How to force quit on your Windows PC

Windows apps normally close by clicking the X icon or pressing Alt + F4, which sends a graceful shutdown that may prompt to save work. If an app freezes, the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) lets you end the process by selecting it and clicking “End task,” which forces termination without saving. Ending the Windows Explorer process will disrupt the taskbar and File Explorer, so avoid it unless necessary.