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Spacetornado Killer helps you end multiple processes with minimal fuss
Task Manager is an extremely handy tool, but it does lack a few features that would make it even more useful. Say, for example, the ability to control + click or shift + click to quickly select multiple processes you want to terminate.Like so many tiny omissions in Windows, there's a free utility which steps in nicely to add that missing functionality.
Spacetornado Killer is a tiny (44KB) portable application with a single purpose - to kill a group of processes in as few clicks as possible. Say I wanted to make all those Chrome.exe's over there. Click the top one, hold shift, click the bottom one, and then press F4. Nice! No confirmations to get in the way, just processes-whacking goodness.
To do the same thing in Task Manager would have taken more than two dozen clicks.
This is a great app for lazy efficiency-minded technicians to keep handy on a USB flash drive.
Comments
14
Subscribe to commentsDjbloisDec 11th 2009 12:09PM
You can already do Shift click and Control Click in Task Manager making this program useless unless it has more functionalty
Lee MathewsDec 11th 2009 12:10PM
Really? I'm trying right now in Windows 7 32 bit and it won't let me.
Anyone else?
TheOneAndOnlyJHDec 11th 2009 12:55PM
Can't do it in XP either. What are you using?
DjbloisDec 11th 2009 12:16PM
It worked in Vista.
Lee MathewsDec 11th 2009 12:17PM
Just tried on two Vista Home Prem. systems fresh out of the box as well, and it didn't happen on them either.
polobunnyDec 11th 2009 12:26PM
Doesn't work for me either in Windows XP Professional 32-bit, Vista Ultimate 64-bit, Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit and Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit.
I call shenanigans. ;)
sitrucDec 11th 2009 12:51PM
It works for Applications not Processes.
CirienoDec 11th 2009 1:37PM
@Djblois:
In Windows 7 -- You can Ctrl- or Shift-click in the Applications or Services tabs, but NOT (and this is the important bit) in the Processes tab...
TheOneAndOnlyJHDec 11th 2009 12:58PM
sitruc is right. It works for applications and not processes on XP for me too.
Wow.. I forgot all about the Applications tab. Haven't used that in ages! I just go by processes.
DiRTDec 11th 2009 1:51PM
I'm just wondering why you would shut down all those Chrome.exe's like this...
Chad EssleyDec 11th 2009 3:54PM
What I've always craved is an application that senses the last launched app within a given set, then terminates it!
I'm always launching an app by accident, (something unwieldy and bloaty like Adobe CS4) then I frantically dig thru the process mgr to kill the app before it's fully launched.
MollyDec 13th 2009 1:15PM
to those who cannot get it to work in XP: the darn thing requires dotnet crapworx to be installed, that's why.
what have all the decent coders gone??? :)
GBob?Dec 23rd 2009 6:32AM
We all now nothing works for everybody we just liking moaning about other peoples work, especially when it's free. This is a great little tool for quickly and easily killing multiple processes left lying around.
Works for me and saves me time so cheers.
Happy days....
Tony JohnsonDec 31st 2009 4:18PM
My name's Tony Johnson and I created Spacetornado Killer. Thank you Lee for writing this article! I'm glad you like the program.
And I don't know of any Windows version where you can kill multiple processes at once... Microsoft might be trying to keep casual users from inadvertently destroying several important system processes at once. But as always this [purposeful?] omission of advanced features leaves IT nerds like myself at a disadvantage.
Another use of Killer, besides being handy for the lazy, is stopping annoying malware processes that make sure the user doesn't end them by using buddy processes to monitor and keep each other running.