closing crashed/locked up applications

hedron

hedron

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
495
This is more of a general question than explicitly referring to the specific application I'm having problems with right now, but I'm just going to use it as an example. Every now and again an application locks up, and according to Windows it is, "not responding" and every effort I have gone through to kill the application has resulted in failure. Using task manager > right click> kill process or using Process Explorer using the same method, even going into the properties and trying to kill the threads.

So, anyway, I'm trying to kill VSTHost which has locked up. The same as above. It is a software 'host' for virtual instruments that are executed via a dll. I've attempted to kill and/or suspend the only thread in the properties in Process Explorer, but it reads "unable to suspend thread: the system cannot find the file specified."

Is there anything that can be done? I'm assuming that this is on the driver or hardware level and is just something that cannot be dealt with on the software level, and therefor requiring the entire system be shut down. Could I manually restart the physical device as an attempt to sort of "unlock" the stuck thread/locked application?
 
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Try pskill, its a microsoft util for killing stubborn processes.
They dont make it available to download any more, so you'll have to search for it.
 
Haha, odd.
I searched MS and it gave me a page that didnt exist.
 
Thanks guy, but I had already tried pskill. I really think that sometimes, it's just impossible to kill a task as Windows just lost control of the hardware.
 
I have process explorer. I mentioned that in my original post. Unless there is some option or method I am missing?

The specific problem with VST Host, is that it talks directly to the hardware, bypassing the drivers. So, I think that Windows just can't get between the stuck thread and the hardware.
 
My user account is admin.

Even so, I just ran it now by right clicking the exe > run as admin then I coaxed ableton live to lock up and it refuses to be killed.

Thanks though.
 
Nope, that didn't work either. Thanks though, that's a neat alternative to process explorer/task manager.

I really think that the solution (if there is one at all) lies in resetting the hardware somehow. I wouldn't know how to do that. There's no option in the device manager. Doesn't Windows shut down hardware when you put it to sleep? In this case, it's the sound card. So, why is that I cannot turn off and on the sound card?
 
In Device Manager you can enable/disable the card.
Also in Control Panel/Sound, you can right click a device and disable/enable it.
Maybe that will do what you want.
 
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