In the process of developing computer programs and operating systems, developers have applied a huge number of various innovations and improvements. Trying to facilitate the work of the user and increase the productivity of his work, programmers came up with a technology that allows you to set a command not to one keyboard key, but to combinations of several. Any buttons in any quantity can be used, but it is customary to consider two to three keys as the “gold standard”. Combinations can be used for anything, for example, in Windows OS: Alt + F4 closes the program window or opens the shutdown menu, Alt + Tab switches between running applications, Ctrl + Alt + Del opens the Task Manager.
For various software products, there are their own combinations of "hot keys" that are designed specifically for maximum usability in them. However, “hot” combinations of operating systems are priority over software if they do not have special conditions prescribed by the program.
What happens if you press Alt + F4 or any other key combination on the computer?
A bit about hotkey combinations
For various operating systems and programs, there are peculiarities of using keyboard shortcuts. So, in the Windows OS, the main commands start with Alt (for example, Alt + F4 or Alt + Tab), in the Linux OS, the commands start with Ctrl (for example, Ctrl + Alt + F1 or Ctrl + Alt + D), programs running under the Windows operating system, control is also carried out through a combination of Alt (main commands) and Ctrl (secondary). For the convenience of users, any program has the ability to customize its keyboard shortcuts. To do this, you must have administrator rights, go to the "Program Settings" menu, select the sub-item "Assignment of" hot keys "and their combinations", assign "Manual" and save the changes.
Any key combinations can act directly and back. For example, if Alt + F4 is pressed once, the command will execute the function assigned to it. And by pressing the combination again, you can undo the previous action. It is impossible to describe all combinations for all software products and does not make sense, since different users need special programs. Let's consider in more detail the combination of Alt + F4 buttons for the Windows OS.
Alt + F4 on the desktop
Since the advent of the Windows operating system, many users have managed to at least once use this combination of buttons for their needs. For those who do not know and do not understand what they are talking about, the answer is this: when using this key combination on the active desktop, an action selection window pops up:
- computer reboot;
- computer shutdown ;
- end of session;
- user choice.
If you click on one of the actions and confirm the decision with the OK or Enter button, the command will execute. If, with the action selection window open, press Alt + F4 again, the window will close.
Alt + F4 from an open program window
If the desktop is not active, and any application is running above it (movie, game, Internet browser), then the specified key combination will simply close the application in use and free up RAM. In some cases, Alt + F4 may invoke the application menu, offering to confirm its decision to close it. This is done to avoid accidental keystrokes and data loss.
Useful keyboard shortcuts in Windows
The most common and convenient “hot” keyboard shortcuts for Windows OS are:
Ctrl + Tab - used to switch between applications launched by the user;
Alt + F4 - closes the active window or displays a window for selecting actions to complete the work;
Ctrl + Shift - switches the system language;
Alt + Shift - switches the keyboard layout;
Ctrl + Alt + Del - displays the "Task Manager";
Ctrl + Shift + Esc - also displays the "Task Manager";
Ctrl + Esc - opens the "Start menu";
Control + C - copies the selected file or text to the clipboard ;
Ctrl + V - paste from the exchange buffer;
Ctrl + X - cuts out a file or text and puts it on the clipboard;
Win + L - blocks the current Windows user session;
Shift + PrtScr - copies a screenshot of the current screen to the exchange buffer;
Ctrl + P - prints the corresponding data.
There are many more different combinations, but the above are used most often, and for the average user it would be useful to remember them.