How to enable new Taskbar End Task option on Windows 11

Here are the steps to try an early preview of the new option that allows you to end processes without opening Task Manager.

Avatar for Mauro Huculak
@Pureinfotech
Pureinfotech Logo
Windows 11 End Task in Taskbar
Windows 11 End Task in Taskbar

On Windows 11 build 25300, you can enable an early preview of the “End Task” feature available through the Taskbar, and in this guide, you will learn how.

In the past, whenever an app was not responding, you had to open Task Manager, find the app, and then terminate the processes. Starting with build 25300, Windows 11 is adding a new option in the Taskbar Jump List (via @PhantomOfEarth) that allows you to quickly right-click an app that’s not working correctly and select the “End Task” option to terminate it simplifying the process.

This is a hidden feature that you have to enable manually and since it’s still a work in progress, the option still doesn’t work. If you want to get hands-on with the new feature, you can use a third-party tool called “ViveTool” created by Rafael Rivera and Lucas on GitHub, to enable the option on your computer.

This guide will teach you the steps to turn on this new feature on Windows 11.

Enable Taskbar End Task option on Windows 11

To enable the new End Task option in the Taskbar on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open GitHub website.

  2. Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to enable the new “End Task” option in Taskbar.

  3. Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.

  4. Click the Extract all button.

    Extract ViveTool files

  5. Click the Extract button.

  6. Copy the path to the folder.

  7. Open Start.

  8. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  9. Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:

    cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x

    In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.

  10. Type the following command to enable the new End Task option in Taskbar and press Enter:

    vivetool /enable /id:42592269

  11. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the next time an application is not responding, instead of opening Task Manager, finding and ending the process, you can right-click the app and choose the “End Task” option to terminate it.

If you change your mind, you can revert the changes with the same instructions, but on step 10, make sure to use these commands: vivetool /disable /id:42592269 and then restart the computer.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].