How to Close All Open Apps at Once on Windows 11

Windows 11 doesn’t have a single obvious Close Everything button, but there are several effective ways to shut down all open apps—without clicking the close icon (X) on each window one by one. You can pick the method below that fits your workflow.

Press Alt+F4 on the Desktop. 

If you want to close all open apps and shut down or sign out, the classic Alt+F4 shortcut is the easiest way. 

1. On the desktop, press Alt + F4. You’ll see the “Shut Down Windows” dialog box.

2. From the drop‑down, choose:

• Shut down: closes all apps and turns off your PC.
• Restart: closes all apps and restarts Windows.
• Sign out: closes all apps for your user account and returns to the sign‑in screen.

3. Click OK to execute.

All open applications will be closed as part of shutting down, restarting, or signing out. This is not a “close apps but keep Windows running” button, but it’s fast when you’re done using your PC.

Use Resource Monitor

Resource Monitor can also close multiple apps simultaneously on Windows 11. 

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialogue, then type resmon to open Resource Monitor.

2. Navigate to the Overview tab in the Resource Monitor window.

3. Check the boxes of the apps you would like to close. Right-click one of the checked apps and choose the End process option. 

Then, Resource Monitor will close multiple apps together on Windows 11 right away.

Using Command Prompt

Command Prompt is an embedded utility on Windows PCs, which performs tasks by running commands. Here, you can use it to close all open windows for apps at once. To do that, follow this:

1. Type cmd in the search box. Click on the Run as administrator option to go on. 

2. Type the command below and hit Enter to execute.

PowerShell -Command "Get-Process |? {$_.MainWindowTitle -ne "" -and $_.Id -ne $PID -and $_.ProcessName -ne "explorer"} | Stop-Process -Force"

Final Thoughts

Windows 11 doesn’t label a built‑in button Close All Apps, but with the right shortcuts and tools, you can effectively achieve the same result. Choose the method that matches how you work, and you’ll save time when you want to clear your desktop.