Many times you will have an automated process running that you want shut down at a certain time of day. Try this: http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/pstools.shtml The SysInternals web site has loads of incredible free utilities. I don't know how they do it. Also, check out the Resource Kit for your OS. For example, the Windows 2000 Resource Kit has a program called PTREE. Unfortunately, you have to buy the RK (it isn't available as a free download). Find out more about the W2K-RK here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/rktour/server/S_tools.asp If you don't have Windows 2000, you might investigate what utilities are available as part of the resource kit or are in the "Zero Administration" kit: http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/nts/downloads/recommended/ntkit/default.asp http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/contents/WURecommended/S_WUFeatured/W98ZAK/Default.asp PC Magazine wrote a nice utility called "EndItAll 2". It's free (as long as you pay for it first) and it will allow you batch control shutting down any program. Search www.pcmag.com for the term "EndItAll" or try: http://www.pcmag.com/article/0,2997,a%253D13656,00.asp http://www.pcmag.com/search_results/0%2C3015%2C%2C00.asp?query=EndItAll&selected_site=PC+Magazine Finally, if none of the above pre-built solutions are available, you can use Windows Scripting. Scripting is standard with Win98 and newer. If you don't have it, it's available as a free download. See http://www.microsoft.com/scripting Here is a simple VBS script that will shut down Notepad by sending an Alt-F4 keystroke: Dim wsh Set wsh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell") wsh.AppActivate "Notepad" wsh.SendKeys "%{F4}" All you have to do is change the "Notepad" above to match the title bar (or just the beginning or end of the title bar) of your program. To use a VBS script, just save the text with a file extension of VBS. If the icon doesn't change to a blue scroll, try using quotes around the file name when you save it. As a batch file programmer, you'll probably want to run your script with a command line like this: cscript.exe "C:\Path\script.vbs" Or start /wait cscript.exe "C:\Path\script.vbs" If you have Windows 2000, ME, or newer, you have WMI. If you have an older operating system (Win9x), you can download WMI here: http://download.microsoft.com/download/platformsdk/wmi9x/1.5/W9X/EN-US/wmi9x.exe WMI allows you to kill processes based on their executable name. Here is a VBS script that uses WMI to kill all instances of Notepad: Set objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\cimv2") strQuery = "Select * from Win32_Process where Name='Notepad.exe'" Set colItems = objWMIService.ExecQuery(strQuery,,48) For Each objItem in colItems objItem.Terminate Next Finally, the time of day problem. Your basic approach here is to schedule a program to run at a certain time of day. This scheduled program will then kill your other program. Frankly, you might want to read the Windows help on the "System Agent" (for Win9x), the "AT" command (a command-line program in NT, 2K, and XP), or "Scheduled Tasks" (GUI application in NT, 2K, and XP). McAfee and Norton Antivirus both include a scheduler as well. Finally (a last resort!), I wrote a scheduling program: http://www.ericphelps.com/schedule/index.htm http://www.ericphelps.com