Error message dialog boxes usually have title bar text containing the application or process name that generated the error. However, you may sometimes encounter an error message dialog with no text in the title bar, making you guess which program has caused the error.
Fig 1: Error message dialog with no title bar text.
Fig 2: Error message dialog with title bar text.
Imagine if around 100 processes are showing up in the Task Manager, and terminating each one at a time to track down the offending process is not an ideal solution. To track it down quickly, use Process Explorer. It has a “Find Windows’ Process” button (the crosshair icon) which lets you know the process name of a currently open window.
Find Which Program Owns an Error Message Window
Using Process Explorer – “Find Windows’ Process” button
- Download Process Explorer and run it.
- Click and drag the Window finder (crosshair icon) button in the toolbar area and drop it on the target window — i.e., the error message dialog or the application window you want to track.(To make this possible, you must keep the error message window and Process Explorer side by side.)
Process Explorer will now automatically highlight the Process name that owns the target window. If the highlighting doesn’t happen, restart Process Explorer elevated (Click the File menu and then click “Show Details for All Processes”) and try again, just in case the process that caused the error is running elevated.
- Double-click it and look at the “Image” tab to know more about that process.
Now you know which application had raised that error message. Start your troubleshooting from here!
The “Find Windows’ Process” button can be helpful to track an unknown error message dialog or application windows quickly, without needing to inspect every running process manually using Task Manager.
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Oh, yeah. The lovely Process Explorer, of course. This freeware system program is certainly #1 in its class.
By the way, Process Explorer is not the only program that can do it. Spy++, a component of Visual C++ can also do this.
This will be very practical, especially for computer repair technicians.
Oh my god. Ive been using process explorer for years, but never knew this. Ive been so annoyed with error windows that I have no idea where come from. Thanks to you (and google).
This is some new info for me! Real helpful.
If the error message is visible in the task bar, you should also be able to go into Task Manager (ctrl+alt+del) and find it listed under the “Applications” tab, then right-click on its entry and hit “Go to Process” and it will tell you the name of the EXE that’s running.
Unfortunately, Windows versions earlier than 6 (Vista) don’t have the option of showing the full path or command line to the process… If you have Vista or later though it comes in handy once in a while.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I had a dialog box that kept raising itself but even a Google search couldn’t determine which application it was.
Thank you. This helped me out. I had a window pop up announcing an error from and unknown source. I was concerned that it was evil. However, it was from a Samsung utility. Not friendly of Samsung.