Two utilities from
the Windows 98 Resource Kit can help: TLIST and KILL. These commands also
work with Windows 95.
TLIST is a simple utility that lists all the running processes--or
tasks--along with the process ID (PID) assigned to each process. Type tlist at
a command prompt, and identify the PID of the process you want to
terminate. Note that the PID may start with a dash [-].
With the PID number, you can use the KILL utility to terminate the
process that's associated with the PID. KILL accepts the PID number as a
command-line argument to stop a process. For example:
Kill -456822
You can also use the KILL command to terminate a group of processes
based on the process name or window title. This is a good way to shut down
all instances of a failing application that opens up new instances of
itself. The following command will terminate all the open Notepad windows:
Kill *note*
If the KILL command doesn't work, you can try using an -F switch to
force a process to stop. However, be careful which processes you terminate.
Some processes are required for the normal operation of Windows, and
stopping them in this way could shut down your whole system. |