How to Fix Unable to Terminate Process Access Is Denied (2024)

Have you ever encountered the error message “unable to terminate process access is denied” when you try to kill a process in Task Manager? In this post from MiniTool, we will tell you what should you do if you cannot stop the process because of the access is denied error.

Error: Unable to Terminate Process Access Is Denied

Task Manager is a powerful system utility that can be used to terminate unwanted processes. However, it doesn’t always work as expected. For example, many users reported that they received an error message saying “unable to terminate process access is denied” when trying to end a process through Task Manager.

If you are unable to stop services due to this error message, you can get it resolved by applying the approaches below.

How to Fix Unable to Terminate Process Access Is Denied Windows 11/10

Fix 1. Use the Alt + F4 Keyboard Shortcut

If the End task button is not working in Task Manager, you can terminate an application by using the Alt + F4 keyboard shortcut.

Just stay on the page of the program that you want to stop running, then press the Alt + F4 key combination on your keyboard. This should kill the selected process.

Fix 2. Run Task Manager as Administrator

The inability to end a task through Task Manager may be due to insufficient permissions for this program. Running Task Manager as administrator will guarantee that it has full permission to do whatever it needs to do on your computer.

First, in the Windows search box, type task and then right-click Task Manager from the best match result to select Run as administrator.

Second, select the unnecessary app or process and then click the End task button.

Fix 3. Terminate the Process With WMIC Command

Aside from Task Manager and the Alt + F4 key combination, you can kill a process with CMD. You can use Windows Management Instrumentation Console (WMIC) to complete this task. It supports such actions as configuring security settings, changing system settings, scheduling processes, etc.

Step 1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2. Select the Yes option in the UAC window.

Step 3. In the command line window, type wmic process where name=’processname’ delete and press Enter.

Fix 4. Kill the Process Using the Taskkill Command

Another command line for terminating processes is the taskkill command. Similar to WMIC, to use this command, you also need to know the detailed process name (Go to Task Manager > Details).

Step 1. Run Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2. Type taskkill /im processname /f and press Enter. Remember to replace the process name with the actual one.

Fix 5. Scan the Computer for Virus

If you keep receiving the “unable to terminate process access is denied” error message, your computer may have been attacked by a virus. In this situation, you need to use antivirus software such as Windows Defender to find and kill the viruses.

For the detailed steps to scan for a virus, you can refer to this tutorial: How to Open and Use Windows Defender in Windows 11/10.

Wrapping Things Up

In a word, this article provides you with several alternative ways to stop unnecessary processes when receiving the “unable to terminate process access is denied” error.

If your files on the Windows computer are lost due to wrong operations or virus attacks, you can use MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free Edition to get lost files back.

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