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11 Startup Key Combinations for Intel Macs

March 6th, 2007 - Mac OS X, Tips & Tricks, Troubleshooting

Here’s a list of eleven startup key commands that every Intel Mac owner should make note of. From reseting your NVRAM, starting up in safe mode, to forcing a media to eject, this list has you covered. While some of these commands are the same as what worked for PPC Macs, others are different or completely new. Great for troubleshooting, system administration, and just furthering your general knowledge about Mac’s.

Press C during startupStart up from a bootable CD or DVD, such as the Mac OS X Install disc that came with the computer.
Press D during startupStart up in Apple Hardware Test (AHT), if the Install DVD 1 is in the computer.
Press Option-Command-P-R until you hear two beeps. Reset NVRAM
Press Option during startup Starts into Startup Manager, where you can select a Mac OS X volume to start from. Note: Press N to make the the first bootable Network volume appear as well.
Press Eject, F12, or hold the mouse (/trackpad) button Ejects any removable media, such as an optical disc.
Press N during startupAttempt to start up from a compatible network server (NetBoot).
Press T during startupStart up in FireWire Target Disk mode.
Press Shift during startupStart up in Safe Boot mode and temporarily disable login items.
Press Command-V during startupStart up in Verbose mode.
Press Command-S during startupStart up in Single-User mode.
Press Option-N during startup Start from a NetBoot server using the default boot image.

Source: Apple

Want to always start in Verbose mode? Check out this article

Posted by: Editor

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Comments:

Comments: 20

Comment from MJ
Time: March 6, 2007, 10:08 am

Why wouldn’t these work for the PPC systems?

Comment from Vladimir
Time: March 7, 2007, 4:01 pm

I am pretty sure these do work on PPC systems too, although I no longer have one around to test it out. I know the zapping NVRAM is the same – but it used to be called PRAM? What’s up with that?

Comment from ADAM
Time: March 9, 2007, 10:18 am

You can use all of those commands except pushing D to start up the hardware test from the system disk.. Other than that they work

Comment from archimedes
Time: March 13, 2007, 7:40 pm

I printed this out, thanks

Comment from Princess Greenwich
Time: March 19, 2007, 2:11 pm

Does anyone know when exactly you are suppoed to hit these buttons at startup? Maybe I am doing it too late but I am only seeing a smiley logo and login?

Comment from Adam Nichols
Time: March 20, 2007, 9:51 am

You need to do it as soon as the machine starts, and you hear the chord. If you reach the login screen, you’ve waited too long…

Comment from Mikey
Time: April 25, 2007, 6:09 am

These may all work on Intel systems, but they also work on every OSX Mac. I love a list though, and Eleven is my lucky number, so ..like..YEAH!

Comment from Erik
Time: August 10, 2007, 4:32 am

I can’t get cmd-s to work on my macbook!

Comment from Jason Kennerly
Time: January 5, 2008, 2:37 pm

So thats why people were saying a wireless keyboard might not be good enough for everything!

Comment from maryl
Time: January 16, 2008, 3:40 pm

cmd-s don’t work

Comment from Aaron Cross
Time: April 1, 2008, 6:13 pm

Well I just brought a second hand imac, and it has Leopard installed on it. I want to put my copy of tiger on it, but pressing c doesnt work.
Did you know that Leopard is like a virus? Once its on your computer, you can never get it off? Thats my situation. Its a shame Apple has always had absolutely shocking support for removal of things.(Can you uninstall apple applications as easy as you can on windows?-Hell no)

If anyone has any idea how I can format a leopard install and put on tiger I’d appreciate that. Thanks
AC

Comment from wiki
Time: August 9, 2008, 7:24 am

Once its on your computer, you can never get it off? Thats my situation. Its a shame Apple has always had absolutely shocking support for removal of things.

Comment from pharmacy
Time: August 22, 2008, 10:33 am

Very interesting website. Keep up the outstanding work and thank you…

Comment from Tim McGrawacy
Time: January 24, 2009, 5:09 pm

Mr Aaron cross you could simply open the terminal run the command “sudo rm -rf /” and enter your password and press enter. then boot the cd,

Comment from Tim McGrawacy
Time: January 24, 2009, 5:09 pm

Mr Aaron cross you could simply open the terminal run the command “sudo rm -rf /” and enter your password and press enter. then boot the cd,

Comment from info
Time: May 11, 2009, 10:12 pm

I was trying to use the boot commands on an imac running tiger. I had a leopard upgrade boot cd in the drive, and for 3 hours I was unable to get the computer to recognize any boot options whatsoever — it would just boot to the regular login screen no matter what.

I even tried to use the “menu” button on the apple remote as the computer was booting (as was suggested on another website) — no dice.

I finally tried pulling off the western digital external hard drive off another usb port (the only other equipment plugged into the mac) and the next time I tried to boot with the “c” key it booted right into the upgrade disk.

So it appears that having an external hard drive in another usb port can hose the boot options, FYI. I wasn’t getting anything that even looked like the boot option keys were being recognized, but it worked as soon as I removed the external hard drive.

Comment from bobbers
Time: June 5, 2009, 4:57 am

my school laptop comes up with a lock and a place for a password
is this a secondary softwhere or is it part of the mac

i understand that the password it set by the state but i wanted to know if it was something i could do to my mac at home or not

Comment from koupit cialis
Time: November 23, 2009, 2:36 am

is list has you covered. While some of these commands are the same as what worked for PPC Macs, others are different or completely new. Great for troubleshooting, system administration, and just furthering your general knowledge about Mac’s.

Comment from Pat McKenzie
Time: December 1, 2009, 1:37 pm

Your table of osX soultions worked. Thanks for the post

Comment from clarissa
Time: January 8, 2010, 4:37 am

thats the real power. thanks

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March 6th, 2007