There are a number of startup options that are available on recent Macs to aid in both troubleshooting and system management. Here’s a look at seven essential Mac startup options that every OS X user should know.
via 7 Mac Startup Options Every OS X User Should Know
Several of these have resolved serious issues for me. I’ve even put in calendar events to do PRAM-resets, Safe Boots and Disk Checks (booting in Recovery Mode) regularly.