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How can I reboot my desktop Mac when it freezes?

How to Reboot a Crashed Desktop Mac

Restarts are performed on different Macs in different ways. Most pre-G3 Macs can be restarted by pressing Control, Option, and the power key on the keyboard. If you don't have an extended keyboard, or it lacks a power key, just press the main power switch, wait ten seconds, and start the machine again. If you have a programmer's restart switch, you can also reboot with that.
If all else fails, just pull the plug ... not recommended except as a final attempt, although it's supposed to be harmless to Macs. Leave it unplugged until the unit cools (a half hour should do it).

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