Force Quit Shortcut – Close Unresponsive Programs Instantly

Why You Need a Force Quit Shortcut

Every computer user has faced the frustration of an unresponsive program that won’t close. Instead of waiting or restarting your system, you can use a force quit shortcut to quickly terminate frozen applications. Whether you’re using Windows, macOS, or Linux, knowing the right end task shortcut will save time and prevent system slowdowns.

In this guide, we’ll show you the best keyboard shortcuts for force quitting programs across different operating systems.

Force Quit Shortcut for Windows

Windows provides several ways to force quit unresponsive programs using Task Manager shortcuts.

Action	Shortcut
Open Task Manager (Hotkey for Task Manager)	`Ctrl + Shift + Esc`
Open Task Manager (Alternative Shortcut)	`Ctrl + Alt + Del`, then select Task Manager
Force Quit Active Window	`Alt + F4`
Select & End Task in Task Manager	Use `Arrow Keys` to navigate, then press `Delete`

How to Force Quit a Program in Windows

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Select the unresponsive application using the Arrow Keys or your mouse.
Press Delete or click “End Task” to force close the program.

📌 Tip: If your system is frozen, use Ctrl + Alt + Del and choose Task Manager from the menu.

Mac Force Quit Shortcut

Mac users can force quit apps without restarting the system.

Action	Shortcut
Open Force Quit Window	`Cmd + Option + Esc`
Force Quit Active App	`Cmd + Shift + Option + Esc` (Hold for 3 seconds)
Force Quit via Activity Monitor	Open Activity Monitor, select the app, and click X

How to Force Quit a Program on Mac

Press Cmd + Option + Esc to open the Force Quit window.
Select the unresponsive app.
Click Force Quit to close it immediately.

📌 Tip: If the Force Quit keyboard shortcut for Mac doesn’t work, use Activity Monitor (found in Applications → Utilities).

Force Quit in Ubuntu Linux

Linux users can close unresponsive programs using terminal commands or shortcuts.

Action	Shortcut/Command
Open System Monitor (Linux Task Manager)	`Ctrl + Esc`
Force Quit Active Window	`Alt + F4`
Kill a Process by Clicking on a Window	Run `xkill`, then click the frozen app
Force Quit Using Terminal	`killall <process_name>` or `pkill <process_name>`

How to Force Quit a Program in Linux

Press Ctrl + Esc to open System Monitor (similar to Task Manager).
Find the unresponsive program.
Click “End Process” to force quit.

Complete List of Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

If you need help for Windows, you can find a whole list of all keyboard shortcuts here.

https://keyboard-shortcuts.org/

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