PowerShell Stop-Job
last modified February 15, 2025
In this article, we will cover the Stop-Job cmdlet in PowerShell.
This cmdlet stops background jobs running in PowerShell. It is useful for
managing long-running tasks.
Job basics
A job in PowerShell is a background task that runs independently. Jobs allow
you to run commands without blocking the console. Each job has a unique ID
and state (Running, Completed, Failed). The Stop-Job cmdlet
terminates running jobs.
Basic Stop-Job usage
The simplest way to use Stop-Job is with a job object. First,
start a job with Start-Job. Then pass the job to Stop-Job.
This immediately terminates the background task.
$job = Start-Job -ScriptBlock { Start-Sleep -Seconds 60 }
Stop-Job -Job $job
This script starts a background job that sleeps for 60 seconds. The
Stop-Job cmdlet stops it before completion. The job state
changes to Stopped.
Stop job by ID
Jobs can be stopped using their unique ID numbers. First, list jobs with
Get-Job to find the ID. Then pass the ID to Stop-Job.
This is useful when managing multiple jobs.
Start-Job -ScriptBlock { Start-Sleep -Seconds 30 }
Get-Job
Stop-Job -Id 1
This starts a sleep job, lists all jobs, then stops job ID 1. The job ID
is shown in the Get-Job output. IDs are assigned sequentially.
Stop multiple jobs
Multiple jobs can be stopped at once using pipeline input. First filter
jobs with Get-Job, then pipe to Stop-Job. This
is efficient for bulk job management.
Start-Job -ScriptBlock { Start-Sleep -Seconds 20 }
Start-Job -ScriptBlock { Start-Sleep -Seconds 30 }
Get-Job -State Running | Stop-Job
This starts two sleep jobs, then stops all running jobs. The pipeline
passes each running job to Stop-Job. Both jobs are terminated.
Stop job by name
Jobs can be named when created and stopped by name. Use the -Name
parameter with both Start-Job and Stop-Job. Named
jobs are easier to manage in complex scripts.
Start-Job -Name "MyJob" -ScriptBlock { Start-Sleep -Seconds 40 }
Stop-Job -Name "MyJob"
This creates a named job "MyJob" that sleeps for 40 seconds. The
Stop-Job cmdlet stops it by name. Named jobs are easier to track.
Force stop a stuck job
Some jobs may not respond to normal stop requests. The -Force
parameter can terminate stubborn jobs. This should be used as a last resort
for unresponsive jobs.
$job = Start-Job -ScriptBlock { while($true) { } }
Stop-Job -Job $job -Force
This starts an infinite loop job. The -Force parameter
ensures termination. Forced stops may leave resources in an inconsistent state.
Stop remote jobs
Jobs running on remote computers can be stopped too. First create a remote
job with Invoke-Command. Then stop it using the job object or ID.
$session = New-PSSession -ComputerName Server01
$job = Invoke-Command -Session $session -ScriptBlock { Start-Sleep -Seconds 50 } -AsJob
Stop-Job -Job $job
This creates a remote session and starts a sleep job. The Stop-Job
cmdlet terminates the remote job. Remote job management requires proper permissions.
Confirm before stopping
The -Confirm parameter prompts before stopping each job. This
prevents accidental job termination. It's useful in production environments.
Start-Job -ScriptBlock { Start-Sleep -Seconds 10 }
Stop-Job -Id 1 -Confirm
This starts a sleep job, then prompts before stopping it. The confirmation shows the job details. Answer 'Y' to proceed or 'N' to cancel.
Stop all jobs
All jobs can be stopped at once using Get-Job with
Stop-Job. This is a quick way to clean up all background
tasks. Be careful as it stops every job.
Start-Job -ScriptBlock { Start-Sleep -Seconds 15 }
Start-Job -ScriptBlock { Start-Sleep -Seconds 25 }
Get-Job | Stop-Job
This starts two sleep jobs, then stops all jobs. The pipeline passes every
job to Stop-Job. All background tasks are terminated.
Source
In this article, we have covered the Stop-Job cmdlet in PowerShell.
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