What does Alt + F4 do?

Alt + F4 is one of the keyboard shortcuts applied by using the Alt and F4 keys on the keyboard. It is used to close all the active windows. In most of the applications and processes the Alt + F4 is used for terminating them. This shortcut terminates even full-screen games.

How to create the Alt + F4 keyboard shortcut?

To create the Alt + F4 shortcut on the Keyboard, press the "Alt" key and hold it until you press the "F4" key. The representation of the shortcut is as in the image below. The Alt key is present on either side of the space bar key.

Alt + F4 in Microsoft Windows

If you press the Alt + F4 shortcut in Microsoft Windows, a command is given to the computer that closes the active windows and programs. If any program is not opened in the computer, then using Alt + F4 will open the "Shutdown" window.

Alt + F4 in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a word processor that helps create documents for personal and commercial use. By using Microsoft Office 365, we can install MS Word into our computer hardware and use it whenever required.MS Word is also available online, and it is free. If we press the Alt + F4 keyboard shortcut in Microsoft Word, it closes the word document.

Alt + F4 in Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet where we can perform arithmetic calculations on the data after formatting the data. It is available for Windows OS, Android OS, Mac OS, and IOS operating systems. If we press the Alt + F4 keyboard shortcut in Microsoft Excel, it closes the Excel program.

Use of Alt + F4 in popular programs

1) Alt + F4 in General

• Brave (Windows) - It exits from the present active Window.
• Camtasia - It closes the MenuMaker.
• Camtasia - It closes the Theater.
• Exact Audio Copy - It also exits from the active window application.
• Google Chrome - It closes the currently active Window.
• GNOME - It exists from the Window.
• Linux Mint - It closes the active Window if present.
• Mozilla Thunderbird - It closes the active application and its Window.
• MythTV 32 - It closes the active application.
• Mapedit - It does the Micro scroll up.
• Mapedit - It turns and sets the ON state.
• Opera - It closes the currently active Window or application.
• Ubuntu - It quits from the present active Window.
• Vizrt Virtual Set Editor - It closes the present window.
• Windows 11 - It closes the currently active application.
• Windows XP - It exists from the console that is opened or in an active state.
• Windows 3.1 - It closes either the opened application or dialog box.
• Windows 3.1 - It closes the opened Windows.
• WinDirStat - It exists from the application window.

2) Alt + F4 in Text Editing

• Adobe Acrobat 2017 for Windows - It quits the Help window.
• Metapad - It closes the active Metapad window.
• Microsoft FrontPage - It closes the currently active application window.
• Microsoft Word 2019 - It closes the word document.
• Nuance Power PDF - It exists from the application.
• Notepad3 (v5.21) - It closes Notepad3.
• Tomboy 0.23 - It exists from the present note window.
• WordPerfect X8 - It closes the WordPerfect.
• Wordpad - It quits from the WordPad.

3) Alt + F4 in Imaging

• Adobe XD for Windows - It exists from the currently active Window.
• ACDSee Free - It quits from the Window.
• CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2018 - It closes the application.
• CorelDRAW 2020 - It exists the opened program.
• CorelDRAW 2020 - It closes the Print Preview.
• DraftSight 2019 - It exists from the program
• DesignSpark Mechanical 5.0 - It closes the active program.
• GIMP - It quits from the Window.
• HitFilm - It closes the application.
• InVision Studio 1.2.8.2 - It quits from the active Window.
• LightWave 3D - It either displays or hides the motion paths.
• Microsoft Paint - It exists from the Window.
• Navisworks Freedom 2020 - It quits the active Window of the dock if it is undocked. Otherwise, it closes the program when the main application Window is active.
• Paint.NET - It quits the application.
• PowerDirector 17 - It closes the CyberLink PowerDirector.
• PowerDirector 17 - It quits the PowerDirector.
• Paint 3D - It closes the paint application.
• Pinnacle Studio 22 - It quits from the active program window.
• ProgeCAD - It exists from the application window.
• Sweet Home 3D - It exists from the program.

4) Alt + F4 use in System tools

• KDE Plasma Desktop - It closes the currently active program.
• LXDE - It exists from the Window.
• Mintty 3.4.0 - It exists from the Window.
• MobaXterm 20.6 - It closes the MobaXterm.
• Parsec - It closes the Windows application.
• PhraseExpress - It shrinks or exits the PhraseExpress application.
• Tera Term 4.97 - It closes the application.
• Xfce - It exists from the Window.
• Xenia Emulator - It closes the active application.
• XenCenter - It closes the XenCenter.

5) Alt + F4 in Developer tools

• FileMaker - It closes the FileMaker Pro.
• Microsoft Power Automate 2.22 - It closes the editor.
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 - It closes the active file.
• Notepad++ - It closes the application.
• Python IDLE (Windows) - It exists from the present active Window.
• SQLLyog - It exists from the program
• SQL Server Management Studio - It closes the application.
• Windows PowerShell ISE - It quits the application.
• WinHEx - It quits from the active application.

6) Alt + F4 in Web applications

• WhatsApp Web and Desktop - It quits the whole application.

7) Alt + F4 in File Manager

• Explore - It closes the currently active program.
• PureSync - It quits the program.
• WinSCP - It closes the program.
• WinNc - It closes the active running app.
• 7-Zip - It exists from the program.

8) Alt + F4 in Media Player

• Corel Photo-Paint 2021 - It quits the program.
• GOM Player - It quits from the application.
• KMPlayer - Exists in the active program.
• Plex for Windows - It closes the app.
• PotPlayer 1.7 - It exists from the program.
• 5KPlayer 6.0 - It closes the application.
• Spotify - It closes the application.

9) Alt + F4 in Games - PC

• BeamNG - It exists from the game.
• Battle Brothers-Blazing Deserts - It closes the game without saving the last data.
• Football Manager 2020 - It closes the game.
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 - It selects 4.
• Old School RuneScape - It exists from the browser Window.
• Ren'Py - It closes the game.
• Tibia - It tries to close the game.
• Warcraft III - It quits the application.
• Warcraft III: Reforged - It closes the application.

10) Alt + F4 in Social & Messaging

• Blackboard Collaborate - It closes the application.
• Blackboard Collaborate - It closes Windows: notes, calculator, and activity.
• Blackboard Collaborate - It quits from the activity window.
• Blackboard Collaborate - It exists from the notes window.
• Cisco Webex - It quits the dialog box.
• GoToMeeting - It quits the meeting.
• NewsBin Pro - It exists from the application.
• Sound - It closes the program.
• Zoom for Windows - It exists from the present active Window.

10) Alt + F4 in Security

• Comodo IceDragon - It quits from the Window.

11) Alt + F4 in Productivity

• Author-It - It quits the program.
• Articulate Storyline - It exists from the storyline.
• Bitwig Studio 4.2 - It closes the program.
• Bluebeam Revu - It quits from the app.
• ConnectWise 2018.6 - It exists from the active browser window.
• CCH Axcess Tax - It quits Return Manager or Tax.
• Dynamics NAV for Windows - It closes the application.
• Evernote for Windows for legacy - It quits from the separate Windows or minimizes the main Window.
• Finale 26 - It closes the program.
• HitFilm Pro 2021.3 - It quits the program.
• Kali Linux - It exists from the Window.
• Logo Accounting - It quits the program.
• LibreOffice - It quits from the present document.
• Microsoft Excel - It quits Excel.
• MetaTrader 5 - It quits from the platform.
• MindManager 21 - It quits from the MindManager.
• Microsoft Access 2019 - It closes the access.
• NextGen EHR - It quits from the EHR app.
• Openbox - It quits from the active Window.
• OBIEE 12.2 - It closes the program window.
• OpenBoard 1.6 - It quits the application.
• Premiere Rush for Windows - It exists from the program.
• PerfectTablePlan v6.2 - It quits from the application.
• QuickBooks Desktop - It closes the program.
• RoomSketcher - It exists from the active program.
• Snip & Sketch - It closes the application by asking to save the changes.
• Sage 50 - It exists from the program window.
• TallyPrime - It closes the active application.
• Tally ERP 9 - It chooses the purchase order voucher type.
• Tableau - It quits from the present workbook.
• Vegas pro 18 - It closes the application.
• Viz Artist 4.4 - It closes the Viz Artist.
• Viz Artist 4.4 - It closes the Viz Engine.
• Wondershare Filmora 10.1.6 - It closes the Window.
• Workpapers CS - It closes the application.

12) Alt + F4 in Scientific

• Altium Designer - It closes the application.
• Alteryx - It exists from the program.
• CEREC 4.0x - It quits from the application.
• Eplan Platform 2.9 - It quits the program.
• Femap 2020.2 - It exists from the application.
• FreeCAD 0.18 - It quits from the active program.
• GeoGebra - It closes the app.
• Maple - It quits the program.
• Mastercam 2022 - It closes the present open Window.
• OrCAD Capture - It exits from the present active program.
• Solidworks 2019 - It exists from the active Window.
• TrueCAD 2021 - It closes the program.
• Vectorworks 2020 - It closes the program.

13) Alt + F4 in Hardware

• Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard - It exists from the current active thing, item, or quits from the program.

Alt + F4-related Keyboard shortcuts and keys

Alt

Alt is a key that is present on the Keyboard. The full form of alt is alternate.Alt, a modifier key is located on either side of the space bar key for the compatible keyboards with IBM. In Apple computer keyboards, the Alt key is not used, but they use the "option key" instead.

When we press the Alt key on the Keyboard, it highlights the file menu in the computer or displays the shortcuts in Office applications and programs along with the Ribbon (example: Microsoft Office).

Ctrl + F4

Ctrl + F4 is a shortcut related to Alt + F4. It is also known as Control + F4, C-F4, a keyboard shortcut used for closing the tab or Window within a program or application. The Alt +F4 closes all the windows and tabs along with the active program.

When Ctrl + F4 is used in the Internet Browsers, it closes only the current active tabs. It closes the currently active workbook when used in Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet programs.

Creation of Ctrl + F4 shortcut: To make the Ctrl + F4 shortcut on the Keyboard, press the "Ctrl" key and hold it until you press the "F4" key. The Ctrl key is in two locations on the keyboard one is to the right of the Alt key, and another is at the bottom left corner of the Keyboard. The user can use any Ctrl key at their convenience.