Windows 95 General Troubleshooting

Shutting Down a Stuck Application

SUMMARY: This may save you from having to reboot your Windows 95 machine.

Occasionally, for some reason or another, programs running under Windows 95 will lock up (just as they will for about any other operating system shell or operating system). If this happens and Windows 95 gives no suggestions for how to continue, you may have to try force closing the application. Before doing this, you should be sure to enter every other application you are running (if you can!) and save your current work.

To try force-closing a stuck application, try tapping CONTROL-ALT-DELETE. This SHOULD NOT reboot your computer, but if it does, you have saved everything you are currently working on, haven't you?? What SHOULD appear is a window labeled "Close Program" with a listing of all the applications currently running. Find the application which will not close, and click on its name. Choose "End Task." The program may not end immediately; within 20 seconds, Windows 95 should show a dialog box showing that the program has not responded in 20 seconds. Click on the corresponding button to force-close the application.

This is a LAST RESORT and not recommended for the inexperienced unless all else fails. Many things could go wrong, such as: the program forces other applications to lock up, the operating system could lock, the program may not close, etc. Therefore, it is URGED to save EVERYTHING BEFORE TRYING this technique that you can.

The good news is that if the application which locked is 32-bit, the chances are good that you can re-enter the application without rebooting the computer. If not... you may have to re-enter Windows for the application to run again. Such is the fact of life, and another reason why you should save files on a regular basis.

Return to the Windows 95 General Troubleshooting page.

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