"Alt" + "F4": What happens when you press these keys?

Among the many key combinations in Windows, "Alt" + "F4" takes on a special role. We explain what happens when you press these keys and why the combination is so well-known.

Stop sign: press "Alt" + "F4" to quit the program that is currently active in the foreground.

Using Windows can be simplified thanks to keyboard shortcuts, as shown here.

Explained: What happens with "Alt" + "F4"?

The function of "Alt" + "F4" is quickly explained:

• Press "Alt" + "F4" simultaneously in Windows, you close the currently active program. This can be a software such as Excel, or even a computer game, the media player or the browser - the combination affects all programs.
• "Alt" + "F4" does not exist only since Windows 10, but much longer.
• From this arose many years ago a kind of joke, in that less knowledgeable users were advised to simply press "Alt" + "F4" to solve a problem. The closure of the program came as a corresponding surprise and was not at all helpful, which should be the real joke.

So experienced Windows users know "Alt" + "F4" for years. In many situations, the combination can be useful to close a program, as it saves a mouse click. This is especially true when working without a mouse, such as on a laptop.