I used it quite a lot on my previous PC and MS Word. Press "Alt" on your PC keyboard whenever you need to perform a keyboard shortcut that requires … It's there; it just looks a little different. Choose the “Keyboard” tab and then click on the “Modifier Keys” button in the lower right corner of … It appears that those keys are not understood to be remapped (or mapped at all in this case) until after the OS loads. Your computer will detect an "Option Click" event when you press and hold "Alt" while clicking the mouse. There's just one little problem with using a non-Apple keyboard: figuring out some of the keyboard equivalents. The alt key does work like the option key. Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions. For keys with no keyboard equivalent, Fusion provides the Send Key item in the Virtual Machine menu. The symbols used in the Mac menus can be a bit strange to those new to the Mac, as well as old hands who may be more mousers than keyboard users. My new HP laptop did not come with an options key next to the space bar. The "Apple" key is also called the "Command" key. Since the mid-1990s, this key has included the … Another helpful bit of information for new Mac users is to know which menu key symbols correspond to which keys on the keyboard. At least five keys have different names or symbols on a Windows keyboard than they do on a Mac keyboard, which can make it difficult to follow Mac-related instructions. (As of 2005, some laptops had only one to make room for the arrow keys.) The "Windows" key on your PC keyboard is the equivalent of the "Apple" key on a Mac. Also, if things get a bit mixed up, click the Restore Defaults button to put everything back the way it was. Use the pop-up menu next to the Option and Command keys to select the action you wish the modifier keys to perform. On most laptop keyboards, you must press and hold the fn key before pressing the key with the symbol to perform the function. Don’t worry if this sounds a bit confusing, it will make more sense when you see the drop-down pane in front of you. If you have a mouse with two buttons, right-clicking performs the same function as “Option Clicking.”, Apple Support: Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts. If for any reason you are using a PC keyboard with Mac OS X you may need to use some abbreviations that require the Option button. There are two Option keys on modern (as of 2020) Mac desktop and notebook keyboards, one on each side of the space bar. Make your changes and click the OK button, then close System Preferences. But in the previous lines of this guide, I specified that the Option key coincides with Alt, so if you use a Windows keyboard just press the Alt button to signal the option to OSX. Press "Alt" on your PC keyboard whenever you need to perform a keyboard shortcut that requires you to press the "Option" key on a Mac keyboard. If a keyboard shortcut is available for a menu item, the shortcut will be displayed next to the menu item using the following notation: Tom Nelson is an engineer, programmer, network manager, and computer network and systems designer who has written for Other World Computing,and others. Why toss a perfectly good keyboard just because you switched platforms? Tip. Press "Alt" on your PC keyboard when you need to "Option Click." There are two Option keys on modern (as of 2020) Mac desktop and notebook keyboards, one on each side of the space bar. Use these to control various Mac functions, including using Mac OS X startup shortcuts. Some PC keyboards have a “Function Lock” key that activates the “F-number” keys at the top of the keyboard. For example, a software manual may tell you to hold down the command key ( ⌘ ), which appears to be missing from your Windows keyboard. It is used as a to create special characters and as a modifier for other command codes. As shown in the picture, the option key is found next to the control and command keys. In fact, Apple even sells the Mac Mini without a keyboard or mouse. In this example, you want the Option key (the Alt key on a Windows keyboard) to execute the Command action, and the Command key (the Windows key on a Windows keyboard) to perform the Option action. Newcomers and old pros alike use Windows keyboards with Macs. Likewise, the Windows keyboard's Alt key is where you expect to find the Mac's Command key. The option key is a keyboard key found on Apple computers. With the modifier keys remapped, you shouldn't have any problems using any Windows keyboard with your Mac. But in the previous lines of this guide, I specified that the Option key coincides with Alt, so if you use a Windows keyboard just press the Alt button to signal the option to OSX. The Option key is a modifier key present on Apple keyboards. Like the Shift and Control keys, the Option key serves as a modifier for the Command key shortcuts, as well as being used to type many special characters. It functions as the Alt key in Unix and Windows environments. Is there a way u can program the right "alt" or "ctrl" key on the keyboard to function as the right mouse button?