The Ctrl+W keyboard shortcut is used in various programs and applications to close the current open window or document.
Table of Contents
It’s a handy little shortcut that can help improve efficiency and workflow. But what exactly does it do across different platforms? Let’s take a look!
How to use the Ctrl+W keyboard shortcut?
Using Ctrl+W is easy! Hold the Ctrl (Control) key on your keyboard and press the W key. So on a Windows PC, you’d hold the Control key and tap W. On a Mac, hold the Command key and tap W. This keyboard combination will close the active, open window in most applications.
Ctrl+W in Internet Browsers
In popular internet browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, Ctrl+W is used to close the currently active browser tab. If you have multiple tabs open, it will close just the one you are viewing, while the other tabs remain open. This helps quickly close specific tabs without clicking the little “X”.
Ctrl+W in Excel
In Microsoft Excel, Ctrl+W closes the currently active workbook file. If you have multiple workbooks open, it will close only the workbook you are currently viewing or editing. Your other Excel workbooks will remain open in the background.
Ctrl+W in Microsoft PowerPoint
Similar to Excel, in PowerPoint Ctrl+W closes the current open presentation file. If you have multiple presentations open at once, using the shortcut will close just the active presentation.
Ctrl+W in Putty
In the PuTTY SSH and telnet client, Ctrl+W provides functionality to close the current PuTTY window or terminal session. It works the same as going to the top menu and selecting “Close Window”.
What to do when Ctrl+W doesn’t work?
If pressing Ctrl + W doesn’t seem to do anything on your computer, first check to make sure the Ctrl key itself is not disabled or remapped through your operating system or keyboard settings. You may also need to select a window or make sure the text cursor is placed in the application you want to close. Lastly, some specific applications don’t support the Ctrl + W shortcut by default, so refer to that program’s documentation for closure options.
There you have it! Now you know what the Ctrl + W keyboard shortcut does across some popular platforms. Use it to easily close documents, browser tabs, Excel workbooks, and more!
Related Keyboard Shortcuts:
