Since about OS X 10.4 or so, Apple has included an application—Front Row—that allows you to play movies and music stored in your iTunes library, in your Movies folder and DVDs with a simple, easy-to-read interface similar to the one on the AppleTV. This is great if you have, say, a Mac mini attached to your home entertainment center or are using an iMac in place of a television in a dorm room. (I’m sure there are other combinations as well, but I’m not going to waste half an article rattling them off…)

However, there is a somewhat annoying aspect to Front Row. Command-Esc, the command used to launch Front Row from the keyboard, is very close to Command-`(just to the left of the 1, underneath Esc), which allows you to switch between the windows in a single app.

As I use the latter command often (I usually have 2 or three browser windows open at once), and I am (for lack of a better term) a klutz, I often hit Command-Escape by accident, which of course sets off Front Row, which is usually then followed by a rather colorful stream of expletives.

Finally, I had enough. It was time to stop Front Row’s unintended launching once and for all. Fortunately, it’s incredibly easy to do.

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