How to Add "Kill all not responding tasks" Context Menu in Windows 11

How to Add "Kill all not responding tasks" Context Menu in Windows 11 - Printable Version

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How to Add "Kill all not responding tasks" Context Menu in Windows 11 - Sneakyone - 09-09-2024

How to Add "Kill all not responding tasks" Context Menu in Windows 11

Sometimes, you might encounter unresponsive applications or tasks that you need to close quickly. By adding a "Kill all not responding tasks" option to the context menu in Windows 11, you can easily terminate all tasks that are not responding with a single click. This guide will show you how to add this feature using a simple registry tweak.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter.
3. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to allow access to the Registry Editor.

Step 2: Navigate to the Context Menu Key

1. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:

Code:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell

2. Right-click on the shell key in the left pane, and select New > Key.
3. Name the new key Kill not responding tasks.

Step 3: Create a Command Key

1. With the newly created Kill not responding tasks key selected, right-click in the right pane and select New > String Value.
2. Name the new string value Icon.
3. Double-click on the Icon string value and set its value to

Code:
taskmgr.exe

to give the context menu entry the Task Manager icon.

4. Right-click on the Kill not responding tasks key again and select New > Key.
5. Name this key command.

Step 4: Add the Kill Command

1. Select the command key, then double-click on the (Default) string value in the right pane.
2. In the Value data field, enter the following command:

Code:
taskkill /f /fi "status eq not responding"

3. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 5: Close the Registry Editor

1. Close the Registry Editor by clicking the X in the top-right corner or by pressing Alt + F4.

Step 6: Test the New Context Menu Option

1. Right-click on an empty space on your desktop or inside any folder.
2. You should now see the option Kill not responding tasks in the context menu.
3. Clicking this option will automatically terminate all tasks that are currently not responding.

Step 7: Remove the Context Menu Option (Optional)

If you decide to remove the "Kill all not responding tasks" option from the context menu, follow these steps:

1. Open the Registry Editor again by pressing Windows + R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter.
2. Navigate to the following path:

Code:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Kill not responding tasks

3. Right-click on the Kill not responding tasks key and select Delete.
4. Confirm the deletion, and the option will be removed from your context menu.

Conclusion

By adding the "Kill all not responding tasks" option to the Windows 11 context menu, you can quickly terminate unresponsive tasks without needing to manually open Task Manager. This simple registry tweak adds efficiency to your workflow, and it's easy to remove if no longer needed.