How To Log Off Windows 10

How to Log off Windows 10 Quickly Using Alt+F4

Alt+F4 is the “Close Current Window” command, but Windows 8 and Windows 10 also use it to close Windows. This command is context-sensitive, so if you have a program open, it will ask if you want to close that instead.

To use this keyboard shortcut to log out of Windows, press Windows+D to get to your desktop, or close any programs you have open, then press Alt+F4, and a window will open asking if you want to shut down, change users, or otherwise log out.

How to Sign out of Windows 10 Using Ctrl+Alt+Del

Since Windows 95, Ctrl+Alt+Del has opened a menu that gives you access to the Task Manager or a set of commands. For Windows 10 and 7, and 8, it gives you a list of possible commands. Windows 10 offers the following:

Lock: Lets you keep your computer on, with all programs running, but returns it to the password screen. Good for when you need to step away from your computer while it’s still doing a task. Switch User: Lets you change to another account, shutting down the work currently being done. Sign Out: This command lets you sign out of Windows immediately, shutting down all programs and returning you to the password screen. Task Manager: This opens the Windows Task Manager.

Another method is to press the Windows key or select the Windows icon in the lower left-hand corner of Windows 10. This will open the Start Menu, and you can select the Power icon, then select Sleep, Shut Down, or Restart.

Sleep will leave your computer running but shut down most power-consuming functions, including the screen; Restart will restart the computer, and Shut Down will shut it down. Again, it will override everything else on the computer, so be sure you want to shut down completely before you do so.

This is slightly different from the start menu in Windows 7, which uses a “drop-down” button on the lower right-hand side of the menu, and Windows 8, which requires you to select your username to open the shutdown menu.

When Everything Else Fails: Use the Hard Switch

If there’s a situation where you have to shut the computer off immediately, and nothing at all is working, find the off switch and either turn it off or hold it down. While modern computers rarely have a “hard” switch in the true sense of the word, that is, a switch that shuts off your computer’s power source, generally, they’re programmed to accept holding down the power button as a similar method.