Why does 'End Now' actually never end now?

I'm sure I can't be alone in experiencing the occasional problem when things
just sit there doing nothing, so you try to end the process and get that
pop-up that begs you to click 'End Now' ..... but still nothing happens.

I just had this happen again, I double clicked a (legitimate) music file
that I didn't have a codec for (apparently) so up jumped Media player and it
lied, telling me it was looking for a codec (never finds one does it?) and
the whole thing froze. So I tried to close it and up popped that great
opportunity to 'End Now' - which, like an optimistic fool, I clicked - that
was two and a bit hours ago - I thought I'd give it time.

So, I was - again - left with the only 'real' option - re-boot - takes five
minutes, maybe eight if it has to 'check disks'.

I just wondered what the point of End Now was if it doesn't do what it says
on the tin. I not it usually does work in Vista

--
Ron