The Ctrl F4 (Ctrl + F4) keyboard shortcut is used to to close the active Window.

Suppose you are working in MS word and if you wanted to close the active document you could use the
Ctrl + F4 Windows Shortcut.

An active Window refers to the Window currently being used.

For example: Let us say you have opened three files serially.

Let us name these files as:

1.    Excel-3rd-active-Window
2.    Excel-2nd-active-Window
3.    Excel-1st-active-Window.

As Excel-1st-active-Window is the last file you had opend, it will be the file you will be looking at on the screen, in other words, it is the active Window.

The Ctrl + F4 can be used to close this active Window.






Once this file is closed, the second file, that is to say, Excel-2nd-active-Window becomes the active document.

Because it is the file you see on the screen.

If you press ‘Ctrl F4’ this file will now be closed.

Now only one file is left open on the screen which is, Excel 3rd active Window.




Upon pressing ‘Ctrl F4’ that file will also be closed.

Now you understand that ‘Ctrl F4’ is used to close the The most active window.

How can I help you to remember this particular keyboard shortcut.

When we talk about an active Window, images of flying Microsoft floating Windows that move around the screen in the Microsoft screensaver comes to my mind.

It is always active and it is the most active Window.

Please go through the images carefully, which will help you to remember how to close an active Window.

Image-4 & 5: The number ‘4’ transforms into a ‘U’ shaped container

Image-6 & 7: The Window has been droped into the “U”shaped  container.

Image-8 & 9: The U shaped container transforms back into ‘4’ and the Window has been locked in it.

Image-10:
The Window has been taken by ‘F’ and is being transferred to a fence made up of Ctrl.

Image-11:The Window is no more active. The active Window has been closed permanently.





Hence, the shortcut key combination for closing the active Window is Ctrl + F4.

Back to Windows Alt keys