Mac OS 'sad face' of old. Occasionally, a Mac can become stubbornly uncooperative and refuse to accept inputs. It's time for a reboot. Here are some simple techniques to force a restart your Mac.
To use a keyboard shortcut, press and hold one or more modifier keys and then press the last key of the shortcut. For example, to use Command-C (copy), press and hold the Command key, then the C key, then release both keys. Mac menus and keyboards often use symbols for certain keys, including modifier keys:
On keyboards made for Windows PCs, use the Alt key instead of Option, and the Windows logo key instead of Command.
Some keys on some Apple keyboards have special symbols and functions, such as for display brightness , keyboard brightness , Mission Control, and more. If these functions aren't available on your keyboard, you might be able to reproduce some of them by creating your own keyboard shortcuts. To use these keys as F1, F2, F3, or other standard function keys, combine them with the Fn key.
Cut, copy, paste, and other common shortcuts
- Command-X: Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard.
- Command-C: Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder.
- Command-V: Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. This also works for files in the Finder.
- Command-Z: Undo the previous command. You can then press Shift-Command-Z to Redo, reversing the undo command. In some apps, you can undo and redo multiple commands.
- Command-A: Select All items.
- Command-F: Find items in a document or open a Find window.
- Command-G: Find Again: Find the next occurrence of the item previously found. To find the previous occurrence, press Shift-Command-G.
- Command-H: Hide the windows of the front app. To view the front app but hide all other apps, press Option-Command-H.
- Command-M: Minimize the front window to the Dock. To minimize all windows of the front app, press Option-Command-M.
- Command-O: Open the selected item, or open a dialog to select a file to open.
- Command-P: Print the current document.
- Command-S: Save the current document.
- Command-T: Open a new tab.
- Command-W: Close the front window. To close all windows of the app, press Option-Command-W.
- Option-Command-Esc: Force quit an app.
- Command–Space bar: Show or hide the Spotlight search field. To perform a Spotlight search from a Finder window, press Command–Option–Space bar. (If you use multiple input sources to type in different languages, these shortcuts change input sources instead of showing Spotlight. Learn how to change a conflicting keyboard shortcut.)
- Control–Command–Space bar: Show the Character Viewer, from which you can choose emoji and other symbols.
- Control-Command-F: Use the app in full screen, if supported by the app.
- Space bar: Use Quick Look to preview the selected item.
- Command-Tab: Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps.
- Shift-Command-5: In macOS Mojave, take a screenshot or make a screen recording. In earlier macOS versions, use Shift-Command-3 or Shift-Command-4 for screenshots. Learn more about screenshots.
- Shift-Command-N: Create a new folder in the Finder.
- Command-Comma (,): Open preferences for the front app.
Sleep, log out, and shut down shortcuts
You might need to press and hold some of these shortcuts for slightly longer than other shortcuts. This helps you to avoid using them unintentionally.
- Power button: Press to turn on your Mac or wake it from sleep. Press and hold for 1.5 seconds to put your Mac to sleep.* Continue holding to force your Mac to turn off.
- Option–Command–Power button* or Option–Command–Media Eject : Put your Mac to sleep.
- Control–Shift–Power button* or Control–Shift–Media Eject : Put your displays to sleep.
- Control–Power button* or Control–Media Eject : Display a dialog asking whether you want to restart, sleep, or shut down.
- Control–Command–Power button:* Force your Mac to restart, without prompting to save any open and unsaved documents.
- Control–Command–Media Eject : Quit all apps, then restart your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
- Control–Option–Command–Power button* or Control–Option–Command–Media Eject : Quit all apps, then shut down your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
- Shift-Command-Q: Log out of your macOS user account. You will be asked to confirm. To log out immediately without confirming, press Option-Shift-Command-Q.
* Does not apply to the Touch ID sensor.
Finder and system shortcuts
- Command-D: Duplicate the selected files.
- Command-E: Eject the selected disk or volume.
- Command-F: Start a Spotlight search in the Finder window.
- Command-I: Show the Get Info window for a selected file.
- Command-R: (1) When an alias is selected the Finder: show the original file for the selected alias. (2) In some apps, such as Calendar or Safari, refresh or reload the page. (3) In Software Update preferences, check for software updates again.
- Shift-Command-C: Open the Computer window.
- Shift-Command-D: Open the desktop folder.
- Shift-Command-F: Open the Recents window, showing all of the files you viewed or changed recently.
- Shift-Command-G: Open a Go to Folder window.
- Shift-Command-H: Open the Home folder of the current macOS user account.
- Shift-Command-I: Open iCloud Drive.
- Shift-Command-K: Open the Network window.
- Option-Command-L: Open the Downloads folder.
- Shift-Command-N: Create a new folder.
- Shift-Command-O: Open the Documents folder.
- Shift-Command-P: Show or hide the Preview pane in Finder windows.
- Shift-Command-R: Open the AirDrop window.
- Shift-Command-T: Show or hide the tab bar in Finder windows.
- Control-Shift-Command-T: Add selected Finder item to the Dock (OS X Mavericks or later)
- Shift-Command-U: Open the Utilities folder.
- Option-Command-D: Show or hide the Dock.
- Control-Command-T: Add the selected item to the sidebar (OS X Mavericks or later).
- Option-Command-P: Hide or show the path bar in Finder windows.
- Option-Command-S: Hide or show the Sidebar in Finder windows.
- Command–Slash (/): Hide or show the status bar in Finder windows.
- Command-J: Show View Options.
- Command-K: Open the Connect to Server window.
- Command-L: Make an alias of the selected item.
- Command-N: Open a new Finder window.
- Option-Command-N: Create a new Smart Folder.
- Command-T: Show or hide the tab bar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window.
- Option-Command-T: Show or hide the toolbar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window.
- Option-Command-V: Move: Move the files in the Clipboard from their original location to the current location.
- Command-Y: Use Quick Look to preview the selected files.
- Option-Command-Y: View a Quick Look slideshow of the selected files.
- Command-1: View the items in the Finder window as icons.
- Command-2: View the items in a Finder window as a list.
- Command-3: View the items in a Finder window in columns.
- Command-4: View the items in a Finder window with Cover Flow.
- Command–Left Bracket ([): Go to the previous folder.
- Command–Right Bracket (]): Go to the next folder.
- Command–Up Arrow: Open the folder that contains the current folder.
- Command–Control–Up Arrow: Open the folder that contains the current folder in a new window.
- Command–Down Arrow: Open the selected item.
- Right Arrow: Open the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
- Left Arrow: Close the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
- Command-Delete: Move the selected item to the Trash.
- Shift-Command-Delete: Empty the Trash.
- Option-Shift-Command-Delete: Empty the Trash without confirmation dialog.
- Command–Brightness Up: Turn target display mode on or off.
- Command–Brightness Down: Turn video mirroring on or off when your Mac is connected to more than one display.
- Option–Brightness Up: Open Displays preferences. This works with either Brightness key.
- Control–Brightness Up or Control–Brightness Down: Change the brightness of your external display, if supported by your display.
- Option–Shift–Brightness Up or Option–Shift–Brightness Down: Adjust the display brightness in smaller steps. Add the Control key to this shortcut to make the adjustment on your external display, if supported by your display.
- Option–Mission Control: Open Mission Control preferences.
- Command–Mission Control: Show the desktop.
- Control–Down Arrow: Show all windows of the front app.
- Option–Volume Up: Open Sound preferences. This works with any of the volume keys.
- Option–Shift–Volume Up or Option–Shift–Volume Down: Adjust the sound volume in smaller steps.
- Option–Keyboard Brightness Up: Open Keyboard preferences. This works with either Keyboard Brightness key.
- Option–Shift–Keyboard Brightness Up or Option–Shift–Keyboard Brightness Down: Adjust the keyboard brightness in smaller steps.
- Option key while double-clicking: Open the item in a separate window, then close the original window.
- Command key while double-clicking: Open a folder in a separate tab or window.
- Command key while dragging to another volume: Move the dragged item to the other volume, instead of copying it.
- Option key while dragging: Copy the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the item.
- Option-Command while dragging: Make an alias of the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the item.
- Option-click a disclosure triangle: Open all folders within the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
- Command-click a window title: See the folders that contain the current folder.
- Learn how to use Command or Shift to select multiple items in the Finder.
- Click the Go menu in the Finder menu bar to see shortcuts for opening many commonly used folders, such as Applications, Documents, Downloads, Utilities, and iCloud Drive.
Document shortcuts
The behavior of these shortcuts may vary with the app you're using.
- Command-B: Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off.
- Command-I: Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off.
- Command-K: Add a web link.
- Command-U: Underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off.
- Command-T: Show or hide the Fonts window.
- Command-D: Select the Desktop folder from within an Open dialog or Save dialog.
- Control-Command-D: Show or hide the definition of the selected word.
- Shift-Command-Colon (:): Display the Spelling and Grammar window.
- Command-Semicolon (;): Find misspelled words in the document.
- Option-Delete: Delete the word to the left of the insertion point.
- Control-H: Delete the character to the left of the insertion point. Or use Delete.
- Control-D: Delete the character to the right of the insertion point. Or use Fn-Delete.
- Fn-Delete: Forward delete on keyboards that don't have a Forward Delete key. Or use Control-D.
- Control-K: Delete the text between the insertion point and the end of the line or paragraph.
- Fn–Up Arrow: Page Up: Scroll up one page.
- Fn–Down Arrow: Page Down: Scroll down one page.
- Fn–Left Arrow: Home: Scroll to the beginning of a document.
- Fn–Right Arrow: End: Scroll to the end of a document.
- Command–Up Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document.
- Command–Down Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the document.
- Command–Left Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the current line.
- Command–Right Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the current line.
- Option–Left Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
- Option–Right Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the next word.
- Shift–Command–Up Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document.
- Shift–Command–Down Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the document.
- Shift–Command–Left Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line.
- Shift–Command–Right Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the current line.
- Shift–Up Arrow: Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line above.
- Shift–Down Arrow: Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line below.
- Shift–Left Arrow: Extend text selection one character to the left.
- Shift–Right Arrow: Extend text selection one character to the right.
- Option–Shift–Up Arrow: Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the beginning of the following paragraph if pressed again.
- Option–Shift–Down Arrow: Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of the following paragraph if pressed again.
- Option–Shift–Left Arrow: Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the beginning of the following word if pressed again.
- Option–Shift–Right Arrow: Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the following word if pressed again.
- Control-A: Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph.
- Control-E: Move to the end of a line or paragraph.
- Control-F: Move one character forward.
- Control-B: Move one character backward.
- Control-L: Center the cursor or selection in the visible area.
- Control-P: Move up one line.
- Control-N: Move down one line.
- Control-O: Insert a new line after the insertion point.
- Control-T: Swap the character behind the insertion point with the character in front of the insertion point.
- Command–Left Curly Bracket ({): Left align.
- Command–Right Curly Bracket (}): Right align.
- Shift–Command–Vertical bar (|): Center align.
- Option-Command-F: Go to the search field.
- Option-Command-T: Show or hide a toolbar in the app.
- Option-Command-C: Copy Style: Copy the formatting settings of the selected item to the Clipboard.
- Option-Command-V: Paste Style: Apply the copied style to the selected item.
- Option-Shift-Command-V: Paste and Match Style: Apply the style of the surrounding content to the item pasted within that content.
- Option-Command-I: Show or hide the inspector window.
- Shift-Command-P: Page setup: Display a window for selecting document settings.
- Shift-Command-S: Display the Save As dialog, or duplicate the current document.
- Shift–Command–Minus sign (-): Decrease the size of the selected item.
- Shift–Command–Plus sign (+): Increase the size of the selected item. Command–Equal sign (=) performs the same function.
- Shift–Command–Question mark (?): Open the Help menu.
Other shortcuts
For more shortcuts, check the shortcut abbreviations shown in the menus of your apps. Every app can have its own shortcuts, and shortcuts that work in one app might not work in another.
- iTunes shortcuts: Choose Help > Keyboard shortcuts from the menu bar in iTunes.
- Other shortcuts: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Keyboard, then click Shortcuts.
Learn more
- Create your own shortcuts and resolve conflicts between shortcuts
- Change the behavior of the function keys or modifier keys
Related Articles
- 1 My MacBook Air Is Locked Up
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An iMac is an impressive computer, bringing faster processing power with each new release. But no electronic device is immune to the occasional issue. If your iMac freezes, you’ll first need to see if you can unfreeze it and - if that doesn’t work - force it to restart. If the issue happens repeatedly, you may need to perform a little troubleshooting.
How to Unfreeze a Mac
Usually, the first sign your iMac is froze*n* is that you get _no response when you move your mouse or when you type. In some instances, if you wait a minute or two, this may resolve the issue. In other instances, you’ll need to unfreeze_ your iMac.
As with the Control-Alt-Delete function in Microsoft Windows, Mac operating systems have a way for you to force quit programs that are unresponsive. On Mac, though, that key combination is Command-Option-Escape. This will pull up a box labeled Force Quit Applications. Here you can simply highlight the program you think is locked up and click Force Quit.
Hard Reboot on a Mac
If you’ve tried Force Quit Applications or you can’t force quit due to mouse or keyboard difficulties, you’ll have to restart. If your mouse works, you can try clicking on the Apple in the top-left corner of your iMac. Here you can click on Restart and wait for your computer to shut down and boot back up again.
If your clicker isn’t working, you can press the Power button until your computer shuts down. Give it a couple of minutes, then press the Power button again, which will will boot the back up. On an iMac, the Power button is on the back of your computer toward the bottom. You should be able to reach around the left side of your monitor and find it by touch.
Troubleshooting Recurring Problems
If you find you have to reboot your iMac regularly, it may become necessary to get to the root of the problem. Take a look at which applications are hogging memory on your computer by going to the Applications-Utilities-Activity Monitor. Click on the Memory tab once the window opens.
The list that pops up should be ordered by the most memory-intensive programs - but if it isn't ordered that way - you can click on the Memory heade_r to reorder it from most to least. Take note of the programs that are using the greatest amount of memory. You can select and quit them, but that will only temporarily resolve the issue. Determine if you can do away with any of those programs._
Remove Problematic Processes
Removing applications can be one of the easiest ways to improve your iMac’s performanc*e*. You do this by opening the Finder and choosing Applications. First, look through the list and see if there are any applications you don’t use anymore. Deleting those will be an important step in cleaning up your computer.
If the app you want to delete is in a folder, open that folder and look for an uninstaller that will do all the work for you. If it isn’t in a folder, you can simply drag it to your trash or right-click and choose Move to Trash. It will remain in the trash until the next time it empties. Once you’ve uninstalled all unwanted applications, restart your iMac.
Updating Your Mac
Before you take other troubleshooting measures, first make sure you’re running the latest version of your operating system. Apple may have released updates or patches that fix some bug that's locking up your computer. However, if you’re being offered a new operating system and you have an older iMac, check to make sure your iMac is compatibl_e. Newer operating systems are often limited as to how far back their compatibility can go._
To update your iMac, click on the Apple icon and choose App Store. This will open a box that shows all pending updates that apply to your system. Even if you have an older computer, making sure you have all the latestupdates for your existing O/S is essential to keeping your computer safe.
Cleaning Up Your iMac
To reduce the risk of repeat iMac frozenis_sues, a quick cleanup can make a big difference. The easiest way to do this is to use the built-in storage optimizationtool._ This tool reviews your system and finds those items taking up the most space, then offers recommendations that can help free up your Mac.
In addition to suggestions like emptying your trash and deleting unused files, the tool will also offer to move some of your files to the cloud. These will go to your iCloud Drive, which you may be using already. When you need these items, you’ll be able to access them, but they’ll stay safely tucked away until that time. One thing to keep in mind is that iCloud Drive is only free for the first 5GB. Once you’ve exceeded that amount, you’ll pay a monthly subscription fee of $0.99 for up to 50GB, $2.99 for up to 200GB and $9.99 for up to 2TB, at time of writing.
Preventing Overheating
Often an iMac is frozen for reasons that have nothing to do with software issues. It could be a hardware issue. Before progressing to more involved troubleshooting steps, first make sure that your iMac isn’t overheating. If you hear the internal fan running fairly often, the constant freeze-ups could simply be a symptom of your system overheating.
The first, easiest step, is to make sure your vents aren’t covered. The iMac and iMac Pro both have vents on the bottom edge and back. There could also be accumulated dust in the vents, which you can easily remove, using a handheld vacuum cleaner. You can also run diagnostics to see if something is wrong with a piece of hardware that’s causing the overheating.
Run Diagnostics
If you’ve tried to reboot your iMac and have cleaned it up, there may be a hardware issue at play. Newer iMacs have something called Apple Diagnostics. On older iMacs, the tool is called Apple Hardware Test. To get started, you’ll need to disconnect all external devices except your keyboard, mouse, power cord and Ethernet cable, if you use one. You’ll then shut down your iMac, hold down the _D button a_nd keep holding it down as you start your computer back up again.
You can release the D button once you get the screen that asks your languag*e*. The tool will walk you through the steps to start your diagnosti*c* session. Once your test is complete, you’ll get a notification of any issues it found, as well as error codes and possible resolutions. Even if you have to take it to a _professional technician t_o repair, at least you’ll have the information you need to get that work started.
Factory Reset Your iMac
If the issue is something more serious, and you’re tired of the constant need to reboot your iMac, a factory reset can put it back to its original condition. This will remove all s*oftware and files*, so make sure you’ve saved everything you need.
To get started, restart your iMac, then press and hold the Command-R keys until you see the A*pple logo.* Choose Disk Utility and Continue. Select your startup disk and Erase. You’ll be asked for the format, which should be Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Once the erase process is finished, you can quit the Disk Utilit_y. You’ll need to choose Reinstall macOS in the macOS Utilities window._
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About the Author
Stephanie Faris is a novelist and business writer whose work has appeared on numerous small business blogs, including Zappos, GoDaddy, 99Designs, and the Intuit Small Business Blog. She worked for the State of Tennessee for 19 years, the latter six of which were spent as a supervisor. She has written about business for entrepreneurs and marketing firms since 2011.
Cite this Article Choose Citation Style
Faris, Stephanie. 'How to Restart a Stuck iMac.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/restart-stuck-imac-70023.html. 17 April 2019.
Faris, Stephanie. (2019, April 17). How to Restart a Stuck iMac. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/restart-stuck-imac-70023.html
Faris, Stephanie. 'How to Restart a Stuck iMac' last modified April 17, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/restart-stuck-imac-70023.html
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