There are a number of reasons that a program won’t close properly. One of the main reasons for an unresponsive program is overuse of the central processing unit (CPU) resources or the random access memory (RAM). In most cases, the solution is to open up the Windows Task Manager to end the process.

Sometimes the program just won’t close even with task manager and the only way out seems to be to turn off the computer completely. If you are able to perform a proper shut down, that is great. As long as this isn’t a recurring problem with a particular program, then you have solved the problem. However, sometimes you can’t even perform a proper shut down since the unresponsive program won’t let you shut down. In this case, you may be left with no choice but to perform a “hard shut down”. This just means you pull the actual plug or hold down the power button for a few seconds. However, this isn’t the ideal solution since this method can corrupt your files, programs, as well as your registry. I admit that I have used this “hard shut down” before and sometimes you just don’t have a choice. If this is just a freak incident, then you shouldn’t worry too much about having to perform the hard shut down. However, if this is a recurring problem, you don’t want to keep performing these hard shut downs. Let’s look at a few things to try when a program won’t close, even with task manager.

First, ensure that you close all open programs. It is always possible that another program or task is stopping the program from closing. This can be done manually, but if it fails, try using the task manager to close the programs (and processes) that do not respond.

This may fix the issue, if not, it is possible that the problem on your computer is caused by a virus or malware. To be sure, fire up your antivirus program and thoroughly scan your hard drive. It is very common for a virus to lock up a computer, causing it to not respond as required. In addition to a virus scan, I would recommend using the free version of malwarebytes to scan for any other issues that your PC might be infected with. If you find a virus, then you have found your problem. You will need to remove the virus, which is often easier said than done. If you don’t have a virus, there are still a few more things to try.

In some cases, the reason for a program refusing to shut down is a corrupt registry entry. How does this happen? The registry is the data center of your Windows system. It contains all the required information to perform tasks and hence, controls all the tasks available on your computer including shut down tasks. Before it shuts down, windows will make a reference to the registry to confirm the settings and in the case that they are corrupted, it will have to wait 30 minutes for every program.

A corrupt registry can be caused by viruses, malware, and the improper installation/uninstallation of programs. The solution to registry problems is to clean and repair the registry. This can be done by manually fixing the encountered errors. However, this can lead to more problems if you are not an expert. Another way is repairing the registry using a registry cleaner. I don’t usually like to recommend registry cleaners. However, in this case, it might be worth a try. I would recommend trying the free program, CCleaner to see if a corrupted registry is the problem.

Hopefully, at this point, the stubborn program is shutting down normally. If not, and this is a recurring problem, it might be time to think about a system restore or even a Windows reinstall.

Have another way to fix this problem? Let us know in the comments!