How many different programs do you have open in Windows right now? Three? Five? More than ten? The more programs you have open at once, the longer it takes to close everything down. And what if you find yourself in a storm and need to shut down everything before a power outage strikes?

For this week's tip, we will share a shortcut that will quickly close all of your programs. This will save you time, especially if you need to shut everything down in a pinch.

Close All Windows Programs

If you press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, then Windows Task Manager will open to the Applications tab. This will show you list of the open programs, press the down arrow once to highlight the first program listed, then hold Shift+down arrow to select all the programs at once. You are now ready to close everything by pressing Alt+E. You then wrap up by closing Windows Task Manager with the x icon, or Alt+F/down arrow/Exit Task Manager/Enter.

At first glance, these steps may seem a bit cumbersome, but after a few tries you can easily get this down to under 8 seconds. It is also recommended to have everything saved before you enact this procedure. Some Windows programs will save everything automatically as you work on your project, but you still should not depend on this. It is always best practice to continuously save your work.

This program-closing shortcut is a best practice that can shave off 30 seconds to a full minute in your work routine, and if you combine this with other time saving tips, you will begin to see more productivity out of your workday. We will share more of these tips and best practices with you next week.