On Windows 8, I regularly get processes into a state where I can't terminate them. Skypekit.exe seems to be the process that's most likely to trigger that issue, but other processes can do that, too.

When I try to terminate these processes, I sometimes get an "access denied" message, sometimes nothing happens - but every following attempt to kill that process results in an "access denied" message, too, even though I...

• have administrative rights (and ran the task manager with it)
• own that process
• have the right to terminate it

"Process Hacker 2" shows a more detailed error message, stating that I couldn't terminate the process because it already is terminated. Still, the process is most definitely still there, because every task manager I tested still can see it.

Process Hacker's "Terminator" is unable to kill such a process, but when running the "Close the process' handles" tactic, Process Hacker gets stuck himself, leaving its windows in "not responding". In that state, other task managers are in turn unable to kill Process Hacker.

The only way I found to actually end these processes is to shutdown (which works without any problems).

Why is this happening? How can I kill these processes?