Ctrl is the Control key.
Alt is the Alt key.
Del is the delete key. (For Mac users who don't have a backspace key, it's the one under the help key, or below the F13-15 keys).

Control Alt Delete was created by Microsoft to make sure that you weren't sending your user name and password to a website. It was also created to fix crashed applications and force-reboot your computer. They had to do this, probably, because nothing worked.

Ctrl-Alt-Del can never be used by a website to enter your password, exactly Microsoft's point. If you send your password to another website, they can eventually hack into your computer and delete/add/make virus files. Not good.

Fortunately for Mac users, Ctrl-Alt-Delete is not required, mainly because 1. There are two Delete keys, and 2. There is no alt key. (Actually, there is an alt key, but it is in the option key too, so technically it is not the Alt key.) Also, the Macintosh is almost imposible to hack thanks to its Unix structure and secure operating system
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to begin.
Pushing Ctrl+Alt+Del again will reboot your computer, losing all of your unsaved data.
by ianweller December 6, 2004
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1. A combination of keys used before a login screen is presented on Windows NT/2000/XP. This is used because it is the only combination that cannot be sent over a network. It is also used to bring up the task manager and, when pressed twice will reset the computer. For this reason it is sometimes called the 'Three-Finger-Salute'.

2. A comic strip written by Tim Buckley relating to computer and console gaming. It can be found at cad-comic.com
1. d00d! j00 wa5 pwning at CS and j00r b0x0r cr@5h3d! j00 had to use Ctrl-Alt-Del!

2. Did you see the latest Ctrl-Alt-Del comic strip? It was just up a couple of hours ago.
by Batiu-Drami January 31, 2005
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A heavily over-rated webcomic. It used to be quite funny, but it lost it, it is now plagued by long winded story arcs, overexplained jokes and overly repetetive Copy-Pasted art. The comic however still seems the most popular on the web, most probably due to the relentless fanboys who foam at the mouth when you have the slightest critisizm for the damn comic. The forums are run by those fanboys so you can expect the results.
ctrl+alt+del was funny at first, but I don't know why people still read it, it's boring :/
by Gewdahs January 12, 2008
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Often referred to as the Three Fingered Salute used on all windows systems. Originally designed for developers as a kind of Easter Egg to reboot the machine quickly whenever it hung up during development.

Quoted from the original designer:

Somewhat of a cultural icon.. (And even a web comic)

Made famous by Bill Gates' crappy software.

by TerabyteUK February 14, 2006
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A shitty comic filled with pointless vidya game references and way too much dialogue. Most of the art is copy-pasted from previous strips. It would be a lot funnier if the writer/artist didn't explain the goddamn PUNCHLINE on the fourth panel.
To summarize Ctrl-Alt-Del bluntly: TOO MANY FUCKING WORDS.
by DocHammer November 3, 2008
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A webcomic centered about an insane video game player named Ethan Macmanus. Most of the comic is generally centered around Ethan, but it also has a host of other characters including his best friend Lucas Davidowicz and his fiancee, Lilah Monroe.

They also have a mysterious roommate named Scott, his pet penguin named Ted, and a robot made from an Xbox named Ezekiel (Zeke for short).

The comic has a rapidly growing community, and its rise to fame has not gone un-noticed by even people who don't play video games.
In Ctrl Alt Del, Ethan approches Lilah with a pile of wrapped presents, only they've been wrapped with just one.

Ethan - Bask in my neverending genius!
Lilah - Holy crap! Who's this gigantic present for?
Ethan - Everyone! Instead of wrapping each present one by one, and wasting valuable gaming time, I wrapped everyone's presents together! Brilliant!
Lilah - But how will people know who gets which present?
Ethan - While, they'll simply... they'll... oh... hmm... I guess I should've made an instruction book. Or at least a helpful diagram...
Lilah - I'm sure in your head the logic was flawless, Sweetie.
by Private Zulen September 29, 2006
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1: The key combination pressed when Windows fucks up (i.e: every 5 mins)
2: Probably the best web comic ever, drawn by Tim Buckley and about video games- goto www.ctrlaltdel-online.com
1:Fukkit, I guess I'd better ctrl+alt+del again
2:Go to www.ctrlaltdel-online.com or I'll kill you.
by sqrrl101 June 1, 2004
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