Closing all applications with one keystroke

Finder always runs. If you find that it's using too many resources (which is unlikely, but it happens), then press Command-Option-Escape and choose to Relaunch Finder.

The only way to I know to quit all apps at once is to shut down your computer with no confirmation by simultaneously pressing Command-Option-Control-Eject (or by forcing it to shut down by pressing and holding the power button, which is generally not good practice).

A better way to quit a bunch applications in quick succession is to press Command-Tab, and then, continuing to hold down the Command key, move your finger from the Tab key to the Q key and press Q repeatedly until all applications have quit.

- You can close your session with CMD ShiftQ, it will close all applications (graceful quit).

Thanks - I wasn't aware of that one. However it also logs you out, which may not be what the OP wants.

The Finder is necessary to allow you to navigate your computer: it always runs and if you force-quit it it will immediately relaunch.

Even if you shut down your computer normally any application with unsaved work will ask for a confirmation. You should not force a shutdown: you can damage your disk Directory by doing this and doing it repeatedly could run you into serious problems. You should only do this in the rare even that the computer locks up completely.

It's possible to write an AppleScript which will quit all applications (though you will still be asked for confimation where applicable) but it gets a bit complicated because there are running processes which you don't want to quit, and as you're new to all this I'm reluctant to recommend this as a way to go. Otherwise there is no global method.

- With some tools like Onyx you can add a Quit option in the Finder menu to quit Finder.
But Finder will restart as soon as you need it, so this is not really useful.

- You can close your session with CMD ShiftQ, it will close all applications (graceful quit).

Assuming you don't have unsaved changed in any of your work, try installing [Alfred|http://www.alfredapp.com>. I've remapped Command + Space to invoke Alfred instead and can then restart/shutdown/sleep and do loads more with 2 keystrokes. Try it; I'm sure you'll love it.

You can close your session with CMD ShiftQ, it will close all applications (graceful quit).

Command-Option-Shift-Q if you don't want it asking for confirmation.

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Message was edited by: Tuttle