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quackbook · quackbook #1 (**permalink**)

01-10-2007, 09:15 PM

When I am playing a game like age of empires 3, i sometimes need to return to the desktop to check something. On windows, you can push the window button or press alt-tab.

I have tried command-tab, command-H, command-M. None of these seem to work.

Is there anything out there that will work?

PowerBookG4 · PowerBookG4 #2 (**permalink**)

01-10-2007, 09:16 PM

command+tab should work, as it works for me no matter what game I am in (halo is the only game i play.. very occasionally)

if not try apple+w which will close the window.. or try F11

MacHeadCase · MacHeadCase #3 (**permalink**)

01-10-2007, 09:18 PM

F11 maybe? It depends on how you have Exposé set up on your Mac. To see this, go to your System Preferences and click on the Dashboard & Exposé button in the Personal section at the very top.

Edited to add:

Oops! It seems PowerBookG4 has beat me to it with the F11 thingy...

quackbook · quackbook #4 (**permalink**)

01-10-2007, 09:19 PM

nope, none of those work. I want to be able to return to the desktop but not shut down the game.

thanks

Kash · Kash #5 (**permalink**)

01-10-2007, 09:22 PM

One of the reasons why it may not work is that some games have those keyboard shortcuts disabled. So you can try all sorts of keyboard shortcuts, but it's possible that the only way to get back to your desktop is by shutting down the game.

I may be wrong about this game in particular, but keep in mind that the possibility is there.

quackbook · quackbook #6 (**permalink**)

01-10-2007, 09:27 PM

ahhh, I need to know! It'll be a disgrace if my brand spanking new macbook can't do this and my piece of sh*t PC can!

Benjamindaines · Benjamindaines #7 (**permalink**)

01-10-2007, 10:19 PM

Try Command + Return, sometimes that will make it a window and then you can minimize.

quackbook · quackbook #8 (**permalink**)

01-11-2007, 12:52 PM

nope that does not work either :-(

cazabam · cazabam #9 (**permalink**)

01-11-2007, 02:04 PM

it sounds like age of empires has well and truly disabled any OS handling of keyboard events. At a push, you could try command-option-escape which is like ctrl-alt-del in Windows - it interrupts whatever is running and pops up the 'force quit' window that you can then close.

PowerBookG4 #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 08, 2005 Location: New Jersey Posts: 6,190 Mac Specs: Mac Pro 8x3.0ghz 12gb ram 8800GT , MBP 2.16 2GB Ram 17 inch.	01-10-2007, 09:16 PM command+tab should work, as it works for me no matter what game I am in (halo is the only game i play.. very occasionally) if not try apple+w which will close the window.. or try F11 My Website Blog I love my hosting company! I was on the M-F honor roll for Febuary:2006
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quackbook #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 07, 2007 Posts: 72	01-10-2007, 09:15 PM When I am playing a game like age of empires 3, i sometimes need to return to the desktop to check something. On windows, you can push the window button or press alt-tab. I have tried command-tab, command-H, command-M. None of these seem to work. Is there anything out there that will work?
	QUOTE Thanks

quackbook #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 07, 2007 Posts: 72	01-10-2007, 09:19 PM nope, none of those work. I want to be able to return to the desktop but not shut down the game. thanks
	QUOTE Thanks

Kash #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 03, 2006 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 9,385 Mac Specs: Black Macbook C2D 2GHz 3GB RAM 250GB HD iPhone 4 iPad 3G	01-10-2007, 09:22 PM One of the reasons why it may not work is that some games have those keyboard shortcuts disabled. So you can try all sorts of keyboard shortcuts, but it's possible that the only way to get back to your desktop is by shutting down the game. I may be wrong about this game in particular, but keep in mind that the possibility is there.
	QUOTE Thanks

quackbook #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 07, 2007 Posts: 72	01-10-2007, 09:27 PM ahhh, I need to know! It'll be a disgrace if my brand spanking new macbook can't do this and my piece of sh*t PC can!
	QUOTE Thanks

Benjamindaines #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 08, 2005 Location: A religiously oppressed state Posts: 2,822 Mac Specs: 17" MacBook Pro	01-10-2007, 10:19 PM Try Command + Return, sometimes that will make it a window and then you can minimize.
	QUOTE Thanks

quackbook #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 07, 2007 Posts: 72	01-11-2007, 12:52 PM nope that does not work either :-(
	QUOTE Thanks

cazabam #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Jun 06, 2006 Posts: 1,153 Mac Specs: MacBook 2.0GHz White, 512MB RAM, 60GB HDD	01-11-2007, 02:04 PM it sounds like age of empires has well and truly disabled any OS handling of keyboard events. At a push, you could try command-option-escape which is like ctrl-alt-del in Windows - it interrupts whatever is running and pops up the 'force quit' window that you can then close.
	QUOTE Thanks

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