OS X Keyboard Shortcuts

January 23, 2006 5:24 PM

Two OS X keyboard shortcuts are alluding me. I need assistance.

These are probably really easy, but I just haven't come across them or figured them out on my own...

1. When closing an application with unsaved data in OS X I am prompted with a dialog box containing "Don't Save", "Cancel", and "Save". Using only the keyboard, I've figured out "Cancel" is Apple + >. How does one select "Don't Save" using only the keyboard?

2. When selecting a file in Finder, I hit Return and it wants to rename the file. How do I open the file using only the keyboard?

posted by bwilms to Computers & Internet (11 answers total)

Best answer: 1/ Command-D in many sane apps...
2/ Just arrow over, and hit Command-O (for open)
posted by jpburns at 5:30 PM on January 23, 2006

Best answer: How does one select "Don't Save" using only the keyboard?

Depends very much on the app but jpburns is right, I'd try Apple-D.

When selecting a file in Finder, I hit Return

So, don't do that! Again jpb is right, but there's also Apple-Down-Arrow.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 5:36 PM on January 23, 2006

For 2., Command-down-arrow also works and is faster since you're already arrowing around.
posted by nicwolff at 5:39 PM on January 23, 2006

Response by poster: You don't know how much a relief this is to me. Thanks.
posted by bwilms at 5:42 PM on January 23, 2006

1. Hitting Mac+D will work in most apps, but if it doesn't, you can use the tab key to move (left to right) between the options available in a dialogue box, and you can select an option by hitting either the space bar, enter or return. (Shift+Tab reverses the direction.)
posted by jack_mo at 7:10 PM on January 23, 2006

and you can select an option by hitting either the space bar, enter or return

Enter and return will typically pick the dialog button that's highlighted by default, not the button that currently has the blue outline around it.
posted by alana at 8:25 PM on January 23, 2006

elude
allude
posted by mzurer at 9:11 PM on January 23, 2006

Also, command-up-arrow in the Finder will take you up in the directory tree.
posted by D.C. at 2:20 AM on January 24, 2006

And, while I'm at it, command-up and command-down will also work to navigate in open/save dialogs.
posted by D.C. at 2:22 AM on January 24, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks mzurer. I had a feeling I used the wrong word once I hit submit. Spellcheck only gets me so far...

I swear I've tried using tab to highlight the buttons in the dialog box, but it never worked. I'll have to try it again.

Thanks everyone for the tips.
posted by bwilms at 3:46 AM on January 24, 2006

bwilms said 'I swear I've tried using tab to highlight the buttons in the dialog box, but it never worked. I'll have to try it again.'

Hmmn, you might need to tweak your Universal Access preferences to get this to work. (And alan is right about enter and return - sorry for the semi-accuracy of my reply!)
posted by jack_mo at 4:28 AM on January 24, 2006