Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts

Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. (formerly Apple Computer, Inc.) for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface. The original form of what Apple would later name the "Mac OS" was the integral and unnamed system software first introduced in 1984 with the original Macintosh, usually referred to simply as the System software. 

Mac OS has many useful shortcut commands and some of them are listed here below category-wise which can be used more frequently by the mac users. The list is bit long but useful for mac users in general.

1) Startup

• "Press X during startup" = Force Mac OS X startup  

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

• "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   

• "Press Shift during startup" = start up in Safe Boot mode and Temporarily disable login items and non-essential kernel extension files (Mac OS X February 10 and later)   
  
• "Press Command-V during startup" = Start up in verbose mode    

• "Press Command-S during startup" = Start up in Single-User mode
  

 2) Finder window

•   "Command-W" = Close Window

•  "Option-Command-W" = Close all Windows

•   "Command-Right Arrow" = Expand folder (list view)

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

•   "Command-left Arrow" = Collapse Folder (list view)

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

3) Menu Commands

•   "Shift-Command-Q" = Apple Menu Log out

•  "Shift-Option-Command-Q" = Apple Menu Log out immediately

•  "Shift-Command-Delete" = Finder Menu Empty Trash

•  "Option-Shift-Command-Delete" = Finder Menu Empty Trash without dialog

•  "Command-H" = Finder Menu Hide Finder

•  "Option-Command-H" = Finder Menu Hide Others

•  "Command-N" = File Menu New Finder window

•  "Shift-Command-N" = File Menu New Folder

•  "Command-O" = File Menu Open

•  "Command-S" = File Menu Save

•  "Shift-Command-S" = File Menu Save as

•  "Command-P" = File Menu Print

•  "Command-W" = File Menu Close Window

•  "Option-Command-W" = File Menu Close all Windows

•  "Command-I" = File Menu Get Info

•  "Option-Command-I" = File Menu Show Attributes Inspector

•  "Command-D" = File Menu Duplicate

•  "Command-L" = File Menu Make Alias

•  "Command-R" = File Menu Show original

•  "Command-T" = File Menu Add to Favorites

•   "Command-Delete" = File Menu Move to Trash

•   "Command-E" = File Menu Eject

•   "Command-F" = File Menu Find

•   "Command-Z" = Edit Menu Undo

•   "Command-X" = Edit Menu Cut

•   "Command-C" = Edit Menu Copy

•   "Command-V" = Edit Menu Paste

•   "Command-A" = Edit Menu Select All

•   "Command-1" = View Menu View as Icons

•   "Command-2" = View Menu View as List

•   "Command-3" = View Menu View as Columns

•   "Command-B" = View Menu Hide Toolbar

•   "Command-J" = View Menu Show View Options

•   "Command - [" = Go Menu Back

•   "Command -]" = Go Menu Forward

•   "Shift-Command-C" = Go Menu Computer

•   "Shift-Command-H" = Go Menu Home

•   "Shift-Command-I" = Go Menu iDisk

•   "Shift-Command-A" = Go Menu Applications

•   "Shift-Command-F" = Go Menu Favorites

•   "Shift-Command-G" = Go Menu Goto Folder

•   "Command-K" = Go Menu Connect to Server

•   "Command-M" = Window Menu Minimize Window

•   "Command-?" = Help Menu Open Mac Help

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

•   "Command-Alt-Space" = Open Spotlight Guide (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

•  "F12" = Opens Dashboard (Mac OS X 10.4 or later) 

 4.) Universal Access and Voice over

•    "Option-Command-* (asterisk)" = Turn on Zoom

•   "Option-Command-+ (plus)" = Zoom in

•   "Option-Command - (minus)" = Zoom out

•   "Control-Option-Command-* (asterisk)" = Switch to White on Black

•   "Control-F1" = Turn on Full Keyboard Access

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

•   "Control-F2" = Full Keyboard Access Highlight Menu

•   "Control-F3" = Full Keyboard Access Highlight Dock

•   "Control-F4" = Full Keyboard Access Highlight Window (active) or next window behind it

•   "Control-F5" = Full Keyboard Access Highlight Toolbar

•   "Control-F6" = Full Keyboard Access Highlight Utility window (palette)

•   "Command-F5 or fn-Command-F5" = Turn on or off Voiceover (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

•   "Control-Option-F8 or fn-Control-Option-F8" = Open Voiceover Utility (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

•   "Control-Option-F7 or fn-Control-option-F7" = Display Voiceover menu (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

•  "Control-Option-; or fn-Control-option-" = Enable / disable lock Voiceover Control-Option (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

 5.) Mouse Keys

•   "8" = Move Up

•  "2" = Move Down

•  "4" = Move left

•  "6" = Move Right

•  "1, 3, 7, 9" = Move diagonally

•  "5" = Press Mouse Button

•  "0" = Hold Mouse Button

•  ". (Period on keypad)" = Release Mouse Button (use after pressing 0)

 6.) Other Commands

•    "Option-Command-D" = Show / Hide Dock

•   "Command-Tab" = Switch application

•   "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

•   "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 selecting" = Take a picture of the screen, place in Clipboard

•   "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 Option-Command-Power" = Sleep

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

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

•   "Function-Delete (PowerBook, iBook only)" = Forward Delete (delete the character to the right of your cursor)