Moving from Windows, the first thing that slows you down usually isn't the Start menu. It's file management: you press Enter to open a file and Finder starts renaming it, you press Delete and nothing happens, you press Backspace to go back and nothing happens either.
Everything File Explorer does has a Finder equivalent — the keys are just different.
On a Mac keyboard
- ⌘ is Command, ⌥ is Option (Alt on Windows keyboards), ⇧ is Shift, ⌃ is Control.
- The key labelled delete on a Mac is the Windows Backspace. The Windows Delete key is fn+delete on a Mac laptop.
File Explorer vs. Finder
| What you want to do | File Explorer (Windows) | Finder (Mac) |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Enter | ⌘+O or ⌘+↓ |
| Rename | F2 | Return |
| Move to Recycle Bin / Trash | Delete | ⌘+delete |
| Delete permanently | Shift+Delete | ⌥+⌘+delete |
| Back / Forward | Backspace or Alt+← / Alt+→ | ⌘+[ / ⌘+] |
| Up one level | Alt+↑ | ⌘+↑ |
| Copy, paste, select all | Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+A | ⌘+C, ⌘+V, ⌘+A |
| Cut and paste (move) | Ctrl+X, then Ctrl+V | ⌘+C, then ⌥+⌘+V |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z | ⌘+Z |
| New folder | Ctrl+Shift+N | ⇧+⌘+N |
| Refresh | F5 | Not needed: Finder updates by itself |
| Search | Ctrl+F or Ctrl+E | ⌘+F |
| Properties | Alt+Enter | ⌘+I (Get Info) |
| Type a path into the address bar | Ctrl+L or Alt+D | ⇧+⌘+G (Go to Folder) |
| Copy as path | Ctrl+Shift+C | ⌥+⌘+C (Copy as Pathname) |
| New tab / close tab | Ctrl+T / Ctrl+W | ⌘+T / ⌘+W |
| Show hidden files | View ▸ Show ▸ Hidden items | ⇧+⌘+. |
| This PC (all drives) | Win+E, then This PC | ⇧+⌘+C (Computer) |
| Map a network drive | Map network drive | ⌘+K (Connect to Server) |
What works differently
- There is no Cut for files. Finder moves files when you paste, not when you cut: copy with ⌘+C, then move with ⌥+⌘+V. See How to cut and paste files on a Mac.
- No address bar to type into. Use Go to Folder (⇧+⌘+G), and turn on View ▸ Show Path Bar to see where you are.
- File extensions are hidden. To always see
.docx,.pdfand.exe, choose Finder ▸ Settings ▸ Advanced ▸ Show all filename extensions. - RAR files don't open with a double-click. See How to open RAR and 7z files on a Mac.
- Windows drives are often read-only. macOS reads NTFS drives but doesn't write to them by default. See Why is my external drive read-only on Mac?
Or keep the File Explorer you know
If relearning every shortcut isn't how you want to spend your first weeks on a Mac, CrossDriver Files is a free file manager that looks and works like Windows 11 File Explorer:
- Tabs, the navigation pane, and an address bar you can click or type into
- The Windows 11 right-click menu, including New ▸ Word, Excel or PowerPoint and Copy as path
- Windows keys by default: Enter opens, F2 renames, Delete moves to the Trash, Backspace goes back, Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V cut and paste, Ctrl+Z undoes
- Every drive shows its format and whether it's read-only; RAR and 7z extract with a right-click
It works alongside Finder and doesn't change any system defaults or file associations. When you're ready for Mac habits, choose View ▸ Keyboard Preset ▸ Mac Style and the keys work like Finder's.