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word app is still running how do I exit

Joyce Sullivan 0 Reputation points
2026-05-22T17:13:29.87+00:00

word app is still running on my PC as if to download all the templates and I cannot exit out. How do I exit out

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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  1. Stefan Blom 341K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-05-22T19:58:32.8233333+00:00

    If Word has become unresponsive (crashed), then you can force quit it from Task Manager. You can right-click the Windows taskbar and choose Task Manager. Right-click Word on the Processes tab and close the app.

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  2. Ferdinand Nanalig 30,140 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-05-22T17:50:03.58+00:00

    Hi! Let me help you.

    What happens when you try ALT + F4 on the Word app?

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  3. AI answer

    2026-05-22T17:13:38.88+00:00

    To fully exit Word when it appears stuck or keeps running in the background, use Task Manager to close it.

    1. Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC on the keyboard to open Task Manager.
    2. In Task Manager, go to the Processes tab (or Details tab, depending on Windows version).
    3. Look for Microsoft Word or WINWORD.EXE in the list.
    4. Select it and choose End Task (or End Process).

    This will force Word to close. Any unsaved work will be lost, so use this when Word will not close normally.

    In the future, if Word is responsive, close it normally using the X on the title bar.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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