task manager

While Windows is far from a perfect operating system, it does provide some tools to help deal with its imperfections.

One of the tools you can use to shut down a troublesome program without having to completely restart your system is the Task Manager.

For instance, if a program happens to freeze or stops responding to your mouse clicks or keyboard strokes, try this technique before reaching for the power button:

1. Push Ctrl+Alt+Delete on your keyboard to brink up the Task Manager window (Close Program window in Windows 95, 98, and Me)
• NOTE: Windows Vista users:  Ctrl+Alt+Del will bring up a screen where you have to click the Start Task Manager button before moving to the next step.
  
2. Find and click ONE time on the program that is giving you trouble, then click the End Task button
3. The program should close and disappear from the Task Manager list.
4. If not, wait a few seconds and you should see another window pop-up…click the End Task button again or preat step #2

Using this technique should allow you to return to Windows and continue on with your computing…again, without the need for a full reboot of your system. It doesn’t work one hundred percent of the time, but it does work often enough that you will be rebooting your computer less. Watch the short video below to view this technique in action and learn a few other tricks not outlined here: