Ctrl+Alt+Del
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Computer
| Stands for | Control-Alt-Delete |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
Ctrl+Alt+Del stands for Control-Alt-Delete, a computer abbreviation.
Three-key combination that on modern Windows opens a security screen with options to lock the PC, switch users, sign out or open Task Manager. On older PCs it restarted the machine immediately, a "warm reboot".
Example: The app froze, so I pressed Ctrl+Alt+Del and ended it in Task Manager.
Usage notes
IBM engineer David Bradley created the combination for the original IBM PC so developers could restart without switching off; he chose keys that were hard to press by accident. Windows NT made it a "secure attention sequence" that malware cannot intercept. Bill Gates later called it a mistake, saying a single dedicated button would have been better. Its nickname is the "three-finger salute".
Related abbreviations
More computer abbreviations
- CHKDSK – Check Disk
- CJK – Chinese, Japanese and Korean
- CLI – Command-line interface
- Cmd – Command key
- CS – Computer science
- Ctrl – Control key
- DC – Domain controller
- Del – Delete key
- DISM – Deployment Image Servicing and Management
- DOS – Disk operating system
- DP – Data processing
- EBCDIC – Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code