Windows ⇄ Mac Transition Cheat Sheet
Windows & Mac Made Easier
Quick reference for common Windows habits and their Mac equivalents—shortcuts, window control, screenshots, and more.
Essential Shortcuts
Core copy/paste, undo, save, and navigation shortcuts translated from Windows to Mac.
| Action |
Windows |
Mac |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | ⌘ + C |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | ⌘ + V |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | ⌘ + X |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | ⌘ + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | ⇧ + ⌘ + Z |
| Save | Ctrl + S | ⌘ + S |
| Print | Ctrl + P | ⌘ + P |
| Find | Ctrl + F | ⌘ + F |
| Select All | Ctrl + A | ⌘ + A |
Window & App Management
Switching apps, closing windows, quitting apps, and force‑quit equivalents.
| Action |
Windows |
Mac |
| Switch apps | Alt + Tab | ⌘ + Tab |
| Switch windows | Ctrl + Tab | ⌘ + ` |
| Close window | Alt + F4 | ⌘ + W |
| Quit app | (varies) | ⌘ + Q |
| Force quit | Ctrl + Alt + Del | ⌥ + ⌘ + Esc |
| Minimize | Win + ↓ | ⌘ + M |
| Show desktop | Win + D | F11 / Mission Control |
Screenshots
Common screenshot actions and their Mac equivalents.
| Action |
Windows |
Mac |
| Entire screen | PrtScn | ⌘ + ⇧ + 3 |
| Selection | Win + ⇧ + S | ⌘ + ⇧ + 4 |
| Window | Alt + PrtScn | ⌘ + ⇧ + 4, Space |
| Screenshot tool | Snipping Tool | ⌘ + ⇧ + 5 |
Shell / Terminal Commands
Common command‑line operations translated between Windows and macOS.
| Action |
Windows |
Mac |
| List files | dir | ls |
| Change directory | cd | cd |
| Copy file | copy | cp |
| Move file | move | mv |
| Delete file | del | rm |
| Network config | ipconfig | ifconfig |
| Ping | ping | ping |
| Trace route | tracert | traceroute |