Shut the window!

Jensen Harris remarks that many people still double-click on the top-left of a window to close it.

How do you most often close a window in Windows?

  • a. Double-click top-left
  • b. Click on the Close X, top-right
  • c. Use the menu via keyboard or mouse: File / Exit or Close
  • d. Alt-F4 (and Ctrl-F4 closes individual document windows — w00t!)
  • e. Alt-Space, then choose Close on the menu
  • f. Right-click on the taskbar, then Close
  • g. (Going to the extremes now) Open Task Manager, go to the Applications list and End Task
  • h. (Even more extreme) Task Manager / Processes / End process
  • i. I never shut any. I just fill the screen up with windows until it runs so slowly I have to reboot

Or some other way I haven’t thought of? Or some other way on another operating system?

9 thoughts on “Shut the window!

  1. daniel Post author

    If I’m mousing at that instant, I go for option b/top right X. If my hands are on the keyboard, option d/Alt-F4.

  2. josh

    X, then Alt-F4, then dbl click.

    If closing ain’t working, most of the time Task Manager is up to the job. But today I found some telnet sessions that had application entries but no process entries. They required the special kill-now program my mate Jim has.

  3. lauren

    If my fingers are already on the keyboard, it’s Alt-F, X. I can touch type that much more reliably than Alt-F4.

    Otherwise, I’ll put the mouse in the top right or top left corner and click or double-click, depending upon which is corner easier to get at. Influencing factors include one side of the window being covered, the mouse being off to one side of the pad, the mouse cord wrapped around something, and so forth.

  4. Dino

    Either of a, b, d or f usually – depends where the mouse pointer is or whether my hands are on the mouse or the keyboard.

  5. Adam

    I usually use the x in the top right, sometimes use alt-f4 if helping someone and don’t want to reach across to the mouse. Despite working in an IT support role for nearly 7 years, I didn’t know you could double click the top left. Also, one staff member at work uses option i. I go to help him with a problem and I find there’s often more than 10 copies of IE and word open.

  6. Peter

    At home, b. (I didn’t know about a).

    At work (on a good day), h.

    At work (on a bad day), k. This is log out, shut down, turn off,
    turn on, log in then open (keeping your fingers crossed that you
    could save your work).

    I’m surprised that you didn’t mention l (Reset button), m
    (turning on and off), n (pulling the plug) or o (hammer)!

  7. Stu

    Almost always d

    Except when I’m already using the mouse, then it’s big red X time.

    But mostly I use keyboard shortcuts wherever possible.

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