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The top 5 shortcuts:
1. Putting a space at the beginning of the name of a folder or file makes it appear at the top of an alphabetical list (such as the 'file open' window). To go to an item in a long list, click in that window, then on the letter of the alphabet the item starts with, or "~" to go to the end.
2. Command- mouse click on an active folder name (in its title bar) to find where the folder is and move up the hierarchy.
3. Use the finder icon to hide programs and windows you are not using (Click on the icon of the menu at the top right of your screen).
4. Use the 'View" menu of the file to view your data/working files by date, so the most recent items are at the top.
5. Aliases and the Apple Menu:
Place an alias to your hard drive, plus programs and folders that you use frequently, in your Apple menu (click on the apple at the top left of the screen). Make the alias by highlighting the item and choosing 'Make alias' in the file menu. Drag the alias to the "Apple Menu Items" folder in the system folder. Putting a space before the name of the alias will put it alphabetically at the top of the menu. Note you can differentiate between aliases and the real thing because aliases are always italicized. Aliases of programs that you frequently use can be placed on your desktop, and then files created in other programs can be opened by dragging them to over the alias. I modify my data files in a word processing program and then drag the data file text over the other program's alias so I do not have to go through the file open procedure.
Programs or files may be started when first turning on the computer by putting their alias's in the "Startup Items" folder in the system folder.
The command key is the same as the apple or the 'splat' key next to the space bar. Command-A means to hit the command key and then hold it while hitting the "a" key. Doing it right now will highlight the text of this document. Whenever using the menu, notice the keyboard commands to the right of your choice- for example under file you can use the mouse to quit the program, but to the right of quit is the keyboard Command- Q which will also quit the program.
Undo: Command- Z (This command generally will undo the previous command, such as erasing or formatting in error. Checking under the 'edit' menu will tell you if this is available, and may give you a clue as to what it will do).
Select All: Command- A (Selects all items or the entire document in the active window.)
Select portion: Mouse Click at starting point; then Shift- Mouse click (In a file, Selects everything between the first point and the second point. To copy this section, click just above the G of 'General Commands,' move down the window with the scroll bar to the right, then hold down the shift key and click on the ending point. Much faster than clicking and dragging the pointer a long distance.)
Copy Selection: Command- C
Cut Selection: Command- X
Paste Selection: Command- V (These commands allow you to transfer text and pictures between files and programs).
Close Active Window: Command- W
Close All Windows: Command- Option- W (or click on the close button in the top left of the window while holding the option key down)
The shift key acts as a toggle switch, allowing you to select specific files/folders for opening or moving. Hold down the shift key while clicking on files with the mouse. After selecting the files, release the shift key, click and hold down the mouse on a highlighted file, and move it (you will see an outline of the other files moving too); or double click to open all the files.
To copy (instead of moving) a file or folder in the finder; hold down the option key while dragging the item to the new location.
To hide windows of other programs: Use 'hide other' command under top right icon of menu. To hide the active program: hold down alt key while clicking outside of program (to reveal programs look under top right icon of menu).
To select several individual files for opening/copying etc: Hold down shift key while clicking on them- reclick to deselect. Then to move all click on any selected file without the shift key.
Weekly backups on floppy disk or another computer- stored outside of your work area to protect against theft, flood or fire.
Monthly:
Rebuild the Desktop:
Command- Option-..... at RESTART, wait for the message about rebuilding the desktop. It will warn you that comments in the 'get info' windows will be lost. Few people use these comments and it will not apply to you if you do not understand it.
Do not rely on this as a usual way to quit an application. It is useful in the event that you have unsaved work in other applications when your current application freezes up. You should restart your computer after using this feature.
Soft Boot Restart:
Command- Control- Restart
The restart is the key on the top right with the triangle (extended keyboard) or the large key on the top of the regular keyboard. Use only in the event of a freeze up and after you have tried Force Quit. It will restart your computer without having to turn it off and on again.
If the above methods do not work, try the reset button (often on the back of the computer- see your manual). Turning off the power, should only be used as a last resort, as it may damage data. Wait until the hard drive has come to a complete stop before restarting.
Under the Apple menu (click on the apple at the top left of the screen) you may find information about the active program or if the system is active, your operating system version and the amount of RAM memory active programs are using. To find out how much drive space is available, view any folder by small icon. It will indicate the space used and the space available.
Screen Shot:
Command- Shift- 3
This feature allows you to capture your screen as a PICT file. Files are saved on your hard drive as Picture X (where X is a number from 0 to 9.)
Shift-..... at RESTART
This disables, for this startup only, any items that load at startup, such as system extensions, control panels, or chooser extensions. It also disables virtual memory, and background printing with PrintMonitor, and turns the Disk Cache down to 16k (the minimum.) It also prevents launching any items in the Startup Items Folder. Network items will not be available until the computer is restarted. An alternative (in system 7.5) is to use the control panel "Extensions Manager" which will turn off individual extensions.
- Another simple way is to Tab to it, or Shift-Tab in reverse order.
- The best way, in my opinion, is to type the first letter or letters of the icon name (if you type more than one letter, do it in quick succession). This will take you straight to the file even if it's beyond the boundary of the window.
- The ~ key takes you to the last file in the alphabet.
- Select multiple files at the same time by holding down the Shift key and clicking the icon.
- Command-Down-Arrow also opens a highlighted file, folder or disk.
- To avoid cluttering your desktop with open windows, hold down the Option key while opening a folder. This will close the current window at the same time. This will work while starting a program or opening a file.
- Command-Up-Arrow moves you to the previous folder without closing the current one.
- Command-Option-Up-Arrow will close the current window while moving to the previous folder.
- Command-Option-W closes all open windows on your desktop at the same time.
- Hold down the Command key while clicking on the menu bar. This will show a hierarchical structure of the folder starting with the hard drive. Clicking on a folder name from within the pop-up menu to open up that folder.
- Hold down the Option Key while starting your Mac, and any windows that were left open when you last shut down will be closed automatically as it starts up.
- Command-Option-Right-Arrow expands the selected folder and all the nested folders under it. If you press Command-A to select all folders in the current window, then press Command-Option-Right-Arrow all the selected folders will expand.
- Command-Left-Arrow collapses the folder or if all folders are selected, they will all collapse leaving only the outermost folder.
- Command-Y (which is Put Away on the File menu) ejects a floppy disk from your Macintosh. Typically, disks are ejected by dragging them into the trash with your mouse or clicking Eject Disk from the Special menu selection. The advantage to Command-Y is that it's quick, you don't need a mouse nor do you need to close the window before ejecting the disk.
- Command-Y is also used to return a file to the folder from which it came. For example if you dragged a file onto the desktop, Command-Y will return it to the folder even if you've restarted your Mac. If you dragged several files into the trash and later realized you didn't want to do that. Select all the files you want to return (using the shift key), press Command-Y and they will each be returned to their respective folders.
Tips and ideas here are from various sources including Anna Day, http://www.unl.edu/compsale/shortcuts2.html and http://www.cofc.edu/academic/admin/acomp/Cougar_Bytes/Spring95/Shortcuts.html.
This page is maintained by Dave Carmean with an eye towards speed and clarity, and last modified 23 May 1996. Comments or suggestions are welcomed!