<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(53, 53, 53); "><div><div class="datestamp" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font: normal normal normal 93.5%/normal Arial, Helvetica, san-serif; "><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10459763-263.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=MacFixIt">http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10459763-263.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=MacFixIt</a></div><div class="datestamp" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font: normal normal normal 93.5%/normal Arial, Helvetica, san-serif; "><br></div><div class="datestamp" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font: normal normal normal 93.5%/normal Arial, Helvetica, san-serif; ">February 25, 2010 11:43 AM PST</div><div section="txt" class="txtWrap" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "><h1 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: normal; font-style: inherit; font-size: 30px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; font: normal normal bold 190%/normal Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: rgb(55, 120, 180); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(114, 160, 202); ">Key combinations to troubleshoot your Intel-based Mac at start-up</h1></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, san-serif; font-size: 13px; ">by <a href="http://www.cnet.com/profile/MacFixIt+Joe/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(30, 91, 126); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; ">Joe Aimonetti</a></span></div></div><div><br></div>Many articles you read about Mac troubleshooting mention troubleshooting methods such as resetting the NVRAM, starting in FireWire Target Disk Mode, starting in Safe Mode, or starting in Single-User Mode, but fail to explain exactly how to do that. This article breaks it down for you.<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 20px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 20px; ">Apple has released a knowledge base <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1533" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(30, 91, 126); text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; ">article</a> describing the key commands and what they enable when pressed during start-up:</p><ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 25px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 25px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: inside; list-style-image: initial; "><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press C during start-up: Start from a bootable CD/DVD, such as the Mac OS X Install disc.</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press D during start-up: Start the Apple Hardware Test when the Install DVD 1 is inserted in your Mac's drive.</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press and hold (Command + Option + P + R) until you hear two beeps: Reset the NVRAM.</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press Option during start-up: Loads Startup Manager, enabling users to select which volume they would like to boot from. Pressing N will show the first bootable Network volume as well.</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press the Eject button, press F12, or click and hold the mouse or trackpad button: Ejects any removable media.</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press N during start-up: Attempt to start from a compatible network server (NetBoot).</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press T during start-up: When two Macs are connected via FireWire, this will start one in FireWire Target Disk Mode (two Macs with FireWire ports are required).</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press Shift during start-up: Starts your Mac in Safe Mode, temporarily disabling log-in items.</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press (Command + V) during start-up: Starts in Verbose Mode.</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press (Command + S) during start-up: Starts in Single-User Mode.</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-type: disc; ">Press (Option + N) during start-up: Start from NetBoot server using the default boot image.</li></ul>Apple recommends pressing the start-up key combinations immediately after hearing the start-up tone.</span><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#353535" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#353535" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10459763-263.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=MacFixIt">http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10459763-263.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=MacFixIt</a></font></div></body></html>