Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts 6/16/08 7:53 AM

Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts

Last Modified: May 12, 2008 Old Article: 75459

Article: HT1343

Summary
Learn about common Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts.

Products Affected
Mac OS, Windows

Startup

Keystroke Description

Press X during startup Force Mac OS X startup

Press Option-Command-
Shift-Delete Bypass primary startup volume and seek a different startup volume (such as a CD or external disk)
during startup

Press C during startup Start up from a CD that has a system folder

Press N during startup Attempt to start up from a compatible network server (NetBoot)

Press T during startup Start up in FireWire Target Disk mode

start up in Safe Boot mode and temporarily disable login items and non-essential kernel extension files
Press Shift during startup
(Mac OS X 10.2 and later)

Press Command-V during

Start up in Verbose mode.
startup

Press Command-S during

Start up in Single-User mode
startup

Finder window

Keyboard
Description
shortcut

Command-W Close Window

Option-
Close all Windows
Command-W

Command-
Expand folder (list view)
Right Arrow

Option-
Command- Expand folder and nested subfolders (list view)
Right Arrow

Command-
Collapse Folder (list view)
Left Arrow

Option-
Command- Open parent folder and close current window
Up Arrow

(Assigned in Show Package Contents (of selected file in Mac OS X 10.5 or later only). To create this contextual menu shortcut, open
Keyboard & Keyboard & Mouse preferences in Mac OS X 10.5, click Keyboard Shortcuts, click the "+" button, choose Finder.app as
Mouse the Application, and type "Show Package Contents" (exactly), and set whichever shortcut you want, such as Command-
preferences) Control-S.

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preferences) Control-S.

Menu commands

Keyboard shortcut Description

Apple Menu
Shift-Command-Q
Log out

Shift-Option-Command- Apple Menu

Q Log out immediately

Finder Menu
Shift-Command-Delete
Empty Trash

Option-Shift-Command- Finder Menu

Delete Empty Trash without dialog

Finder Menu
Command-H
Hide Finder

Finder Menu
Option-Command-H
Hide Others

File Menu
Command-N
New Finder window

File Menu
Shift-Command-N
New Folder

File Menu
Command-O
Open

File Menu
Command-S
Save

File Menu
Shift-Command-S
Save as

File Menu
Command-P
Print

File Menu
Command-W
Close Window

File Menu
Option-Command-W
Close all Windows

File Menu
Command-I
Get Info

File Menu
Option-Command-I
Show Attributes Inspector

File Menu
Command-D
Duplicate

File Menu
Command-L
Make Alias

File Menu
Command-R
Show original

File Menu
Command-T Add to Favorites (Mac OS X 10.2.8 or earlier), Add to Sidebar (Mac OS X 10.3 or later—use Shift-
Command-T for Add to Favorites)

File Menu
Command-Delete
Move to Trash

File Menu
Command-E
Eject

File Menu
Command-F
Find

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Edit Menu
Command-Z
Undo

Edit Menu
Command-X
Cut

Edit Menu
Command-C
Copy

Edit Menu
Command-V
Paste

Edit Menu
Command-A
Select All

View Menu
Command-1
View as Icons

View Menu
Command-2
View as List

View Menu
Command-3
View as Columns

View Menu
Command-B
Hide Toolbar

View Menu
Command-J
Show View Options

Go Menu
Command - [
Back

Go Menu
Command - ]
Forward

Go Menu
Shift-Command-C
Computer

Go Menu
Shift-Command-H
Home

Go Menu
Shift-Command-I
iDisk

Go Menu
Shift-Command-A
Applications

Go Menu
Shift-Command-F
Favorites

Go Menu
Shift-Command-G
Goto Folder

Go Menu
Command-K
Connect to Server

Window Menu
Command-M
Minimize Window

Window Menu
Option-Command-M
Minimize All Windows

Help Menu
Command-?
Open Mac Help

Command-Space Open Spotlight (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

Front Row
Command-esc
Activates Front Row for certain Apple computers

Universal Access and VoiceOver

Keyboard shortcut Description

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Option-Command-8 Turn on Zoom

Option-Command-+ (plus) Zoom in

Option-Command-- (minus) Zoom out

Control-Option-Command-8 Switch to White on Black

Turn on Full Keyboard Access

Control-F1 When Full Keyboard Access is turned on, you can use the key combinations listed in the table
below from the Finder.

Full Keyboard Access

Control-F2
Highlight Menu

Full Keyboard Access

Control-F3
Highlight Dock

Full Keyboard Access

Control-F4
Highlight Window (active) or next window behind it

Full Keyboard Access

Control-F5
Highlight Toolbar

Full Keyboard Access

Control-F6
Highlight Utility window (palette)

Command-F5 or fn-Command-F5 Turn VoiceOver on or off (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

Control-Option-F8 or fn-Control-
Open VoiceOver Utility (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)
Option-F8

Control-Option-F7 or fn-Control-
Display VoiceOver menu (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)
option-F7

Control-Option-;
Enable/disable VoiceOver Control-Option lock (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)
or fn-Control-option-;

The Universal Access preference pane allows you to turn on Mouse Keys. When Mouse Keys is on, you can use the
numeric keypad to move the mouse. If your computer doesn't have a numeric keypad, use the Fn (function) key.

Mouse Keys

Keystroke Description

8 Move Up

2 Move Down

4 Move Left

6 Move Right

1, 3, 7, and 9 Move Diagonally

5 Press Mouse Button

0 Hold Mouse Button

. (period on keypad) Release Mouse Button (use after pressing 0)

Other Commands

Keystroke Description

Option-Command-D Show/Hide Dock

Command-Tab Switch application

tab Highlight next item

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Command-Up Arrow Move up one directory

Command-Down Arrow Move down one directory

Page Up or Control-Up Arrow Move up one page

Page Down or Control-Down Arrow Move down one page

Option-Drag Copy to new location

Option-Command-Drag Make alias in new location

Command-Drag Move to new location without copying

Shift-Command-C Show Colors palette in application

Command-T Show Font palette in application

Command-Shift-3 Take a picture of the screen

Command-Shift-4 Take a picture of the selection

Command-Shift-4, then press Control while

Take a picture of the screen, place in Clipboard
selecting

Command-Shift-4, then Spacebar Take a picture of the selected window

Option-Command-esc Force Quit

Control-Eject Restart, Sleep, Shutdown dialog box

Control-Command-Eject Quit all applications and restart

Option-Command-Eject or
Sleep
Option-Command-Power

Command-click window toolbar button (upper right Cycle through available views for the window's toolbar (dependant on the nature
corner) of the Finder or application window)

Cycle through windows in application or Finder (if more than one window is
Command-`
open)

Function-Delete (portables only--PowerBook, iBook,

Forward Delete (delete the character to the right of your cursor)
MacBook, MacBook Pro)

Additional Information
61466 Mac OS X: Shortcuts for Activating Full Keyboard Access

61529 Mac OS X: How to Use the Keyboard to Perform Actions

106178Startup Manager: How to Select a Startup Volume

61530 Mac OS X: Alternative Ways to Control Your Computer

61544 Mac OS X: Shortcuts for Taking Pictures of the Screen

106567Mac OS: Apple Pro Keyboard Shortcuts for Shut Down and Restart

107081Mac OS X 10.2: Kotoeri Keyboard Shortcuts Have Changed

61474 Mac OS X: Shortcuts for Windows

106743Mac OS X 10.1: Additional Features of the Dock

61494 Mac OS X: Speech - How to Add a Spoken Command for Keyboard Shortcut

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