Quick-Kill Multiple Programs with Batch Files

The CyberNet weblog follows up on their previous tip for creating quick-kill shortcuts for individual programs in Windows by expanding the idea to an automated batch file that kills off a bunch of programs at once. The batch script is smart enough to skip any apps you don't have open, and makes it easy to strip down running programs to grab the most power from your system, for Photoshop, games, or other resource-intensive apps. The basic trick is to open the Windows Task Manager, find the executable names (like firefox.exe) of the apps you want to kill, then open a simple text editor and add a line for each app, like so:

taskkill /im program.exe

Replace program.exe with the ones you want to kill, save the text file with a .bat extension, and you've got a quick streamlining app. Ready to take the next step? Take a look at setting up working environments with batch files.