Switching from Windows to Mac? These 5 Problems Hit on Day One

·6 min

1. Scrolling feels backwards

This is usually the first thing that drives new Mac users crazy.

macOS uses a default scroll setting called "Natural scrolling". When you scroll up, the page moves up. When you scroll down, the page moves down. It matches how the trackpad works, but it feels backwards if you spent years on Windows.

Fix:

System Settings -> Mouse -> turn off "Natural scrolling"

One useful detail: if you use a trackpad too, changing the mouse scroll direction does not affect the trackpad. You can set them separately.

2. There is no real Delete key (forward delete)

The Delete key on a Mac keyboard is actually the same as Backspace on Windows. It deletes the character before the cursor.

If you want forward delete, the shortcut is Fn + Delete.

3. Copy and paste shortcuts changed

Windows uses Ctrl. Mac uses Cmd (⌘).

Action Windows Mac
Copy Ctrl+C Cmd+C
Paste Ctrl+V Cmd+V
Cut Ctrl+X Cmd+X
Undo Ctrl+Z Cmd+Z
Select All Ctrl+A Cmd+A

Your muscle memory usually needs about a week to catch up. That transition period is annoying, but it passes.

4. "Copy" and "move" are not the same thing in Finder

A surprising number of long-time Mac users still do not fully know this.

In Finder:

  • Copy (Cmd+C) = copies the file, but does not behave like a true cut
  • Paste (Cmd+V) = pastes a duplicate and leaves the original where it is
  • Move file (Windows-style cut behavior) = first Cmd+C, then Cmd+Option+V

Cmd+Option+V is the closest thing to "cut and paste" for files on Mac, and many people never discover it.

5. Closing the window does not quit the app

Clicking the red button in the top-left corner of a Mac window only closes the window. It does not quit the app. The app may still be running in the background, and you will still see a small dot under its icon in the Dock.

Actually quit the app: Cmd+Q

Or right-click the app icon in the Dock and choose Quit.

Other shortcuts worth remembering

  • Cmd+Space: open Spotlight search
  • Cmd+Tab: switch apps
  • Cmd+~: switch between multiple windows in the same app
  • Cmd+W: close the current window
  • Cmd+M: minimize the current window