How to Force Quit Applications on a Surface Book

Whether you are dealing with an unresponsive application or looking to restart your Surface Book, knowing how to force quit is a valuable skill. This guide will walk you through the process with step-by-step instructions and shortcuts, ensuring your device runs smoothly.

Understanding Force Quit on a Surface Book

Most of the time, simple actions can be taken to resolve issues with unresponsive applications. However, if these methods fail, force quitting may be necessary. On a Surface Book, this can be achieved through the Task Manager or by using the Power Button for a hard restart. Let's explore both methods in detail.

Using Task Manager to Force Quit

Task Manager is a powerful tool built into Windows systems, including the Surface Book, that allows you to manage running processes and force quit unresponsive applications. Here's how to use it:

Starting Task Manager

The quickest way to open Task Manager on a Surface Book is to use the shortcut key combination Ctrl-Shift-Esc. This takes you directly to the Task Manager interface, which is fully detailed and gives you complete control over the system's processes.

Finding and Closing Unresponsive Applications

Once Task Manager is open, you can expand the view to see more details. Select the Processes tab to view a list of all running applications and system processes.

Identify the application: Look for the unresponsive application in the list. Check the Name column to ensure you have identified the correct process. Highlight the process: Select the row where the application is listed. Delete the process: Hit the Delete key to force quit the application. Note that this action will terminate the process immediately, and you may need to restart the application. Alternative method: You can also right-click the process and select End Task from the context menu.

Hard Reboot via Power Button

If an application has truly locked your Surface Book or if you need to restart the entire device, using the Power Button is the quickest way to reset the system. However, this method should be used as a last resort as it will close all open applications and save all files being worked on.

Steps to Hard Reboot

Press the Power Button: Located on the top right corner of the Surface Book (next to the volume buttons), gently press the Power Button to bring up the Power menu. Select Restart: Use the touchpad or a mouse to navigate to the Restart option and select it. This will forcefully restart the Surface Book. Wait for the device to restart: The Surface Book will reboot, and Windows will load from scratch.

Conclusion: Keeping Your Surface Book Running Smoothly

Force quitting applications and understanding how to hard restart your Surface Book are essential skills for maintaining a smooth running device. By knowing these methods, you can address issues with unresponsive applications quickly and efficiently.

Remember to always save your work before performing these actions, and use Task Manager as the first line of defense when an application is not responding. Regularly checking for updates and keeping your software up to date can also help prevent many of these issues.