Macbook keyboard at boot / Manually restart: Power (⎋)

 Boot from CD/DVD: C

 Startup Manager: Option (⌥)
 Single-User Mode: Command (⌘)—S
 Target Disk Mode: T
 Verbose Mode: Command (⌘)—V
 Safe Mode: Shift (⇧)
 Recovery OS: Command (⌘)—R
 Internet Recovery OS: Command (⌘)—Option (⌥)—R
 Apple Hardware Test: D
 Apple Hardware Test over the Internet: Option (⌥)—D
 Boot from NetBoot server: N
 Boot from NetBoot server using the default image: Option (⌥)—N
 Eject removable media: Media Eject (⏏), F12, mouse button or trackpad button
 macOS Startup Volume: X will start up your Mac from an macOS startup volume when it’d
otherwise boot from a non-macOS volume, like a Windows partition
 Prevent Login Items from opening: To override your current settings and prevent Login
Items and Finder windows from your last session from opening when you log in, hold down
the Shift (⇧) key after clicking the Log In button in the macOS login window until the
desktop appears.
 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 PRAM/NVRAM: Command (⌘)—Option (⌥)—P—R, 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. Now release the keys and then turn your Mac back on using the power
button.
Hold during startup Description
Shift ⇧ Start up in Safe Mode.
Option ⌥ Start up to Startup Manager.
Start up from a bootable CD, DVD, or USB thumb drive (such
C
as OS X install media).
Start up to either Apple Hardware Test or Apple Diagnostics,
D
depending on which Mac you're using.
Start up to either Apple Hardware Test or Apple
Option-D
Diagnostics over the Internet.
N Start up from a compatible NetBoot server.
Option-N Start up from a NetBoot server using the default boot image.
Command (⌘)-R Start up from OS X Recovery. 
Command-Option-R Start up from OS X Recovery over the Internet.
Reset NVRAM. Release the keys after you hear the startup
Command-Option-P-R
sound again.
Command-S Start up in single-user mode.
T Start up in target disk mode.
Start up from an OS X startup volume when the Mac would
X
otherwise start up from a non-OS X startup volume.
Command-V Start up in verbose mode.
Eject (⏏), F12, mouse button, or
Eject removable media, such as an optical disc.
trackpad button

We previously discussed how booting your Mac into macOS’ Safe Mode can help troubleshoot
various issues with your computer. In more obscure situations and borderline cases, however, Safe
Mode may not be enough to understand why your Mac freezes or crashes during the system boot
process.
Enter macOS Verbose Mode.
Not only does Verbose Mode makes it easy to access detailed status messages as your Mac is
starting up, but also lets you see what’s really going on behind the scenes and watch as macOS
loads kernel extensions and other startup items.

Things your Mac does in Verbose Mode

Verbose Mode is no different than macOS’ normal booting mode.
In a nutshell, Verbose Mode replaces the startup graphics with a text-only mode to show you
everything the computer is doing during the boot process. All Startup Items and Login Items are
loaded normally in Verbose Mode, as are required kernel extensions, user-installed fonts, drivers
and so forth.
When to boot in Verbose Mode
Some of the situations that warrant booting into Verbose Mode include:
 If you’re a developer—If you develop software for a living, you’ll want to boot into
Verbose Mode to troubleshoot issues with your app.
 If you have startup issues—Sometimes your Mac may crash during startup and Verbose
Mode is one way to troubleshoot a startup issue. In fact, Verbose Mode is especially useful
when used in conjunction with macOS’ Safe Mode booting.
 If you have custom hardware setup—People who hook up specialized peripherals to their
Mac, like DJ decks, Thunderbolt drives, digitizers and so forth can identify problems in
Verbose Mode by checking out the messages to see if software support for your peripheral
has loaded successfully.
 If you’re curious—As mentioned before, Verbose Mode lets you peek behind the scenes
and see what exactly is going on during the macOS booting process.
Again, as no feature is disabled or crippled in Verbose Mode, feel free to use it without fearing that
booting in this mode will limit what you can do on your Mac.

Things your Mac does in Safe Mode

Starting up a Mac in Safe Mode does the following:
 Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed.
 Loads only required kernel extensions.
 Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically.
 Disables user-installed fonts.
 Deletes font caches, Kernel cache and other system cache files.

What is Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode is a special mode that loads macOS’ built-in recovery tools from a special disk
partition that holds a recovery image along with a copy of the macOS installer.
If your Mac cannot be recovered in any other way, use Recovery Mode to diagnose disk problems,
get help online or install the version of macOS that previously ran on this Mac.
Use Recovery Mode to:
 Scan, verify and repair connected drives with Disk Utility
 Erase, install or reinstall factory-preloaded OS X version
 Restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup
 Check your Internet connection or get help online using Safari

Apple Diagnostics or Apple Hardware Test mode?

Apple Diagnostics and Apple Hardware Test mode can help determine which hardware component
may be causing the issue on your computer, and provide first steps to try and resolve it.
On Mac computers introduced before June 2013, you will use Apple Hardware Test, an older
version of Apple Diagnostics mode. Macs introduced after June 2013 will use Apple Diagnostics
mode instead.
If your Mac’s hard drive or flash storage lacks Apple Diagnostics or Apple Hardware Test, your
computer will load their Internet-based counterparts provided your Mac is connected to the
Internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
There’s no functional difference between local and Internet-based versions of Apple Diagnostics
and Apple Hardware Test modes.

Booting Apple Hardware Test from macOS install disc

Older Macs with OS X Lion 10.7 and earlier that don’t have Apple Hardware Test on the startup
disk can boot this feature from the Applications Install Disc 2 or the MacBook Air Software
Reinstall Drive which shipped with late-200 MacBook Airs.
Just insert the disc that came with your Mac into its built-in optical drive or an external Superdrive
(owners of the late-2010 MacBook Air model will insert the MacBook Air Software Reinstall
Drive into a USB port) before following the steps outlined further below in this article.
As noted by an Apple support document, the NVRAM is present on all Intel-based Macs and is
responsible for storing information related to a variety of software functions on your Mac that are
essential to the user experience in the macOS operating system; this variety includes the following:
 The volume at which you’ve set your speakers
 The resolution your display has been configured at
 The start-up disk you’ve chosen to boot up with by default
 The time zone you’ve selected for your Mac to display the time for
 Any recent information logged by a kernel panic
This information has to be stored in non-volatile memory because if the memory were unable to
retain information about your system volume, display, time zone, and start-up disk each and every
time you turn off your Mac, then your Mac would restart with a default setting for each of the
aforementioned system settings all the time, rather than remembering the settings you’ve chosen for
each.

Why to reset the NVRAM on your Mac

If you are experiencing any issues with your system’s speaker volume, screen resolution, system
time, or start-up disk, and there doesn’t appear to be any simple way of fixing the issues from
macOS, you may be due for resetting the NVRAM, as it’s possible it’s not doing its job properly
due to memory corruption.
Resetting the NVRAM will put your system’s NVRAM back to factory defaults, which means when
you restart your computer after resetting the NVRAM, your system volume, screen resolution, and
start-up disk selection settings will all be set to how they were configured when you turned your
Mac on for the first time after removing it from its factory packaging.
What is the system management controller (SMC)?
As noted in an Apple support document, the system management controller (SMC) is a system that
controls different kinds of hardware on your computer that the main heart of your computer system
isn’t responsible for. This includes, but is not limited to:
 Computer fan speeds
 Various system backlights and indicator lights
 Power to the system
 Display management
 Port illumination
Computer fan speeds: If you’re noticing problems with your computer fans, as in they’re running
too loudly, or not running as much as they should be, then your SMC may need to be reset to
resolve this problem. Computer fans are controlled by the SMC and a corrupt SMC firmware can
cause odd behavior involving the fans.
Backlights and indicator lights: If the backlit keyboard or display backlights aren’t working
properly, then before taking your Mac to the nearest Apple Store, you might want to consider
resetting your SMC, as it’s responsible for controlling the brightness of your keyboard backlight
and display backlight, and the SMC also controls the system indicator light on Macs that have them,
as well as on battery indicator lights on Macs that have them.
Problems powering on or staying on: If your Mac seems to have issues turning on, or while
turned in it falls asleep or shuts off unexpectedly, then your SMC may have experienced a
corruption and a reset may solve the issue. Other power issues that resetting the SMC might fix
include problems relating to closing a notebook and re-opening it only to find issues with
powering back on, problems with charging your Mac’s battery, an incorrect color on the MagSafe
LED indicator.
Issues with target display mode: If you’re using target display mode on your Mac, and you
suddenly find your Mac unable to switch in and out of target display mode, or sporadically
switching in or out of target display mode against your will, then your SMC might be acting up and
a reset may fix this.
Port illumination: On the 2013 Mac Pro, the ports are supposed to illuminate for easy viewing
when you turn the computer around. If the computer fails to do this, then the SMC, which controls
this feature, may be experiencing problems and needs ot be reset.
There are also other issues that a corruption in the SMC can cause, so if you think your SMC is
acting up, then just follow along as we guide you through the steps to reset your computer’s SMC.

How to reset SMC on Mac

Depending on the type of Mac you have, the process for resetting the SMC will be different. There
are three categories of Macs that we will outline for you below.
Mac notebook without a removable battery
If you are using a MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro that does not have a removable battery,
but instead the battery is glued or adhered into your machine and you don’t have access to removing
it, then this section is for you. This includes the following:
 MacBook (late 2009-2011)
 MacBook (retina, 12-inch, early 2015)
 MacBook Air (all models)
 MacBook Pro (early 2009 and later)
The process for resetting the SMC for one of these machines is to:
Step 1: Completely shut down the computer.
Step 2: Attach the MagSafe or USB-C power adapter to your computer so you have a power source.
Step 3: Press the left-side Shift, Control, and Option keys, along with the power button on your
keyboard all at the same time.
Step 4: Release all of the keyboard keys at the same time, including the power button.
Step 5: Turn your computer back on using the power button.
That’s all there is to it! If you have successfully completed the steps above, then your Mac should
have had its SMC reset and hopefully some of your problems will disappear. If not, it may be
another underlying issue and you may need to contact AppleCare for support.

Mac notebook with a removable battery

Although these are a little bit more ancient, some Macs even had batteries you could remove. These
include pre-2009 MacBooks and MacBook Pros. These machines also had a way of resetting the
SMC, and to do that, you would follow these steps:
Step 1: Turn the computer off completely.
Step 2: Disconnect the MagSafe power connector and any other plug accessories if you have them
plugged in.
Step 3: Remove the battery from the computer.
Step 4: Press and hold the power button for five seconds and then release the power button.
Step 5: Re-install the battery and reattach the MagSafe adapter and any other accessories.
Step 6: Turn your computer back on with the power button.
After following these steps correctly, your Mac’s SMC will have been reset and hopefully any
issues you were being plagued with will have dissipated.

Notebook computers with a battery that can be removed

This applies to all MacBook Pro and MacBook models introduced in early 2009 or earlier, as well
as the MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2009). 
1. Shut down your Mac.
 2. Remove the battery. (If you need help removing it, contact an Apple Store or Apple
Authorized Service Provider.)
3. Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
4. Reinstall the battery.
5. Press the power button to turn on your Mac.

Notebook computers with the T2 chip

Before resetting the SMC, try these steps:
1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then release the button.
3. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button to turn on your Mac.
If the issue persists, follow these steps to reset the SMC:
1. Shut down your Mac.
2. On your built-in keyboard, press and hold all of the following keys. Your Mac might turn on.

 Control   on the left side of your keyboard

 Option (Alt)   on the left side of your keyboard

 Shift   on the right side of your keyboard

3. Keep holding all three keys for 7 seconds, then press and hold the power button as well. If
your Mac is on, it will turn off as you hold the keys.

4. Keep holding all four keys for another 7 seconds, then release them.
5. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button to turn on your Mac.