Anyone who is familiar with Apple Macs will know about the Ctrl+Q keyboard shortcut to close the active application.  This is a really really handy feature in MAC OS and also works in all Adobe products for Windows. Microsofts official close app shortcut is Alt+F4.   As a daily hardcore user of Photoshop and Dreamweaver, Ctrl+Q and Ctrl+W (close active document) has become second nature to my hands.

Bit of frustration then when I switch to a Word document and Ctrl+Q does not work. (Ctrl+W does work in MS Apps BTW).  Instead of taking < 20 milliseconds to close the application, I try it, then realise it don't work, then have to remember the MS translation and finally put hands into awkward position to execute Alt+F4.  Valuable seconds are lost here.  

Maybe I'm being slightly pedantic but I just want consistency across my computer.  Ctrl-Z, X, C & V are all the same, even Ctrl+> and Ctrl-< to grow or shrink font sizes work in all programs so why shouldn't Ctrl+Quit?

So having carried out some research, I found a relatively simple solution to the problem which will close any active program or window with Save prompts using Ctrl+Q

  • Download AutoHotKey - www.autohotkey.com This is a free, open-source scripting and automation application.
  • Copy and paste the following function into the startup script:

 

;Ctrl+Q Closes Active Window with save prompts
^q:: PostMessage, 0x112, 0xF060,,, A

;Ctrl+Q Closes Active Window with save prompts

^q:: PostMessage, 0x112, 0xF060,,, A

I know this may only save a tiny amount of time but it saves me from getting frustrated every day with silly niggles.