How to Sign Out of Windows 11

To sign out of Windows 11, select Start, select your profile picture or name in the bottom-left corner, and choose Sign out. Windows closes your apps and returns to the sign-in screen, so save your work first. You can also press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Sign out.

These steps apply to current Windows 11 releases on home and work PCs, checked against Microsoft’s User Account Access in Windows article in October 2026. “Sign out” is Windows 11’s name for what older versions called “log off.” Signing out ends your session so others can’t get to your files, apps, and settings, but the PC stays on.

How to Sign Out From the Start Menu

1. Save any open files. Microsoft warns that open apps close and unsaved work may be lost when you sign out.
2. Select Start on the taskbar, or press the Windows key.
3. Select your profile picture or name at the bottom-left of the Start menu. The account menu opens.

4. Select Sign out. If you don’t see it right away, select the More (three dots) icon in the account menu.

Windows closes your apps and shows the sign-in screen, where you or someone else can choose an account. If an app still has unsaved changes, it may ask you to save before Windows finishes.

Other Ways to Sign Out of Windows 11

Ctrl + Alt + Delete

Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete together, then select Sign out on the blue screen. You can also use the arrow keys to highlight it and press Enter. This is the method to use when the Start menu or an app stops responding.

The Power User menu

Press Windows key + X (or right-click Start), select Shut down or sign out, then select Sign out. On a touchscreen, press and hold Start to open the same menu.

Alt + F4 on the desktop

1. Press Windows key + D to show the desktop.
2. Press Alt + F4. On many laptops you need Alt + Fn + F4.
3. In the Shut Down Windows box, choose Sign out from the list.

4. Select OK.

Press Alt + F4 only on the desktop. With an app in front, it closes that app instead.

A command

Press Windows key + R to open Run, or open Terminal, type shutdown /l, and press Enter. The last character is a lowercase L, not the number 1 or a capital i. Microsoft’s shutdown command reference says /l signs out the current user right away with no countdown, so save your work first. The logoff command does the same thing when typed by itself.

A desktop shortcut

If you sign out often, make a one-click shortcut:

1. Right-click an empty part of the desktop and select New > Shortcut.
2. Type shutdown /l as the location and select Next.

3. Name it Sign out and select Finish.

Double-click the shortcut to sign out. You can right-click it to pin it to Start or the taskbar. For more shortcut options, read about making a desktop shortcut in Windows 11.

Task Manager (sign out another user)

On a shared PC, someone may leave their apps running in the background after switching users. An administrator can end that session:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Select Users in the left menu.
3. Right-click the other person’s account and select Sign off.
4. Confirm with Sign out user.

Their apps close and any unsaved work in them is lost, so ask them first if you can. The Disconnect option is different: it leaves that session and its apps running.

If you want to keep your current apps open while another person uses their own account, follow this Windows 11 user-switching guide. It covers the current Start menu, keyboard route and missing account options.

Sign Out vs. Lock vs. Switch User

Action	What happens	How to do it
Sign out	Closes all your apps and ends your session	Start > profile picture > Sign out
Lock	Keeps your apps open; you need your password, PIN, or Windows Hello to get back in	Windows key + L, or Start > power icon > Lock
Switch user	Keeps your apps open while someone else signs in to their own account	Start > profile picture > More (three dots) > the other account

In earlier versions of Windows 11, Lock was in the account menu; it is now under the power icon. The power icon has no Sign out option. On PCs managed by an organization, the account menu also shows a Switch user option. Lock when you are stepping away briefly; sign out when you are done or when someone else will use the PC for a while.

If you need to restrict particular programs on a shared laptop, see how Windows app restrictions and app locks differ. Locking or signing out of your session does not create a separate password for each application.

If You Can’t Sign Out

• The Start menu won’t open: press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and select Sign out.
• Sign out seems stuck: wait a minute for apps to close, then try Ctrl + Alt + Delete again. Holding the power button to force the PC off is a last resort, because unsaved work is lost.
• Files still uploading: OneDrive and other sync apps run inside your session, so let uploads finish before you sign out.
• Sign out is not in the power menu: that’s expected. Use the account menu from your profile picture.

Signing Out of Your Microsoft Account

Signing out of Windows does not unlink your Microsoft account from the PC. To stop using a Microsoft account on the PC, switch to a local account or follow the steps for removing a Microsoft account from Windows 11.

Signing out of one PC also leaves your mail syncing on your other devices, so to cut off an old phone or computer, follow the steps to stop a device from syncing your Outlook.com mail.

Sign Out of Windows 10

Windows 10 reached the end of support in October 2025, but the steps are the same. Save your work, select Start, select your account picture or name, and select Sign out. Alternatively, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choose Sign out. This closes that session’s apps while leaving the PC on. Microsoft’s account-access guide includes Windows 10.

Frequently Asked Questions