Mac OS X provides a way for you to switch the primary modifier keys and use the control key instead of command for every applicable keystroke in OS X. It's a great feature for new Mac users who keep forgetting they have to use the command key, and it's also beneficial for those who use a Mac at home and a PC at work and want consistency between. Apple’s Mac keyboards actually do have a Control (Ctrl) key, but the Control key doesn’t function like the Control key on Windows. Keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+C to copy text won’t work.
Having problems typing “Control-Alt-Delete” (also sometimes abbreviated as “Ctrl+Alt+Del”) in your Windows virtual machine on your Mac®? This article has everything you need to know about entering this important Windows shortcut.
See also: How to press Alt Key on Mac and other Windows shortcuts
Since I have already admitted one character flaw on this blog (font addiction), I might as well fess up about another: key combos. Unlike fonts—which I can’t get enough of—key combos are something that I just don’t use much at all. While they are speedy, they’re cumbersome, often require two hands, and for me, are hard to remember. I would much rather use a button on the Ribbon or choose a menu item than use a key combo.
So I’m rather fortunate that an extremely common key combo used in Windows, “Control-Alt-Delete,” has a menu alternative in Parallels Desktop® for Mac.
Sidebar: Why is “Control-Alt-Delete” so important in Windows?
“Control-Alt-Delete” is the ultimate non-hackable Windows control. (At least Microsoft hopes so and put in a great deal engineering work to make this true.) “Control-Alt-Delete” is used to get the log-on screen so that you can be sure you’re not being spoofed and your password is not being stolen. “Control-Alt-Delete” is also used to kill off an application that has hung or is otherwise running amok. There is no direct analog to “Control-Alt-Delete” on the Mac.
If you use a virtual machine in the Window view, just click on the reveal triangle in the window’s title bar to show the very useful status icons. (See Figure 1.)
(Figure 1.)
Then whenever you need “Control-Alt-Delete” in a Windows VM, click on the little keyboard status icon to see the many menu item equivalents of key combos. Since it’s so commonly used in Windows, “Control-Alt-Delete” is at the top of the menu. (See Figure 2.) No finger gymnastics needed.
(Figure 2.)
You don’t use Window View? If you use Coherence View, then just use the || menu in the Mac menu bar, as shown in Figure 3.
(Figure 3.)
You don’t use Window or Lacie external hard drive for mac. Coherence view? If you use Full Screen view, then do the same thing as in Coherence after first moving your mouse cursor to the top edge of the screen in order to make the Mac menu bar appear, as shown in Figure 4.
(Figure 4.)
Use Picture-in-Picture view? Access to the keyboard menu is just the same as in Coherence.
Of course, if you are a finger gymnast, you can always enter “Control-Alt-Delete” with the same three-finger salute as PC users.
I hope this helps Mac users when they need to type “Control-Alt-Delete.”
Try Parallels Desktop for free for 14 days!
This page discuss differences between Apple Keyboard and Windows keyboard.
On the PC keyboard, you have the Ctrl (Control key), ❖Window (Windows logo key), Alt Music sound software. (alternate key).
On Apple keyboard, you have Ctrl, ⌥option (alt/option), ⌘command (command) keys.
The Control Key in Windows is used for keyboard shortcuts. For example, Copy is Ctrl+c, Paste is Ctrl+v.
On the Mac, Command key is used for keyboard shortcuts. Copy is ⌘command+c, Paste is ⌘command+v.
The Control key under Mac is rarely used.When used, it is as a modifier in combination with other modifier keys. For example,in Safari (as of 2018-05-01)Ctrl+⌘command+1 show bookmarks sidebar.
Mac OS X by default supports emacs basic cursor movement keybindings.You can try it in TextEdit.They are:
Mac OS X's default emacs keybindings:
⌥option on Apple keyboard and Alt on PC keyboards both send the same USB scancode.
The Alt key in MS Windows has several different uses:
The ⌥option key is used for:
❖Window and ⌘command both send the same USB scancode.
Their behaviors are different in Mac and Windows.
In Windows:
[see Windows Keyboard Shortcuts]
Under Mac, the Command key is used as a modifier key to invoke shortcuts. For example, ⌘command+c is Copy. It is similar to MS Window's use of the Ctrl key.
[see Microsoft Keyboards Gallery]
The ▤Menu key, also called Application key, is invented by Microsoft. Typically only on the right side. It is used for Context Menu. The key's function is similar to the mouse's right button, or pressing Shift+F10 in most applications.
[see Keyboard Menu/App Key] Fastscripts 2 8 18.
Mac doesn't have ▤Menu key. If you use a Windows keyboard on a Mac, the ▤Menu key does Ctrl+p.
[see Mac Keyboard Tools]
On PC keyboard, the main enter key is labeled “Enter ↵”.
On Apple's keyboards, the main enter key is usually labeled “return” or just by a symbol “↩”.
Note: the main enter/return key is different from the Enter on number keypad. (it sends a different key signal.)
In Microsoft Windows desktop (Explorer), when a file is selected, Enter will open the file.(To rename the file, press F2.)
In Mac desktop (Finder), when a file is selected, Enter will activate file rename.(⌘command+o to open the file.)
On PC keyboards, there is a Backspace key on the main section.
On Apple keyboards, this key is labeled “delete”.
When in text editing, the Backspace is used the same way in both OS X and Windows. It delete texts to the left of the cursor.
In browser, Windows useBackspace key to “go back” to a previous visited page.For some time around 2005 to 2013, Mac OS X's Safari browser also started to do the same, but removed this shortcut again when gesture with touchpad becomes popular. Use 2-finger swipe to the left to go back.
The Delete ⌦ key is located in the Home/End key cluster. This key sometimes labeled “Del”.
On Mac, this key is labeled “delete” or ⌦.
On Windows, Delete ⌦ is often used to delete things. For example, on desktop, select a file, pressing Delete ⌦ will put the file to the “Recycle Bin”. In a text editor, the key will delete to the right of the cursor.
On the Mac, from early 1990s to 2006, the Delete ⌦ key is almost never used, even in text editors. When there is a function assigned to it, it is used to delete to the right of the cursor.
On PC keyboards, there is the Insert key (sometimes labeled Ins). Apple keyboards doesn't have this key.
The PC has these keys:PrintScreen/SysRq,ScrollLock,Pause/Pause.
These keys have old history back to the 1980's (or earlier) and in generalare not used since 1990, except on Windows the PrtScn key is for screenshot.
[see Print Screen, SysRq, ScrLk, Pause, Break Keys]
Apple's keyboards do not have these keys. On some Apple keyboards, they have F13, F14, F15 instead. “Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad” of 2009, has F16 to F19.
The {PrintScreenScrollLockBreak} are different keys than {F13F14F15}. They do not send the same signals. In any case, when either PC keyboard or Apple keyboard is plugged in on a Mac running Mac OS X 10.4, these keys have the same behavior (could be due to operating system).
The numerical keypad keys send different USB scancode than the samekeys at top row of the main key section.
However, on macOS, the number pad keys are remapped to be the same as the number keys on the main section of keyboard.
The difference between PC and Mac keyboard's number pad are:
back toKeyboard Shortcut and Layout Tutorial
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