How-To Restart Your Mac Computer Using only the Keyboard

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

Restarting Mac Computer Using only the Keyboard

Restarting a Mac computer using only the keyboard is quite straightforward. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Save Your Work: 

Before restarting your Mac, make sure you save any unsaved work to avoid losing data.

Close Applications: 

Close any open applications to ensure a smooth restart.

Access Apple Menu:

Press and hold the "Control" key (Ctrl) on your keyboard.

Invoke Restart Option:

While holding the "Control" key, press the "Eject" key (⏏︎) or the "Power" key (if your Mac doesn't have an eject key).

Confirm Restart:

A confirmation dialog will appear, asking if you want to restart your Mac.

Use the arrow keys to navigate to the "Restart" option.

Press "Return" (Enter) to confirm and initiate the restart process.

Wait for Restart:

Your Mac will shut down and then start up again.

Wait for the reboot process to complete.

If you're facing an unresponsive situation and need to perform a "hard restart":

Press and Hold Power Button:

Press and hold the physical power button on your Mac for about 5-10 seconds.

This will force your Mac to shut down.

Wait a Moment:

After your Mac is fully powered off, wait for a few seconds.

Turn On Mac:

Press the power button again to turn on your Mac.

Remember that abruptly shutting down your Mac using the hard restart method can potentially lead to data loss or file system errors. It's recommended to use this method only when your Mac is unresponsive.

Please note that keyboard shortcuts and steps might vary based on your specific Mac model and configuration.

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