How to Kill wowexec.exe

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tom Woods
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T

Tom Woods

I have a circumstance where I would like to kill the wowexec.exe process.
I've tried to use taskkill, but no luck.

Is there a way to kill wowexec.exe?

Thanks,
Tom Woods
 
Open Task Manager...
Ctrl + Shift + Esc | Processes tab | Right click wowexec.exe |
Select End Process | Click YES to the warning prompt.

---------------------------
Task Manager Warning
---------------------------
WARNING: Terminating a process can cause undesired
results including loss of data and system instability. The
process will not be given the chance to save its state or
data before it is terminated. Are you sure you want to
terminate the process?
---------------------------
Yes No
---------------------------

wowexec.exe only runs when 16-bit programs run.

In Task Manager | On the Processes tab, note the contents of the Image Name
column.
If any 16-bit programs are running, you see an entry for Ntvdm.exe, which is
the virtual DOS machine that is provided by Windows XP. You also see
wowexec.exe (the Windows on Windows subsystem), and the executable name of
each 16-bit program that is running in that WOW virtual machine. As a
helpful visual aid, wowexec.exe and the 16-bit executable file names are
indented.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
I'm sorry... I did not make my self clear..

I need to kill the task from command line using TaskKill or some other
utility.

Thanks,
Tom
 
Tom wrote on Thu, 9 Feb 2006 11:07:00 -0600:
I'm sorry... I did not make my self clear..

I need to kill the task from command line using TaskKill or some other
utility.
Click to expand...

Use Kill from the Support Tools on the XP CD.

Dan
 
Tom Woods said:
I'm sorry... I did not make my self clear..

I need to kill the task from command line using TaskKill or some other
utility.
Click to expand...


What was the syntax for the taskkill command that you tried? "taskkill /im
wowexec" didn't work? Were you logged in under an admin-level account at
the time (in case you weren't listed as the account under User Name as
owning that process)? Did you try the /F option? Was WOWEXEC a child
process (which means you need to kill the parent process)? If it was the
parent process, did you try the /T parameter to kill off any child processes
(WOW is Windows on Windows to map the Win16 API system calls to Win32 API
calls for 16-bit apps, so there is probably an NTVDM or other child
process)? Was there more than one WOWEXEC process and, if so, did you try
the /PID parameter to specify which one to kill?
 
so, did you try the /PID parameter to specify which one to kill?

wowexec.exe doesn't have a PID, it runs under ntvdm.exe.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Wesley Vogel said:
wowexec.exe doesn't have a PID, it runs under ntvdm.exe.
Click to expand...


It's been so long since I had a 16-bit app to run that would load NTVDM and
WOWEXEC that I didn't remember if it had a PID. Would then using "taskkill
/im wowexec" not work to kill it (i.e., do you need to kill NTVDM instead)?
 
I started wowexec.exe.

Both wowexec.exe and ntvdm.exe started.

ntvdm.exe was PID 1948.

I opened a command prompt.

--------
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\>taskkill /im wowexec
ERROR: The process "wowexec" not found.

C:\>TASKKILL /PID 1948
SUCCESS: The process with PID 1948 has been terminated.

C:\>
--------

Opening Task Manager showed that SUCCESS was premature, both wowexec.exe and
ntvdm.exe were still running. I had to End Process on ntvdm.exe with Task
Manager to get rid of them. This may have something to do with the fact
that I didn't have any 16-bit program running, just wowexec.exe and
ntvdm.exe. <shrug> I don't have any 16-bit programs.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
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