2.10.2008

How to Right Click and Ctrl-C in a Mac

Switching from Windows to Mac has its jarring moments. Among the first things that will jolt you are the lack of a second mouse button on the Macbook touchpad and the Apple mice; and the fact that Ctrl-C does not copy anything in a Mac. (You probably found this blog entry looking for a way to do a right-click, right?)

So let me give the emergency relief to you and write other useful tips after.
  • To do a right-click: Press and hold down the ctrl key and then click the mouse or touchpad button.
  • Alternately, you may also right-click using the multi-touch trackpad. First, position the pointer over the link or button you wish to right-click. Press the trackpad with your index finger. While holding the first finger down, tap another finger on the the track pad (try your middle finger). This will generate a right-click. BUT you need to activate this feature. Open System Preferences > Trackpad. In Trackpad Gestures, check the box for "Tap trackpad using two fingers for secondary click."
  • The equivalent of a Ctrl-C in a Mac is Command-C (or Cmd-C for short). The command key, by the way, is that key with the Apple icon and the strange square with four outward loops (⌘).
  • Bear in mind that most "Ctrl" shortcuts on Windows can be substituted with the "Cmd" key. Example, Ctrl-V in Windows (shortcut for paste) is Cmd-V in Mac.

Switching to a Mac requires some patience at the start. After all, some things you do in Windows are done differently in a Mac. And although at first you may get frustrated with this "cultural change", you'll realize that tasks in Mac are actually simpler than in Windows. Plus Mac does not let you do some Windows commands simply to protect you from hurting yourself :). (More on this in future posts).


Coming up next:

Top 5 things you need to do after you've switched from Windows to Mac.

15 comments:

  1. Searched for a way to do the ctrl-c on a Mac and found your blog - thank you.

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  2. The same thing, I was also looking for the ctrl-c in mac and found your blog. Thank you very much, more people like you

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  3. You are a life saver! Thank you for this information! Have really missed the keyboard functions and your blog really helped! Thank you!

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  4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  5. Thank you! I've got ctrl-c issue and your little tip just saved me! :-) Good luck!

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  6. Thank you very much! Was beginning to think i might go mad without ctrl-c!

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  7. I was looking for how to do CTRL+ C in the mac and found your blog. Thanks

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  8. Found your blog which help with Ctrl-C & V. Thank you!

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  9. CMD + C // Copy
    CMD + V // Saste
    CMD + A // Sark everything
    CMD + S // Save the current doc or etc.
    CMD + W // Close current window
    CMD + Z // Undo latest change

    There are more, but theese is the mostusefull, from my opinion :) if there is something more you need, jsut say ;)

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  10. 2012 and this post still useful! Thanks a bunch :)

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  11. I was about to sell my mac right when I found your blog...You should rename your blog as the Mac-unofficial bible ;)

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  12. Same thing with ctrl-c and ctrl-v....thank you for your help!

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  13. Hi everyone, glad you found this post useful. :)

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  14. Thanks!!!!!! I was getting beyond frustrated with my new iMac.

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  15. your blog just spared a mac pro from being thrown out of the window!

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