Removing Stubborn Processes with Process Hacker

Sometimes processes become unresponsive or refuse to close normally. Process Hacker provides powerful tools to terminate stubborn processes that Task Manager cannot handle. This guide covers advanced techniques for removing problematic processes.

Standard Termination

First, try standard termination:

1. Right-click the process
2. Select "Terminate"
3. If that fails, try "Terminate Tree" to kill the process and all child processes

Handling Locked Files

If a process is locking files:

1. Use Tools → Find Handles or DLLs (Ctrl+H)
2. Search for the file path
3. Close the handles to the file
4. Then terminate the process

Suspending Processes

If termination fails, try suspending the process first, then terminating it. Right-click → Suspend, then Terminate.

Administrator Privileges

Always run Process Hacker as administrator when dealing with stubborn processes. Some processes require elevated privileges to terminate.

Conclusion

Process Hacker's advanced termination capabilities make it an essential tool for dealing with unresponsive processes. By using these techniques, you can remove stubborn processes that standard tools cannot handle.