Mac OS X Tips and Tricks
NOTE: To restart your desktop Macintosh computer either hold down the Power Button ⌽ Until the computer shuts down and press the ⌽ key or press the reset button on the front (each Mac can be different as to where the reset button is placed. To restart your PowerBook or iBook Macintosh computer, press ⌘⌅⌽ simultaneously.
The key combinations listed below are PRESSED SIMULTANEOUSLY and held down unless otherwise specified.
This section applies to Macintosh Systems running Jaguar (10.2.x), Panther (10.3.x), Tiger (10.4.x) or Leopard (10.5.x). Applicable Apple hardware would be a G4 AGP Graphics computer or newer.
The Apple Macintosh Keyboard is slightly different than a Windows or Unix Keyboard. Here are the keys you need to know:
⌘ - Command/Apple
⇥ - Tab
⏎ - Return
⇤ - Enter
⏏ - Eject
⇧ - Shift
⇪ - Caps Lock
⌥ - Option/Alt
⌅ - Control
⎋ - Escape
⌽ - Power
⌫ - Delete Key
⌦ - Delete Forward Key
⌔ - Mouse Button Down
Along with Apple's Disk Utility, two indispensible tools for any Mac Owner are DiskWarrior by AlSoft, and TechTool Pro 4 by Micromat. We heartily recommend, use and endorse these programs.
Startup Key Commands
| Clearing the FirmWare | Hold down ⌘⌥OF during startup. Once a prompt ">" appears, type in "reset-nvram", press return, and then type "reset-all". If a CD is stuck and won't come out, you can type "eject cd", before you type "reset-all". NOTE: This does not work on the newer Intel based macs, only powerpc based macs. |
| Clearing the PRAM | Hold down ⌘⌥PR during startup. As long as you hold these keys down, the computer will go through startup cycles. Let it go through at least 4 if not 6 startup chimes. On the 6th time let go the keys and the computer will start up normally. |
| Force Mac OS X to startup | Hold down X during startup. Only applicable to systems that can also run Classic |
| Select which drive and which system you want to start your computer | Hold down ⌥ during startup, this takes a while. Wait until the clock stops, select the drive and press the right arrow icon. |
| Bypass the startup drive for another startup drive. | Hold down ⌘⌥⇧⌫ during startup |
| Start up from a CD that has a system folder | Hold down C during startup |
| Eject Stuck CD | Hold down ⌔ during startup or press the ⏏ key or see the "eject cd" command in the open firmware dialog above |
| Startup from a Network Volume | Hold down N during startup |
| Force a screen reset on a PowerBook or iBook | Hold down R during startup |
| Startup in FireWire Target Disk Mode | Hold down T during startup |
| Startup in Safe Mode | Hold down ⇧ during startup. This temporarily disables startup/login items, and non-essential extensions. |
| Startup in Verbose | Hold down ⌘V during startup. The computer will give you a readout of everything it does during startup |
| Startup in Single-User (Command line) mode | Hold down ⌘S during startup. Use this option if you want to use Unix commands to troubleshoot your computer. |
Keyboard Shortcuts for the finder
NOTE: These commands are always available while you're in the finder. To switch to the finder press ⌘⇥ |
|
Close Window |
Press ⌘W Press ⌘⌥W |
Move up one folder |
Press ⌘↑ Press ⌘↓ |
| Open Window | Press ⌘O |
| The following commands only apply when working in list view | |
| Expand folder | Press ⌘→ |
| Expand folder and nested subfolders | Press ⌘⌥→ |
| Collapse Folder | Press ⌘← |
| Open parent folder and close current window | Press ⌘⌥↑ |
| Other Finder Commands | |
| Open selected folder and close parent window | Press ⌘⌥↑ |
| Show all open windows | F9 (on a PowerBook or iBook, you must press fn-F9) |
| Show all open windows in an application | F10 (on a PowerBook or iBook, you must press fn-F9) |
| Hide all open windows and expose Desktop | F11 (on a PowerBook or iBook, you must press fn-F9) |
| Dashboard (Tiger only) | F12 (on a PowerBook or iBook, you must press fn-F9) |
| Finder Apple Menu Commands | |
| Apple Menu Log Out | Press ⇧⌘Q |
| Apple Menu Log Out immediately | Press ⇧⌥⌘Q |
| Finder File Menu Commands | |
| Empty Trash | Press ⇧⌘⌫ |
| Empty Trash without dialog | Press ⌥⇧⌘⌫ |
| Hide Finder | Press ⌘H |
| Hide Others | Press ⌥⌘H |
| New Finder window | Press ⌘N |
| New Folder | Press ⇧⌘N |
| Open | Press ⌘O |
| Save | Press ⌘S |
| Save as | Press ⇧⌘S |
| Show Original | Press ⌘R |
| Add to Toolbar | Press ⌘T |
| Move to Trash | Press ⌘⌫ |
| Eject selected volume | Press ⌘E |
| Find | Press ⌘F |
| Edit Menu Shortcuts | |
| Undo | Press ⌘Z |
| Cut | Press ⌘X |
| Copy | Press ⌘C |
| Paste | Press ⌘V |
| Select All | Press ⌘A |
| View Menu Shortcuts | |
| View as Icons | Press ⌘1 |
| View as List | Press ⌘2 |
| View as Columns | Press ⌘3 |
| Hide/Show Toolbar | Press ⌘⌥T |
| Show View Options | Press ⌘J |
| Go Menu Shortcuts | |
| Back | Press ⌘ [ |
| Forward | Press ⌘] |
| Enclosing Folder (containing selected item) | Press ⌘↑ |
| Computer | Press ⇧⌘C |
| Home | Press ⇧⌘H |
| Network | Press ⇧⌘K |
| iDisk | Press ⇧⌘I |
| Applications folder | Press ⇧⌘A |
| Utilities folder | Press ⇧⌘U |
| Go to Folder | Press ⇧⌘G |
| Connect to Server | Press ⌘K |
| Window Menu Shortcuts | |
| Minimize Window | Press ⌘M |
| Minimize All Windows | Press ⌥⌘M |
| Screen Capture Shortcuts | |
| Take a picture of the screen | ⌘⇧3 |
| Take a picture of the selection | ⌘⇧4 |
| Take a picture of the screen, place in Clipboard | ⌘⇧4, then press ⌅ while selecting |
| Take a picture of the selected window | ⌘⇧4, then Spacebar |
| Other Commands | |
| Show/Hide Dock | ⌥⌘D |
| Hide current application and make window active | ⌥-click dock item or window |
| Switch to previous active application | ⌘⇥ (⌘⇥ again, or ⌘→ for next application, ⌘⇧⇥ or ⌘← for previous application, ⌘Q to quit, ⌘H to hide) |
| Highlight next item | ⇥ |
| Move up one page | Page Up or ⌅↑ |
| Move down one page | Page Down or ⌅↓ |
| Copy to new location | ⌥-Drag |
| Make Alias | ⌥-⌘-Drag |
| Move to new location without copying (or rearrange or remove menu icon) |
⌘-Drag |
| Show Colors palette in application | Press ⇧⌘C |
| Show Font palette in application | Press ⌘T |
| Force Quit dialog | Press ⌥⌘⎋ |
| Eject CD or DVD | Press ⏏ or F12 |
| Restart, Sleep, Shutdown dialog box | Press ⌅⏏ |
| Quit all applications and restart | Press ⌅⌘⏏ or ⌅⌘F12 |
| Shut Down immediately | Press ⌥⌽ |
| Sleep | Press ⌥⌘⏏ or ⌥⌘⌽ |
| Cycle through available views for the window's | ⌘-click window toolbar button |
| Help | Press ⌘? |