The Master Mac OS X Secret Keystroke List
Here it is, by popular, frustrated demand: The master list of every secret (or not-so-secret) keystroke in Mac OS X Leopard, including all of the keys you can press during startup. Clip and post to your monitor (unless, of course, you got this book from the library).
This excerpt is from Mac OS X: Missing Manual Leopard.
Filled with step-by-step tutorials that will have you creating detailed 3-D objects quickly, Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual offers crystal-clear instructions for using every feature. You'll learn to use the basic tools, build and animate models, and place objects in Google Earth, with lots of real-world examples to show you how it's done.
Note
You can find another huge list of keystrokes in the discussion of VoiceOver, Leopard's screen-control feature, on the section called “The VoiceOver Master Keyboard List”. For the most part, the following list doesn't include the keystrokes that are already listed in your menus, either—like ⌘-P for Print, ⌘-S for Save, and so on.
Table E.1. Startup Keystrokes
| Keys to Hold Down | Effect |
| C | Starts up from a CD |
| D | Starts up from the first partition |
| N | Starts up from network server |
| R | Resets the laptop screen |
| T | Puts the Mac into FireWire Target Disk mode |
| X | Starts up in Mac OS X (if 9 is on the same disk) |
| Option | Shows icons of all startup disks and partitions, so you can choose one for starting up. |
| Shift-Option-⌘-Delete | Starts up from external drive (or CD) |
| Option-⌘-P-R | Zaps the parameter RAM (PRAM). (Hold down until you hear the second chime.) |
| Option-⌘-O-F | Brings up Open Firmware screen (pre-Intel Macs). |
| ⌘-V | Shows Unix console messages during startup, logout, and shutdown |
| ⌘-S | Starts up in single-user (Unix command-line) mode |
| Mouse down | Ejects a stuck CD or DVD |
| Shift | Just after powering up: Turns off kernel extensions (the section called “Kernel Panic”) |
| Shift | Just after logging in: Prevents Finder windows and startup items from opening. (They'll return the next time you start up.) |
Table E.2. In the Finder
| ⌘-Space | Highlights Spotlight box |
| Option-⌘-Space | Opens Spotlight window |
| → , ← | Expands or collapses a selected folder in list view |
| Option-→ | Expands a folder in a list view and all folders inside it |
| Option-← | Collapses folder and all folders inside it |
| ⌘-↑ | Opens parent folder |
| Shift-Option-⌘-↑ | Selects the Desktop |
| ⌘-↓(or ⌘-O) | Opens the selected icon |
| Option-click the flippy triangle | Expands or collapses all folders within that window |
| Tab | Selects next icon alphabetically |
| Shift-Tab | Selects previous icon alphabetically |
| Space bar | Opens Quick Look preview of highlighted icon(s) |
| Space bar | (During a spring-loaded folder drag) Opens the disk or folder under mouse immediately |
| Option-⌘-drag | Scrolls a Finder window in any direction (list or icon view) |
| Option-click the Zoom button | Enlarges the window to full screen |
| Option-click Close button | Closes all Finder windows |
| ⌘ -drag an icon | Moves it into, or out of, the System folder (administrator password required) |
| Option | Changes Quick Look button to Slideshow button |
| ⌘-drag | Rearranges or removes menu lets or toolbar icons |
| ⌘-click window title | Opens a pop-up menu showing the folder path |
| Option-click the Minimize button | Minimizes all windows (works in most programs) |
Table E.3.
Menu
| Option | Changes "About This Mac" to "System Profiler" |
| Option | Eliminates confirmation box from Restart, Shut Down, and Log Out |
Table E.4. Finder Menu
| Option | Eliminates confirmation box from Empty Trash and Secure Empty Trash |
| Shift-⌘-Q | Logs out |
| Shift-Option-⌘-Q | Logs out without confirmation box |
| Shift-⌘-Delete | Empties the Trash |
| Shift-Option-⌘-Delete | Empties the Trash without confirmation box |
| Option-"Empty Trash" | Empties the Trash without confirmation box |
| ⌘-comma | Opens Preferences |
| ⌘-H | Hide This Program |
| Shift-⌘-H | Hide Other Programs |
Table E.5. File Menu
| ⌘-N | New Finder Window |
| Shift-⌘-N | New Folder |
| Option-⌘-N | New Smart Folder |
| ⌘-O or ⌘-↓ | Open |
| Control-⌘-O | Open in New Window |
| Option-click File menu | Changes "Open With" to "Always Open With" |
| ⌘-O | Close Window |
| Option-⌘-O | Close All |
| ⌘-I | Get Info |
| Option-⌘-I | Show Inspector |
| Control-⌘-I | Summary Info (of selected icons) |
| ⌘-D | Duplicate |
| ⌘-L | Make Alias |
| ⌘-Y | Quick Look |
| Option-⌘-Y | Slideshow (of selected icons) |
| ⌘-R | Show Original (of alias) |
| ⌘-T | Add to Sidebar |
| Shift-⌘-T | Add to Favorites |
| Shift-Delete | Move to Trash |
| ⌘-E | Eject |
| ⌘-F | Find |
| Shift-⌘-F | Find by Name |
Table E.6. Edit Menu
| ⌘-Z | Undo |
| ⌘-C, ⌘-X, ⌘-V | Cut, Copy, Paste |
| ⌘-A | Select All |
| Option-⌘-A | Deselect All |
Table E.7. View Menu
| ⌘-1, ⌘-2, ⌘-3, ⌘-4 | Icon, List, Column, Cover Flow views |
| Option | Changes "Clean Up Selection" to "Clean Up" |
| Option | Changes "Keep Arranged By" to "Arrange By" |
| Option-⌘-T | Show/Hide Toolbar |
| ⌘-J | Show/Hide View Options palette |
Table E.8. Go Menu
| ⌘-[, ⌘-] | Back, Forward |
| ⌘-↑ | Enclosing folder |
| Control-⌘-↑ | Enclosing folder in new window |
| Shift-⌘-C | Computer window |
| Shift-⌘-H | Home window |
| Shift-⌘-D | Desktop window |
| Shift-⌘-K | Network window |
| Shift-⌘-I | Open iDisk |
| Shift-⌘-A | Applications window |
| Shift-⌘-A | Go to Folder |
| ⌘-K | Connect to Server |
Table E.9. Window Menu
| ⌘-M | Minimize |
| Option-⌘-M | Minimize All |
| Option | Changes "Bring All to Front" to "Arrange in Front" |
Table E.10. Help Menu
| Shift-⌘-? | Opens Help search box |
Table E.11. Power Keys
Control-![]() |
Brings up dialog box for shutdown, sleep, or restart |
Option-⌘-![]() |
Sleep |
Control-Option-⌘-![]() |
Shut Down |
| Control-⌘-power | Restart |
Table E.12. The Dock
| Option-click a Dock icon | Switches to new program and hides previous one |
| Option-⌘-D | Hides/shows the Dock |
| ⌘-click a Dock or Stacks icon | Reveals its actual Finder icon |
| Option-⌘-click a Dock icon | Switches to this program and hides all others |
| Control-click a Dock icon | Opens a shortcut menu |
| ⌘-drag an icon onto a Dock icon | Prevents Dock icons from moving, so you can drop your icon onto one of them |
| ⌘-drag a Dock icon | Drags the actual item |
| Option-⌘-drag an icon onto the Dock | Forces Dock program icon to open the icon you're dropping |
Table E.13. Managing Programs
| Option-click a Dock icon | Switches to new program and hides previous one |
| Option-click in a window | Switches to new program and hides previous one |
| ⌘-H | Hide this program's windows (works in most apps) |
| Option-⌘-H | Hide all other programs' windows (most apps) |
| F8 | Spaces: Enters "big picture" view of your virtual screens (if you've turned on Spaces) |
| Shift-F8 | Spaces: Enters "big picture" view in slow motion |
| Control-1, 2, 3, 4… | Jump to a specific Spaces screen |
| Control-↑,↓,←,→ | Next Spaces screen in this direction |
| F9 | Expos : Shrinks and tiles all windows in all programs |
| Shift-F9 | Expos : Shrinks and tiles all windows in slow motion |
| F10 | Expos : Shrinks and tiles all windows in front most program |
| F11 | Expos : Flings all windows in all programs to edges of screen, revealing desktop |
| F12 | Dashboard widgets |
| ⌘-Tab | Press and release: Switches back and forth between current and previous open program |
| ⌘-Tab | Hold down ⌘: Displays floating icons of open programs. Press Tab repeatedly to cycle through them. (Add Shift to cycle backward through open programs on the Dock.) |
| ⌘-~ | Switches to next open window in this program. (Add Shift to cycle in the opposite direction.) |
| Option-⌘-Esc | Opens the Force Quit dialog box (to close a stuck program) |
| Shift-⌘-3 | Captures the screen image as a PDF file on your desktop |
| Shift-⌘-4 | Produces a crosshair; drag to capture a selected portion of the screen as a PDF graphics file. (Press Space to get the "camera" cursor that snips out just a menu, icon, or window.) |
| ⌘-Space | Switches keyboard layout (if more than one is installed). (If you use Spotlight, you must choose a different keystroke for this function.) |
Table E.14. Dialog Boxes
| ⌘-comma | Opens Preferences dialog box (any Apple program) |
| Esc | "Clicks" the Cancel button in a dialog box |
| Enter | "Clicks" the OK button (or other blue, highlighted button) in a dialog box |
| Option-⌘-F | Moves insertion point to the Search box in most Apple programs |
| ⌘-D, ⌘-R | "Clicks" the Don't Save or Replace button |


