FIX: Tor Browser is Already Running But is Not Responding

Tor is a free and open-source browser focused on anonymous communication, but many users reported Tor Browser is already running error messages.

If you’re unfamiliar with Tor, let us remind you that it is straightforward to download and use Tor on Windows 10, as you can see in this quick guide.

However, if you’re getting this error message while running Tor, we’ll show you how to fix it today.

Here’s how one user on Stack Exchange described this issue:

Why is my Tor Browser not working?

If you are in a situation where Tor Browser was working and is not working now, your system may have been hibernating, which means that a simple reboot is in order.

Other users mentioned that the Windows Virus & Threat protection feature got in the way, or it could just be that the browser’s files became corrupted.

For more info on how to do that, check the guide below.

Quick Tip:

Use a different browser that is more responsive. We recommend Opera One because it’s light and very private. It includes a built-in VPN and adblocker, as well as crypto mining protection.

It blocks many unnecessary cookies and has up-to-date web filtering options, so it’s a good alternative to Tor in terms of online security.

Opera One

When Tor fails to meet your expectations, just download this great alternative.

Free Visit website

What can I do if the Tor browser is not working?

1. End Tor process in Task Manager

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Task Manager. 
2. Once in Task Manager, under Processes, click on the Name tab to sort all the processes alphabetically.
3. Now find tor.exe (or firefox.exe, if it’s the case), and click on End Task in the bottom-right of the window.
4. If you see multiple Tor processes, close them all simultaneously. Few users reported that Task Manager wouldn’t end tasks, and if that’s the case, be sure to check our guide on how to fix that.
5. Now try again to open the Tor Browser.

Read more about this topic

• 32-bit Browsers – Top 8 Options for Secure Browsing on Older Systems
• How Do I Use Copilot to Rewrite Text in Edge

2. Delete parent.lock file

1. Go to Tor Browser > Data > Browser > profile.default > parent.lock.
2. Click on the parent.lock file and then hit Del.
3. Check if the problem is still there.

3. Install Tor Browser on a different partition

1. Remove Tor Browser from your PC.
2. Once you remove it, install it again on a different partition and check if that solves the problem.

To altogether remove Tor Browser from your PC, we advise using an automated uninstaller utility. Our top recommendation is CCleaner’s uninstaller. It will clear your app and all registry entries and related files.

The tool is available in the free version and allows you to quickly select Tor from a list of all your apps, confirm that you want to uninstall it, and wait for the process to complete.

Suppose you already uninstalled the browser with a different method. In that case, we recommend you run the CCleaner scanner and remove any junk files found, as there is a high possibility for your regular uninstaller wizard to leave behind unnecessary files.

⇒ Get CCleaner

As you can see, situations such as the Tor browser is already running but is not responding, or The old Tor browser process must be closed to open a new window can appear out of nowhere.

You could also run into an error such as Close tor browser, a copy of tor browser is already open on your Mac device.

However, these problems are easy to fix, as we’ve shown you above. Leave a comment below if you managed to solve this issue.