very early development phase.

Its simplicity is perhaps Killer's greatest strength, advanced users may want something better, I like Process Hacker and Process Explorer, but that's a matter of personal preference.

what is task killer

For Windows

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I used to enjoy SystemExplorer a lot but it hasn’t been updated in years and the developers email seems to be disabled so I would say it has been abandoned. It still works okay now but still some updates would be great for a few minor issues.

I stick with Process Hacker. Open source and the mightiest task manager around: https://processhacker.sourceforge.io/

I receive the, not a valid Win32 application, error when trying to launch the setup of the current version and also the first version of the Killer software. I tested on Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3.

Sorry, most of the tools I use in the project no longer support Windows XP. I added a “requirements” section to the page, it should have been there before.

ROTFL! Yeah buddy, stick to your outdated OS and keep wondering why more and more programs no longer work. So funny…

Hey! Thanks a lot for this review! I was surprised by the amount of downloads and came to see where they were coming from. Your article is good! I read it like was ME describing the app! I will take into account the criticisms and improve next versions, thanks for noticing that it is in an early stage of development.

Best regards!

A Python script requiring a big fat bundled interpreter to function as an EXE? No thanks, for as you yourself stated there are far better alternatives available, especially the small and very powerful Process Explorer from Sysinternals/MS. Moreover this program’s elements betray the coder’s rather juvenile sense of ‘humor’ (if it can even be called so).

Honestly, many of the reviews here only serve to reflect Ashwin’s search for something, anything really (probably found at random in GitHub), to write articles about so as to justify his being part of the team, as opposed to genuine recommendations for good software. The other articles are fine, but the review standards really need to improve a lot.

Simple task killer. 100MB. I pass.

Ctrl/Shift/Esc to bring up Task Manager, right click, choose end task or end process tree will suffice.

why write an articcle on a poorly designed piece of software?

money talks, thats why.

^ This. I too just made a very similar comment before reading yours, and even hazarded a guess as to why.

This site and its users really deserve better when it comes to reviews.

Killer requires Open GL 2.0. With my basic Intel HD graphics on an older computer it won’t work. I was looking forward to trying it.

Wow, Open GL 2.0 for such a basic UI, which still ends up being laggy and with terrible scrolling?

This review and the program are just a sheer waste of everyone’s time. Why, GHacks?

command line windows:

> taskkill /?

To verify if a process is actived or not, here’s the first lines of my batch file:

@echo off :check_firefox_running rem SETLOCAL EnableExtensions set EXE=firefox.exe FOR /F %%x IN (‘tasklist /NH /FI “IMAGENAME eq %EXE%”‘) DO IF %%x == %EXE% goto FOUND echo. echo Firefox not running goto suite :FOUND echo. echo Firefox running timeout /t 5 /nobreak goto check_firefox_running

@ Anonymous said on March 19, 2021 at 7:32 pm

with nirsoft (here’s an example):

nircmd.exe killprocess “RuntimeBroker.exe”

I’m just an ordinary user with no real understanding of what’s going on behind the scenes, but what I often do when a program freezes is to pull up “Resource Monitor,” wait for the frozen executable to show up (highlighted in red-colored font, in the Overview or CPU tab), right-click on it and choose “Analyze Wait Chain…”, and then kill the culpable process (also in red). From what I remember, that *usually* kills the entire program and all of its subprocesses, but on a few occasions I *think* it has merely ended the hang and allowed the rest of the program to continue running normally. I assume it depends on whether the culpable process is an essential part of the program as a whole or just an independent, tacked-on side routine. I don’t run into program hangs often enough to have formed a clear picture.

I’d recommend checking out ProcessKO, which will close programs (including those with more than one process) with a single click, and also lets you set a list of ‘favourites’ to save you having to search through a list of all open programs…all my multi-process browsers are amongst my favourites for this reason.

Too bad the user interface looks like hot garbage. I would rather use Process Lasso, MiTec Task Manager Deluxe, and Process Explorer. These have proper desktop interfaces.

I would rather have more stuff and finish processes one by one than having this simple “task killer” and miss all the other options. I mean, how many times do you really have to kill multiple processes? like once every 20 years I am sure.

I would rather recommend something like Process Hacker, it is portable, you can search and filter programs and end multiple processes, and if you use PH v3 (nightly version), you get tons of new stuff, even a dark theme and a useful Firewall tab to check what firewall is doing that works better than simplewall’s packet log since you can use PH search and filter it and even see flags of the IPs passing through your firewall, but it can do so much. You might say “well it would be too complicated for grandma” but in that case I am sure task manager would be enough, because even grandma rarely will have to close multiple processes at once.

If you develop software, you will use a task killer far more often.

And to all those who complain, you will need to sift through a lot of crap, before you find the software gems. I for one am glad Ashwin takes the time to find and write about the crap that populates the internet.

Because A) it saves me time investigating myself and B) it makes you appreciate the gems more.

Extremely unlikely that anyone who develops software has no clue about Process Hacker and Explorer, which makes this review redundant for them anyway.

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How to use Microsoft's hidden app killer on Windows 10

updated on November 22, 2019

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Read the affiliate disclosure page to find out how can you help MSPoweruser effortlessly and without spending any money. Read more

what is task killer

In Windows 10, Microsoft’s highly curated store allows only the most secure apps and extensions that have been screened by the firm. That’s a good thing as it means you’re less likely to pick some nasty internet transmitted disease if you stick to the MS Store for your needs. Unfortunately, not all apps may play well together, and you may well find some app/extension or extension/website or app/app combination conflict in such a way as to render both apps insensate, and simply killing it with with task manager in the case of extensions may not be suitable, or you’d rather not dabble in such legacy environments.

Microsoft offers a new hidden way to terminate apps that doesn’t require you heading to task manager and accidentally killing something that you’ll need, instead offering a laser focuses means of finding and killing the app directly.

How to use Microsoft’s hidden app killer on Windows 10

  • Open the Settings app and navigate to Apps
  • Select “Apps and Features”
  • Under Installed apps, select the app you want to kill.
  • Go to “advanced app info”.
  • “Click or tap terminate, this immediately kills the app.

More about the topics: how to , microsoft , tip , windows 10

Michael Allison

Senior Editor

Senior editor at @MSpoweruser. Writes about all Windows 10, Skype, Surface, Edge. Also covers social media news.

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What Is the “Killer Network Service” in Windows (And Is It Safe)?

We explain why you may want to keep it

Author avatar

With a name like Killer Network Service, Intel’s network management process does not inspire confidence. Is the service even worth running, or should you kill the killer ?

Terminating background processes that do not belong to Microsoft is always a good idea, especially if the process is causing high CPU usage. Some of these processes might even be viruses that slow down your PC.

What Is the “Killer Network Service” in Windows (And Is It Safe)? image 1

What Is the Killer Network Service?

The Killer Network Service (KNS) is a background process created and published by Intel. It usually comes bundled with the drivers for a series of Intel’s Wifi cards , appropriately named Killer Network cards.

Killer Networking cards are designed to reduce latency and network lag for an improved gaming experience and are usually installed in high-end gaming laptops. At least, that’s what Intel claims.

What Is the “Killer Network Service” in Windows (And Is It Safe)? image 2

The specialized WiFi cards need more improvement to justify the increased price tag. In addition, they can lead to network connection issues thanks to their different way of doing things.

Is the Killer Network Service a Virus?

The only saving grace of the killer network service is that it is not malware. It’s a legitimate background service triggered by Intel’s Killer Network cards and is not supposed to damage your system.

What Is the “Killer Network Service” in Windows (And Is It Safe)? image 3

But intentions do not decide performance. The killer network service can often cause more trouble than it solves. Problems like a laggy computer or high CPU usage are frequently reported by people using Killer Network drivers.

Why Does Killer Network Service Cause High CPU Usage?

The killer network service’s function is to monitor all outgoing network traffic and allocate adequate resources for every activity. The idea is to prioritize gaming streams to ensure minimum latency, preventing other network tasks from intruding on its much-needed network share.

What Is the “Killer Network Service” in Windows (And Is It Safe)? image 4

Because of how it works, the killer network service remains active in the background, constantly analyzing network traffic. And while Killer cards are supposed to use their processor to improve performance, it leads to a higher burden on the CPU.

In some cases, the usage level can exceed normal values, causing your whole computer to slow down. This is especially a problem on a computer with a less powerful processor, as the chip may not be able to handle the increased load smoothly.

Is it Safe to Stop the Killer Network Service?

The Killer Network Service, unlike many background processes, isn’t essential. It’s not a component of the operating system or any security application, making it safe to disable manually.

What Is the “Killer Network Service” in Windows (And Is It Safe)? image 5

Furthermore, its role in network optimization isn’t crucial either, so you can replace the service with normal Intel drivers and lose no functionality on your PC. You just won’t have the Killer card’s improved ping though, if that’s a thing you care about.

Remember that uninstalling it improperly can cause WiFi issues since the Killer cards use the KNS drivers by default. We’ll review the proper way of removing the service from your computer in the next section.

How Can You Uninstall the Killer Network Service?

There is no direct uninstallation method for removing the Killer Network Service. But as the service is a part of the Killer Performance Suite, all you need is to uninstall the suite .

Unless you uninstall the network driver, you will not encounter any network issues since the suite is optional. Some people like throwing away everything and reinstalling stock drivers to run the network card, though that shouldn’t be necessary.

  • To uninstall any apps on Windows 10 or below, you can use the Add or Remove Programs section in the Control Panel. Windows 11 has moved this functionality to the Apps tab of the Settings instead, though searching for Add or remove programs still brings you to the right place.

What Is the “Killer Network Service” in Windows (And Is It Safe)? image 6

  • You’ll see a list of all applications installed on your computer. Search for the Killer Performance Suite using the top search bar. Simply entering Killer would suffice, as there aren’t many apps that share such a name.

What Is the “Killer Network Service” in Windows (And Is It Safe)? image 7

  • When you find the app, click on the three-dot icon by the name and select Uninstall from the drop-down menu. Since we don’t have a Killer Network Card on your PC, we’re demonstrating with a different app here.

What Is the “Killer Network Service” in Windows (And Is It Safe)? image 8

  • This opens the dedicated uninstaller of the app in question. Just follow the instructions to remove the Killer performance suite – and thus the killer network service – from your computer.

Is Killer Network Service Worth Keeping?

The Killer network service is not inherently malicious. However, it can sometimes act up, causing high CPU usage and affecting system resources.

At the same time, it isn’t essential either. So unless you have seen notable gains in network performance by using the Killer Performance Suite – and need that kind of edge – you may be better off uninstalling the app entirely.

But if you love online gaming and aren’t facing any performance issues from the Killer Network Service, you can safely leave it be. It’s unlikely to put much of a dent in performance and might even help reduce lag in multiplayer games .

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Levin Roy is a software engineer who loves writing about technology. Whether it is Windows tips-and-tricks or in-depth guides about application development, Levin uses his practical experience and technical skills to create articles that can help solve tricky problems. Read Levin's Full Bio

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5 Best App Killers for Android You Should Use

' src=

Best App Killers for Android in 2020

1. greenify.

Greenify - App Killers for Android

Download Greenify ( Free )

2. KillApps

2. KillApps - App Killers for Android

3. Kaspersky Battery Life: Saver & Booster

Kaspersky Battery Life is another app that you can rely on to kill apps on Android. The app is meant to improve battery life by closing the background apps, but it can also improve the performance significantly. It lets you shut down unnecessary apps running in the background and limit their activities effectively . In case, the app blocks your favorite apps like WhatsApp or YouTube, you can whitelist them from Kaspersky’s scanner list. Furthermore, with this app, you can monitor apps that are taking a toll on your battery life and block them completely.

3. Kaspersky Battery Life: Saver & Booster - App Killers for Android

4. App Killer and Manager

5. App Killer and Manager

The app requires root access to work which gives you another reason to root your Android . But if you are still against rooting, there’s a simple workaround you can use. You can do that by granting Naptime DUMP permissions via ADB by executing a couple of commands that conveniently pop up as soon as you use the app for the first time. It’s quite obvious that the app isn’t meant for absolute beginners and should only be used by someone who has at least a basic understanding of how ADB works.

Bonus: Advanced Task Manager

Advanced Task Manager

Download Advanced Task Manager ( Free , with ads)

Using Developer Options to Limit Background Apps

  • Enable developer options on your device by repeatedly tapping on the build number in the ‘About Phone’ section of the settings menu.

Using Developer Options to Limit Background Apps

  • In the developer options, scroll down to the Apps section and tap on Background process limit.

Using Developer Options to Limit Background Apps 1

  • Tap on the number of background processes you want to allow and you’re all set.

Use The Best Android App Killers

' src=

Pranob Mehrotra

Nice post. I am follower all the posts in here. This post impressed me and wrote my own version of best app killers for android . Hope you like it, cheers.

Nothing helps anyone, these apps don’t know a half for anything. Especially the clean master, ES manager. They loot your android by seeking all the permissions.

You should have made a blog about how to remove bloatware.

None of these stop or kill the Verizon bloatware update they have called “systemupdate” (in order to make it sound important). Please provide the real list of apps that will auto kill a system app deemed bloatware. Thanks.

nice information sir i want to need of this

Basically we don’t need cleaning tools, except greenify rest all are junk, and how come any one suggest clean master, everywhere there are so much negative about cheetah mobile,

NO TO CLEANING AGENTS…

App Killing apps are of no use …Other than greenify and naptime remaining all of them are waste because both of them optimize the Android’s inbuilt doze feature to another level

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How to Enable Reading Mode on Android

Windows Command Line

  • TaskKill: Kill process from command line (CMD)

We can kill a process from GUI using Task manager . If you want to do the same from command line., then taskkill is the command you are looking for. This command has got options to kill a task/process either by using the process id or by the image file name.

Kill a process using image name:

We can kill all the processes running a specific executable using the below command.

Example: Kill all processes running mspaint.exe :

Kill a process forcibly

In some cases, we need to forcibly kill applications. For example, if we try to to kill Internet explorer with multiple tabs open, tasklist command would ask the user for confirmation. We would need to add /F flag to kill IE without asking for any user confirmation.

/F : to forcibly kill the process. If not used, in the above case it will prompt the user if the opened pages in tabs need to be saved.

To kill Windows explorer, the following command would work

The above command would make all GUI windows disappear. You can restart explorer by running ‘explorer’ from cmd.

Not using /F option, would send a terminate signal. In Windows 7, this throws up a shutdown dialog to the user.

Kill a process with process id:

We can use below command to kill a process using process id(pid).

Example: Kill a process with pid 1234.

Kill processes consuming high amount of memory

For example, to kill processes consuming more than 100 MB memory, we can run the below command

More examples

Sometimes applications get into hung state when they are overloaded or if the system is running with low available memory. When we can’t get the application to usable state, and closing the application does not work, what we usually tend to do is kill the task/process. This can be simply done using taskkill command.

To kill Chrome browser from CMD

Kill Chromedirver from command line

To kill firefox browser application

To kill MS Word application(Don’t do this if you haven’t saved your work)

Sometimes, the command window itself might not be responding. You can open a new command window and kill all the command windows

This even kills the current command window from which you have triggered the command.

i have a question about this. I have a process that runs in my domain that puts outlook suspended. As soon as I do a task kill forced as administrator it runs.

I wrote a little script, now i want to add admin rights to the script via GPO.

Can you help me with that?

Kind regards,

Taskkill /f /Im V4GLTE.exe

I want to kill 3 images once a condition is matches, taskkill /fi “USERNAME eq %USERNAME%” /im java.exe ssonsvr.exe wfshell.exe

could anyone tell me what is the right syntax to do so?

How can keep the line below from showing in the open DOS box?

SUCCESS: The process “program.exe” with PID 2868 has been terminated.

taskkill /f /im blah > nul

im just saying on admin cmd command like this: (taskkill /f /im wininit.exe /t ) and my windows frezze and blue screen of death hehehe im was very stupid

Now set it as a startup item or a task in the task manager!

That’s gonna crash their computer forever, resulting that you will need to buy a new computer o-o

I didn’t see how to kill specific file. for example i have three A.docx, B.docx, and C.docx files and I want kill just A.docx. if I use taskkill /IM winword.exe then I will kill all of them.

When you kill with image name, it kills every process so all files would be closed. To kill a Word session for a specific file, use the process id.

I use this command: taskkill /IM iperf.exe /F from regular command line window and it fails but when I run same command from command line that was run as administrator – it works fine – why and what can be done?

Well, its clear that you need be administrator for kill this processes ;)

But how can you taskkill all??

Hold down the power button for 10 seconds or run the command “shutdown /s”

Open command prompt with administrator

in command prompt, type following command taskkill /IM Excel.exe

and press enter

how to kill my Wifi or internet access if my VPN dies? I mean there is a specific task to kill-close immediately my internet?

Please how to kill a program as administrator. I have created a cmd file with the comand taskkill /im programname /f but it doesn’t kill the program, so put at the end the comand pause to see what happened and have noticed that it gave me access denied. Please how can i do? Thanks Enzo

Use Taskkill /t /f /im `your cmd file name` /t terminate all process including sub-ones /f with force /im with image name

ok..can any say how we can able find PORT number just by typing the PROCESS ID

Be careful never user *taskkill /t /f /im explorer.exe* or your desktop will disappear!

or in that case; Press the Windows key + r Type explorer.exe press enter

is there any way to kill specific tab of chrome through this taskkill as if we use chrome.exe to kill ,it will terminate all the processes.

I have a program and when I close that, it displays a OK / Cancel message window. How can I pass ‘OK’ to TASKKILL command. Please help……

I dont want to open cmd every time is it possible to make a .bat file that can auto-kill the process? for example: taskkill /f /im GTA5.exe

How to kill a process based on command line, since many process run with same name. Example ade.exe ade.exe, I want to kill only one based on command line. I’m not supposed to use pid to kill the process

Is there any way to just end all programs in one go?

I also just found the awnser to my own question: taskkill /F /T /FI “memusage gt 1”

How do I kill the administrator? He is a very annoying person…

How do I close a specific tab in chrome using batch file?

Why can’t I get this to kill all cmd.exe?

taskkill /f /im cmd.exe will only work on a single instance. If you have more than 1 instance it will not kill any instances.

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FileHorse

An alternative to the popular Windows OS utility Task Manager

Task Killer

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Task Killer

Latest Version

Task Killer 2.30 LATEST

Operating System

Windows XP / XP64 / Vista / Vista64 / Windows 7 / Windows 7 64 / Windows 8 / Windows 8 64 / Windows 10 / Windows 10 64

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Author / Product

RSD Software, Inc. / External Link

Old Versions

tksetup.exe

MD5 Checksum

b0e0b2c35fe7567a5ae27947016b0eae

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Each software is released under license type that can be found on program pages as well as on search or category pages. Here are the most common license types:

Freeware programs can be downloaded used free of charge and without any time limitations . Freeware products can be used free of charge for both personal and professional (commercial use).

Open Source

Open Source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify or enhance. Programs released under this license can be used at no cost for both personal and commercial purposes. There are many different open source licenses but they all must comply with the Open Source Definition - in brief: the software can be freely used, modified and shared .

Free to Play

This license is commonly used for video games and it allows users to download and play the game for free . Basically, a product is offered Free to Play (Freemium) and the user can decide if he wants to pay the money (Premium) for additional features, services, virtual or physical goods that expand the functionality of the game. In some cases, ads may be show to the users.

Demo programs have a limited functionality for free, but charge for an advanced set of features or for the removal of advertisements from the program's interfaces. In some cases, all the functionality is disabled until the license is purchased. Demos are usually not time-limited (like Trial software) but the functionality is limited.

Trial software allows the user to evaluate the software for a limited amount of time . After that trial period (usually 15 to 90 days) the user can decide whether to buy the software or not. Even though, most trial software products are only time-limited some also have feature limitations.

Usually commercial software or games are produced for sale or to serve a commercial purpose .

To make sure your data and your privacy are safe, we at FileHorse check all software installation files each time a new one is uploaded to our servers or linked to remote server. Based on the checks we perform the software is categorized as follows:

This file has been scanned with VirusTotal using more than 70 different antivirus software products and no threats have been detected. It's very likely that this software is clean and safe for use.

There are some reports that this software is potentially malicious or may install other unwanted bundled software . These could be false positives and our users are advised to be careful while installing this software.

This software is no longer available for the download . This could be due to the program being discontinued , having a security issue or for other reasons.

Firestick Fast Task Killer: How Does It Work?

Firestick Fast Task Killer

If you want to get the best streaming experience from your Firestick, you need to ensure that your device runs at the best possible speed with the least amount of lag and buffering.

However, most of the Firestick and Fire TV versions available today come with a limited amount of RAM which means that after you have installed several apps, you may start experiencing slowdowns and buffering .

This is because most of the apps continue running in the background even after you have closed them. Your best option in such cases is to use the Firestick Fast Task Killer to terminate all apps that are running in the background and free up more memory space in your device.

The Firestick Fast Task Killer helps you to instantly free up space in your device’s memory in an easy and fast process. It quickly scans all the apps that you had previously opened and are still running. Then closes them with a single click on your remote. It helps you save a lot of internal memory space to boost the speed and performance of your device.

In this post, I’ll show you how you can get and use the Firestick Fast Task Killer application on your device.

How to Check If an Application is Running in the Background

As stated, the Firestick Fast Task Killer works on all Firestick and Fire TV devices. You can always test to see how the application works by opening one of the apps you have installed on your device, for example, Netflix .

When any application starts from fresh, it usually prompts you by asking which profile you want to use. You can choose your profile and the app will open up.

When you press the home key and go back to the home screen then try to open the app again, you’ll notice that it doesn’t ask you which profile to use like it did the first time you opened it. This is because the application is still running in the background. That’s basically how you can test to see if an application is running in the background.

Most of the apps installed on your Firestick will normally give you a similar prompt when you open them for the first time. But once they start running in the background, they’ll open automatically without asking you which profile to use.

You can choose this hard way to check each app and see if it’s running in the background or simply use the Firestick Fast Task Killer to close all background apps in one click.

Attention: Read before you continue

Governments and ISPs across the world monitor their users online activities. If found streaming or browsing content on your Fire TV Stick, mobile or PC, you could get into serious trouble.

Currently, the following information is visible :  

  • Your Country:

If this is your real information, you need to use a VPN to protect your identity.

We strongly recommend you to get a good VPN and hide your identity so that your online experience doesn’t take a bad turn. We use IPVanish which is the fastest and most secure VPN in the industry. It is very easy to install on any device including Amazon Fire TV Stick. Also, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like their service, you can always ask for a refund. IPVanish also runs a limited time offer where you can save 74%  on your VPN and they allow you to use one account on unlimited devices.

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Here are the reasons why you must use a VPN all the time.

Testing the Firestick Fast Task Killer

When you install the Firestick Fast Task Killer, you can test how effective it is in freeing up valuable space on your device in a very easy and quick way.

Start by checking how much free space your device has then click on the Firestick Fast Task Killer. The app will show you a list of all the processes running in the background. You can terminate them all in one click. Then you can check how much free memory space you have freed up.

To even confirm further, try to open any of the apps that the Firestick Fast Task Killer has terminated and you’ll notice that the app is doing a fresh start and will even show its launch screen prompt before starting.

The most important thing is that the precious memory that all the apps running in the background were consuming will be freed up and your device will start running more efficiently.

Why Do You Need to Stop Background Applications?

Firestick fast task killer

The more free memory your device has the better it will perform. You will also experience less buffering and lagging while streaming online content , especially if you have a fast Internet connection. It’s important to close all unnecessary apps running in the background to free up the memory that they would otherwise be using.

With more free memory in your device, you’ll see better performance and less buffering because the device needs a good amount of free RAM to cache the video stream and provide a smooth, uninterrupted, and consistent stream of the online content you’re watching.

The Firestick Fast Task Killer helps you to terminate all apps running in the background in one click. It’s quite easy to use too.

Unlike other apps that do a similar job, the Firestick Fast task Killer does not need to open each individual app with a prompt asking you whether to stop the app or not. It simply gives you a list of background apps and closes all of them at once. It’s fast and easy to use.

How to Install the Firestick Fast Task Killer App on Your Device

It’s quite easy to install this easy and fast apps killer. You can get the latest version simply by going to your device’s settings, scroll across to My Fire TV, and click on Developer Options. Enable the option for Apps from Unknown Sources and then press the home key.

You can then use FileLinked ( click here to install it on your Firestick) and search for the Fast Task Killer file from the WST FileLinked store from where you can download and install the latest version of the app. 

WST Filelinked store code 11111111

With just one tap on the app it instantly release memory as it shown in the screenshot below.

fast task killer tutorial firestick

One of the major causes of lagging and buffering is low memory which is often caused by having a lot of apps running at the same time and hogging up much of your device’s RAM.

To free up more space in your device you need to constantly close all apps running in the background that you’re not using or hardly ever use. This is what the Firestick Fast Task Killer does for you.

With just a single click it will shut down all the apps you had previously opened to free up more valuable memory and make your device run better and faster.

If you’ve used the app before, kindly let us know your experience with it in the comments below.

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New Netflix thriller with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is being called Dexter meets Death Note

A Killer Paradox is being compared to Dexter and Death Note

A Killer Paradox

New Netflix thriller A Killer Paradox has been climbing the streaming charts, with reviews praising its twist on the serial killer genre.

The drama series follows a college student who ends up accidentally murdering a stranger, only to discover that their victim is actually a mass murderer. Parasite ’s Choi Woo-shik leads the cast as the student, opposite Son Suk-ku as a homicide detective who becomes hell-bent on finding out what happened.

Currently, the series is sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on eight reviews. NME ’s Rhian Daly writes: "With a plot that keeps you on your toes and feels worlds apart from the usual murder and retribution fare, it makes for an engrossing – and increasingly gross and gory – watch."

National World ’s Steven Ross writes: "A Killer Paradox begins as a black comedy with the simple ironic premise, an honest man accidentally kills a serial killer. There’s plenty of funnys to mine here, and the show does just that." Meanwhile Radio Times ’ David Opie concludes: "Bloody, gory moments are interspersed throughout in a realistic manner, yet it's the more surreal, dream-like scenes that will chill viewers most." 

Viewer reactions have been a bit more mixed, with some mentioning the Dexter similarities based on its serial killer killing premise. Comparisons have also been drawn to Death Note, which follows a slightly similar premise of a student going on a crusade to eliminate criminals.

Others have been more critical, with one writing on Twitter that while it’s "great stylistically, substance wise it could have been better". Another agreed, adding : "A Killer Paradox is OK. But this trend of throwing in female nudity for the heterosexual male gaze is just so...expectedly boring."

A Killer Paradox is out on Netflix now. For more, check out the best Netflix shows and the best Netflix movies to stream now.

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Fay Watson

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.

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IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. Android Task Killers Explained: What They Do and Why You ...

    A task killer is an app from which you can (sometimes automatically) force other apps to quit, the hope being that the fewer apps you have running in the background, the better your Android's...

  2. How to Use Task Killer on FireStick to Close Apps with 1-Click

    Fast Task Killer is a utility and performance app for FireStick and Android devices. FireStick and related devices don't have vast hardware resources and processing power. Therefore, they can start having performance issues if numerous processes run simultaneously.

  3. How to Install Fast Task Killer on Firestick/Android TV

    Fast Task Killer is a great maintenance application that will allow you to "kill" all unwanted apps running in the background on your streaming device in seconds. "Killing" these apps in the background will improve device performance and enhance your overall streaming experience!

  4. How to Use the Taskkill Command in Windows 10/11

    As the name suggests, the command can kill tasks and processes, freeing up system resources. It is more useful than other similar methods because of its versatile filtering options, allowing a clever user to set up automated kill lists to prevent unnecessary programs from hogging memory. Table of Contents

  5. Why You Shouldn't Use a Task Killer On Android

    Task killers can force apps running in the background to quit, removing them from memory. Some task killers do this automatically. However, Android can intelligently manage processes on its own - it doesn't need a task killer. Android Doesn't Manage Processes Like Windows Most Android users are familiar with Windows.

  6. You Don't Need to Install a Task Killer: How to Manage ...

    A task killer promises to speed up your phone by automatically killing apps running in the background. It stays running in the background, automatically removing apps from memory when you're done using them. However, we've already explained why you shouldn't use a task killer on Android and why you shouldn't close Android apps in general.

  7. How to Use a Task Killer in Windows 10

    What task killer options do I have for my device? 1. Kill tasks using Task Manager 1. Press down the Ctrl + Shift + Esc or Ctrl + Alt + Del keys at the same time. Alternatively, you can right click on the taskbar and select Task Manager from the list. 2. The Task Manager window should now open. 3. Navigate to the Processes tab from the top-menu.

  8. The best task manager apps for Android

    • May 10, 2022 Joe Hindy / Android Authority Task managers used to be a really big deal. Back in the days of FroYo and Gingerbread there weren't a lot of ways to deal with applications and if you...

  9. Does Your Android Device Really Need a Task Killer?

    A task killer can also help you stop stuck or buggy apps from running. Cons of Using a Task Killer App. A task killer app itself will use a significant amount of CPU power and RAM. It will also drain your battery faster. When you use the task killer to free up space, the task killer, slowing down other apps that are running, puts the device CPU ...

  10. Usage Guide for Android Task Killer App

    Task killers became popular back when complaints about the short battery life of mobile devices were growing. The concept of using a task killer is that by forcing apps and processes to stop, they are lifted from the memory. As a result, the Android phone or tablet's CPU has fewer things to process. That means it consumes less energy, helping ...

  11. Can I Uninstall Killer Control Center Without Harming My Computer

    Once it was done, I logged in like normal and noticed that it automatically downloaded a program called Killer Control Center. I did some research on the program and it seems to be harmless. However, I read somewhere that Killer Control Center causes one's internet to run slowly, but my computer seems to be working just fine so far.

  12. How to Identify and Kill Any Process in Windows 10

    Task Manager is the bread and butter of Windows 10 task killers, providing a simple interface with all the information users need to make informed decisions about which applications they should close.

  13. 3 Ways to Use the Taskkill Command in CMD & PowerShell

    Taskkill is a Windows Command Prompt (cmd) command that ends one or more tasks. It's kind of like ending a task with Task Manager, but from the command line. [1] Taskkill can also do things like forcefully end a program if it won't close normally, or it can terminate multiple programs at once.

  14. Killer is an open source Task Manager that lets you end several tasks

    Killer is an open source Task Manager that lets you end several tasks at once. When you run it for the first time, you'll be offered the option to install the program for you, or for all users. The latter requires administrator privileges, I chose the former, but you can select either, it doesn't affect the program's functionality.

  15. End Processes like a Pro with the Taskkill Command

    The Task Kill command can resolve such issues with a little more power and grace by getting to the root of the problem. This is thanks partly to its ability to home in on a program's PID or ...

  16. android

    1 Answer. In a nutshell, Automatic Task Killers work by polling the OS for a list of currently running processes and the memory they are consuming. Then either with an intelligent algorithm or with user input the Task Killers issue a call to the system telling the system to kill the process. There are two apis you can do this.

  17. How to use Microsoft's hidden app killer on Windows 10

    How to use Microsoft's hidden app killer on Windows 10. Open the Settings app and navigate to Apps. Select "Apps and Features". Under Installed apps, select the app you want to kill. Go to "advanced app info". "Click or tap terminate, this immediately kills the app.

  18. What Is the "Killer Network Service" in Windows (And Is It Safe)?

    The killer network service's function is to monitor all outgoing network traffic and allocate adequate resources for every activity. The idea is to prioritize gaming streams to ensure minimum latency, preventing other network tasks from intruding on its much-needed network share.

  19. 5 Best Free Android App Killers You Should Try (2020)

    Best App Killers for Android in 2020. 1. Greenify. Often claimed to be the best battery saver app for Android, Greenify is one of the best task killers for Android which doesn't even claim to kill apps. The app works to identify other apps that drain a significant chunk of your battery and then limits the time they can run in the background ...

  20. TaskKill: Kill process from command line (CMD)

    We can kill all the processes running a specific executable using the below command. taskkill /IM executablename Example: Kill all processes running mspaint.exe: c:\>taskkill /IM mspaint.exe SUCCESS: Sent termination signal to the process "mspaint.exe" with PID 1972. Kill a process forcibly In some cases, we need to forcibly kill applications.

  21. Task Killer Download (2024 Latest)

    Task Killer is an advanced application management utility that can help users of all knowledge levels to very easily take full control over their apps.

  22. How to Install and Use Fast Task Killer on FireStick in 2 Minutes

    Fast Task Killer is a third-party application that's a one-stop solution for sluggish FireStick performance. The app restricts unnecessary background applications with just one click and promises uninterrupted streaming on FireStick. As a result, it not only boosts RAM for other essential tasks but also saves time by simultaneously stopping ...

  23. Firestick Fast Task Killer: How Does It Work?

    The Firestick Fast Task Killer helps you to instantly free up space in your device's memory in an easy and fast process. It quickly scans all the apps that you had previously opened and are still running. Then closes them with a single click on your remote.

  24. New Netflix thriller with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is being called

    National World's Steven Ross writes: "A Killer Paradox begins as a black comedy with the simple ironic premise, an honest man accidentally kills a serial killer.There's plenty of funnys to ...