Stop

Updated: 03/12/2022 by Computer Hope

Stop may refer to any of the following:

Stop sign

1. In general, stop refers to canceling the loading process of a program. Stop is often represented as a red octagon, red circle, or an "x" in the form of an icon or button.

Tip

Pressing Esc as something is loading (e.g., a web page loading) may stop the loading process.

Tip

To stop (end task) a program in Windows, use Task Manager.

2. With a symbol or a button, stop is represented by a solid square and is used to discontinue audio or video playback.

3. Stop is also a Linux command; see the stop command page for further information.

4. The stop button, found in older Internet browsers, was used to halt the loading of a web page.

Tip

If a browser, like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, doesn't have a stop button, press the Esc key to stop a page from loading.

Browser, Cancel, Close, Halt, Software terms