Best way to bulk-close putty windows

2 min read 22-10-2024
Best way to bulk-close putty windows

PuTTY is a widely used SSH and telnet client, popular among system administrators and developers for managing multiple servers. However, if you've opened several PuTTY sessions and wish to close them all at once, it can become cumbersome to close each window individually. In this article, we'll explore the best methods to bulk-close PuTTY windows and streamline your workflow.

Understanding the Problem

The challenge at hand is closing multiple PuTTY sessions simultaneously instead of doing it one-by-one. Closing each session manually can be time-consuming, especially when managing many connections.

Original Code Scenario

Imagine you have opened 15 different PuTTY sessions, and now you want to close them all efficiently. Unfortunately, there is no built-in feature in PuTTY to close all sessions at once.

To illustrate, the original method might look something like this:

# Imagine you have this scenario
putty.exe -ssh user@host1
putty.exe -ssh user@host2
putty.exe -ssh user@host3
# ... and so on ...

The Solution: Methods to Bulk-Close PuTTY Windows

While PuTTY itself lacks a dedicated bulk-close feature, there are several methods to achieve this using other tools or techniques. Here are a few effective approaches:

1. Using a Batch Script

Creating a simple batch script can help you manage and close multiple PuTTY windows easily. Here's a sample script to close all PuTTY processes:

@echo off
taskkill /F /IM putty.exe

This script forcefully closes all instances of PuTTY currently running. You can save this code in a text file with a .bat extension (e.g., close_putty.bat). When you run this batch file, all PuTTY sessions will close automatically.

2. PowerShell Command

For users who prefer PowerShell, you can utilize the following command:

Get-Process putty | ForEach-Object { $_.CloseMainWindow() }

This command retrieves all running PuTTY processes and attempts to close them gracefully.

3. Using Task Manager

If you prefer not to use scripts, you can manually close PuTTY windows through Task Manager:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. In the "Processes" tab, locate putty.exe.
  3. Select all PuTTY instances (hold Ctrl and click on each one) and then click on "End Task."

This method may take a little more time, especially if you have many sessions, but it is an option.

Practical Example

Imagine you are working on a team project that requires accessing several remote servers simultaneously. After completing your tasks, you need to close all sessions. Instead of closing each PuTTY window manually or through Task Manager, you run your .bat file or PowerShell command, and within seconds, all sessions are closed, saving you precious time.

Conclusion

Closing multiple PuTTY windows doesn't have to be a tedious task. By leveraging batch scripts or PowerShell commands, you can efficiently manage your session windows and enhance your productivity. Remember, whether you’re working on personal projects or collaborative tasks, optimizing your workflow is crucial.

Additional Resources

For more information on PuTTY and its features, you may find the following resources helpful:

By integrating these techniques into your daily routine, you can ensure that managing multiple PuTTY sessions becomes a seamless experience.