Keyboard guide
Windows keyboard shortcuts in a Mac virtual machine
In a Kyvenza Windows VM, Control is Ctrl, Option is Alt, and Command is the Windows key. Here is the cheat sheet for the shortcuts that trip people up, including Ctrl+Alt+Delete, and what the Mac keeps for itself.
Where Mac and Windows keys collide
Command+C does not copy
Command is the Windows key inside the VM, so Command+C reaches Windows as Win+C. Use Control+C and Control+V, exactly as you would on a PC.
There is no Ctrl+Alt+Delete key
Hold Control and Option, then press forward delete (fn+Delete on a laptop). Plain Delete is Backspace in Windows, so it will not work.
Home, End, and function keys
Mac laptops have no Home or End key. Use fn with the arrow keys. The F1 to F12 row sends media controls unless you also hold fn, or turn on standard function keys in macOS.
Windows shortcut to Mac keys in Kyvenza
Kyvenza passes Control, Option, and Command through as separate keys instead of remapping them, so each Windows shortcut has one predictable Mac equivalent.
| Feature | Kyvenza | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Copy and paste (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V) | Control+C, Control+V | Command+C is Win+C, not copy |
| Switch windows (Alt+Tab) | Option+Tab | Command+Tab switches Mac apps, not Windows windows |
| Ctrl+Alt+Delete | Control+Option+forward delete (fn+Delete on a laptop) | Delete alone is Backspace |
| Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) | Control+Shift+Esc | Nothing special needed |
| Start menu (Windows key) | Left or right Command | Command pressed alone opens Start |
| File Explorer, Run (Win+E, Win+R) | Command+E, Command+R | Combos macOS claims itself may never reach Windows |
| Home, End, Page Up, Page Down | fn with the arrow keys on a laptop | Arrow keys alone only move the cursor |
| Print Screen | Use the Snipping Tool from the Start menu | A Mac keyboard has no Print Screen key |
What Kyvenza supports today
A short, honest list — so you know what to expect before you download.
Supported today
- Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5)
- Windows 11 on ARM (bring your own Microsoft image and licence)
- Ubuntu ARM (LTS releases)
- Debian ARM
- Fedora ARM
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later as host
- Native Apple Virtualization framework backend
- Control, Option, and Command passed to Windows as Ctrl, Alt, and the Windows key
Not supported yet
- GPU / 3D acceleration in Windows guests
- USB passthrough and microphone input in Windows guests
- x86 / Intel guest operating systems
- Nested virtualization
- GPU passthrough
We list what we cannot deliver today so you can plan accordingly.
How it works
Click into the VM window
Keyboard input goes to Windows when the VM window has focus. Click inside it first, then type as you would on a PC.
Use Control where Windows uses Ctrl
Reach for Control, not Command, for copy, paste, undo, and save. Use Option for Alt, and Command whenever you want the Windows key.
Send Ctrl+Alt+Delete from the keyboard
Press Control, Option, and forward delete together. If you only need Task Manager, Control+Shift+Esc gets there with keys every Mac keyboard has.
Frequently asked questions
Kyvenza maps Command to the Windows key, so Command+C arrives as Win+C. Windows copies with Ctrl+C, which on your Mac keyboard is Control+C. This page covers Windows guests only.
Run Windows with the keys where you expect them
Download Kyvenza and try Windows 11 on ARM on your Apple Silicon Mac. It needs macOS 26 or later and has no 3D acceleration. Free for 7 days with every feature unlocked, then $49 once.
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