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Close all your applications at the same time

If you use multiple programs at the same time, when you’re done working on your computer for the day, you probably close each open application one by one. This week’s tip will show you how to shut down all open programs at the same time.

Follow these steps to close all your programs at one time:

  1. Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and click on each application button on your taskbar (the bar next to your Start button)
  2. You will notice that each button remains selected. 
  3. Once you’ve selected all the application buttons on the taskbar, RIGHT click on any one of them
  4. Click Close from the shortcut menu that pops up. 
  5. Now all your applications will close. 
  6. If you have any application in which an open file hasn’t yet been saved, that application will prompt you to save the file.

One more tip to keep in mind is that the keyboard shortcut of Alt+F4 will also exit out of any open window or program. If no windows are open, then Alt+F4 will bring up the close windows dialog box.

Another Safe Mode Boot Command

I mention entering Safe Mode many times on the show to help people solve problems or perform system utilities. Safe Mode is used when there may be a problem with your monitor or other device drivers required to start Windows normally. Safe Mode uses default settings and a minimum amount of device drivers to run Windows.

The screen, in safe mode, displays only 16 colors (ugly) and all the icons seem out of place and abnormally large. In safe mode, Windows prevents access to CD-ROM’s, modems, sound cards and other hardware ‘extras’. 

I usually recommend users press F8 after the machine starts to boot up. However, I recently discovered another method of getting into Safe Mode. All you need to do is hold down the CTRL key at the first sign of any text on the screen during boot until the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears.

This method may be easier than the F8 method because of the timing involved using the F8 key…start pushing the key too late and Windows will boot into normal mode.

Again, safe mode is primarily for troubleshooting purposes or performing some key system utilities that don’t run for you in regular mode. Here are some past tips where we mention Safe Mode:

About Rick, Adam & the Show

The Castellini on Computers radio talk show hit the air in April 1999. Our idea was to create a talk show where anyone would feel comfortable asking questions about technology. While there are a number of computer and technology related talk shows on the radio, Castellini on Computers is the only show that centers around callers’ questions. We strive to keep the show focused on the everyday questions, concerns and quandaries. We hope that listeners to Castellini on Computers will hear a program with practical questions and answers that apply to all classes of computer users.