Windows 11 taskbar has a hidden "End Task" feature, how to turn it on

Gandalf_The_Grey

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Apr 24, 2016
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Microsoft has added a feature to Windows 11 that allows you to end tasks directly from the taskbar, but it's turned off by default.

How It Works

When the "End Task" feature is enabled, you can right-click on an app icon in the taskbar and see an "End Task" option.

When you select this option, it uses the Task Manager's existing end task future for that specific app. This allows you to close that specific app without opening the Task Manager.

This feature is useful when a program becomes unresponsive, allowing you to quickly end the task.

Microsoft has also modified the taskbar's end task logic to allow the feature to work smoothly even when an app is broken with a "not responding" dialog.

Steps to Enable "End Task" on the Taskbar

The "End Task" feature has been available for a while now, but some of you may not be aware of it. To turn it on or off, try these steps:
  1. Open the Settings app on your Windows 11 device.
  2. Navigate to System and then For developers.
  3. Find the End Task option and toggle it to On.

Once this setting is enabled, you can easily end tasks by right-clicking on the app icon in the taskbar and selecting "End Task."
 

Marko :)

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Whenever I set up a new device, I always go through ALL of the settings. I know it takes time, but you only do it once and that's the best way to find what your device is capable of. Every time I do it I find some interesting option which would later become useful to me. This is one of the options I have enabled since I installed Windows 11 on my new laptop.
 

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