How to Shut Down Mac with no mouse

How can you safely shut down your Mac if your mouse stops working?

If needed, press ⌘tab to visit each open application, and use ⌘S to save your work. Press ⌘tab until the Finder is the front application.

If there is a Finder window open, fine. If not, press ⌘N to get one.

Press Control-Tab to get the text cursor into the spotlight window in the upper right.

Type

terminal

    • Use the arrow up/down keys to select the Terminal application from the search results.

Press ⌘O to open the Terminal

In the terminal window type:

sudo shutdown -h now

    • Press return.

Enter your password. Your Mac will shut down.

Can you think of an easier way?
This tip was created and tested on MacOS 10.6.5. It should work on any version of MacOS X since spotlight was introduced.

How to Turn On an iMac

Otherwise knowledgeable users are baffled by one silly question when confronted with an iMac: How do I turn the computer on? Where’s the power switch? It’s not a stupid question. Apple has hidden the power button cleverly where you can’t possibly see it. It’s also very difficult to feel the button because it is flush with the case. If you do look back there, it’s probably hidden behind the curve of the case.

Anyway, here it is on a Mid 2011 iMac. It’s been in a similar position for several years. Glad to help, and don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone you had to look here to find out to turn on a Macintosh.

Behind lower left edge of computer.
Behind lower left edge of computer.