Most of the time, your Mac just worksuntil it refuses to start up properly due to an unforeseen system error, a misbehaving app, a broken system component and what not.

For example, you could be a pro user who dual boots between macOS and Windows on a daily basis.

Others might be wondering about booting a Mac from a disk other than their designated startup disk.

Or perhaps youre looking to isolate the cause of a software issue in the macOS Safe Mode or boot straight into Recovery OS as the last option Mac startup key combinations To boot your Intel-based Mac into any of the macOS built-in startup modes, you must press and hold one or more keys detailed below after turning on the computer.

Press the keys immediately after hearing the startup sound, unless otherwise specified.

Prevent automatic login: If you enabled the option to automatically log a specific macOS account every time your Mac starts up, you can override this setting by holding the left Shift () key after the macOS boot progress indicator appears.

Reset PRAMNVRAM: Command ()Option ()PR, then release the keys after you hear the startup sound for a second time Reset SMC: Shut down your Mac, and then press and hold the left-side Shift ()Control ()Option keys along with the Power () button, all at the same time, until the computer turns on.

Other keyboard shortcuts are available after your Mac has started up.

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Our ongoing tutorial series has covered many Mac startup modes thus far.

To learn more about many of them, simply tap or click their linked names on the bulleted list above.

Startup key combos not registering On certain Mac notebook models, startup key combos may fail to register in certain situations.

The solution couldnt be simpler: use the MacBooks built-in keyboard to get to Startup Manager, Recovery Mode, Single User Mode, Safe Mode and other features that are available at boot time.

Another option: hook up any standard USB keyboard to your Mac via a USB-C adapter.

The startup chime as a troubleshooting feature You shouldnt turn the volume all the way down before restarting your Mac.

Hearing startup tones other than the familiar startup chord is the first step in determining what might be causing hiccups that your computer is experiencing.

RELATED: The different Mac OS X startup tones and the problems they indicate For more tips like this, browse our complete tutorials archive.

Other Mac startup keyboard shortcuts Are there any Mac startup keyboard shortcuts you think we missed If so, add your key combo in the comments below.

Press Button But Won'T Work How To Do Certain

Got stuck Not sure how to do certain things on your Apple device Let us know at email protected and a future tutorial might provide a solution.

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