News Windows 11 to Let You Force Quit Apps From the Taskbar

I feel like something like this could be dangerous because forcing termination of an app means it won't go through the protection mechanisms you might expect when you close the app normally. Like for instance, if you force close say Microsoft Word (even though there's recovery options, let's just ignore them) or Adobe Photoshop, it's not going to ask you if you want to save whatever you were working on if there were changes.

Hopefully this either comes with a confirmation or it only actually forces termination if the app is considered unresponsive. Although in the latter case, it's redundant to have two options to "close" an app.
 

Kamen Rider Blade

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I think after a program hasn't been responsive for > (2^16 ms = 65.535 sec), a expanded option next to "Close" should lead to a pop out menu option containing "Force Quit".
This would be a nice balance for normal users.

The timer wouldn't start unless they right click on the selected program, but left the drop down menu open for > 65.535 seconds.
 

Sleepy_Hollowed

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I mean, good on them I guess, this is something macOS has had for the longest time and something that's been sorely missing from Windows.

On the Linux side that is a case by case basis on Windowing manager or Desktop Environment.
 
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I rarely have need do this. Maybe during testing
 

Findecanor

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Maybe this was added to the "Windows experience" because of an influx of new developers at Microsoft that had been used to similar features in the Unix/Linux world. Maybe.
 

PlaneInTheSky

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I think after a program hasn't been responsive, a expanded option next to "Close" should lead to a pop out menu option containing "Force Quit".

huh? Windows already does that

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I just always use process explorer to do my dirty work
 

KyaraM

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I feel like something like this could be dangerous because forcing termination of an app means it won't go through the protection mechanisms you might expect when you close the app normally. Like for instance, if you force close say Microsoft Word (even though there's recovery options, let's just ignore them) or Adobe Photoshop, it's not going to ask you if you want to save whatever you were working on if there were changes.

Hopefully this either comes with a confirmation or it only actually forces termination if the app is considered unresponsive. Although in the latter case, it's redundant to have two options to "close" an app.
If a program doesn't react at all to anything anymore, this is honestly the least of my worries. And that is exactly what this sounds like it is for, closing unresponsive apps much faster than having to first open taskmanager, clicking on the app, then close, then yes... it would be far faster and more accessible to just click on force shutdown and then confirm, which I'm sure is how it will play out.
 
If a program doesn't react at all to anything anymore, this is honestly the least of my worries. And that is exactly what this sounds like it is for, closing unresponsive apps much faster than having to first open taskmanager, clicking on the app, then close, then yes... it would be far faster and more accessible to just click on force shutdown and then confirm, which I'm sure is how it will play out.
My concern is more of a user error if the option is available all the time as the Insider preview is suggesting, regardless if the application is responsive or not.
 

KyaraM

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My concern is more of a user error if the option is available all the time as the Insider preview is suggesting, regardless if the application is responsive or not.
Are there actually people closing apps via the task bar under normal circumstances, though? I know I at least use the X in the upper right corner basically all the time unless something is very wrong.
 
Are there actually people closing apps via the task bar under normal circumstances, though? I know I at least use the X in the upper right corner basically all the time unless something is very wrong.
I do if I want to close out apps that aren't in current focus as it's faster to right click on it and travel a short distance from there. Also the absolute position of the close button changes depending on how the window is arranged. Sure most of the time it's on the top right so I can just swing my mouse over there, but if I have a split view going on, that only applies to one of the apps. Alternatively I might just Alt + F4 or Ctrl + W.

In any case, it doesn't matter how you, I, or anyone else specifically uses Windows, because someone is going to use it that way because it's there. You leave a button anywhere in a system and someone is going to press it.

Also I don't mind the action of force quitting an app to be there. It's just better come with a confirmation or the normal close button should take the role of a force quit button if the app is deemed unresponsive so the drastic action (it's drastic because there's potential data loss) can't happen by accident.
 

USAFRet

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Are there actually people closing apps via the task bar under normal circumstances, though? I know I at least use the X in the upper right corner basically all the time unless something is very wrong.
Also, just regular closing from the task bar?
Sure.

If I have half dozen notepad instances open, I may well hover over that space on the taksbar and close each one.

This new addition is talking about moving the force close for a recalcitrant application from the Task Manager to the TaskBar