How to start your Mac OS X in safe mode

To start up into Safe Mode (to Safe Boot), do this:

    Be sure your Mac is shut down.
    Press the power button.
    Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone, but not before the tone.
    Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple icon and the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear).

During startup in Mac OS X v10.4 or later, you will see "Safe Boot" on the login window, which appears even if you normally log in automatically. During startup in Mac OS X v10.2 through v10.3.9, you will see "Safe Boot" on the Mac OS X startup screen.

To leave Safe Mode, restart the computer normally, without holding any keys during startup.

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Mac OS X - Keyboard Shortcuts

To use a keyboard shortcut, or key combination, you press a modifier key with a character key. For example, pressing the Command key (the key with a symbol) and the "c" key at the same time copies whatever is currently selected (text, graphics, and so forth) into the Clipboard. This is also known as the Command-C key combination (or keyboard shortcut).



A modifier key is a part of many key combinations. A modifier key alters the way other keystrokes or mouse clicks are interpreted by Mac OS X. Modifier keys include: Command, Control, Option, Shift, Caps Lock, and the fn key (if your keyboard has a fn key).


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 10.2 and later)

Press Command-V during startup - Start up in Verbose mode.

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


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


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 (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)

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

Option-Command-M (Window Menu) - Minimize All Windows

Command-? (Help Menu) - Open Mac Help

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

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



Universal Access and VoiceOver:

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

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 VoiceOver on or off (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 VoiceOver Control-Option lock (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)



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:

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:

Option-Command-D - Show/Hide Dock

Command-Tab - Switch application

tab - Highlight next item

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 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 (dependant 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 - (portables only--PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, MacBook Pro) Forward Delete - (delete the character to the right of your cursor)

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