Macbook won't detect external display anymore - Random shutdown injury??

Hi,
my Macbook has the dreaded random shutdown thing happening, often it can't even get through the startup sequence. If I reset the PMU and PRAM and check the disk every week I can keep it running. Applecare are making not particularly helpful suggestions like "run it in safe mode" - hello people, random means it can take days to happen again... I use this computer for work so I need it at full capacity every day!!!
Anyway, enough angry ranting. The casualty of today's RS and subsequent PRAM PMU resetting is my external display (Viewsonic LCD). The macbook is no longer sending signals to it (display says "no signal"). When I ask the macbook to "detect displays" nothing happens. I have restarted the macbook several times and unplugged and replugged the display connection it doesn't help. Yes, I have the AC power cable plugged in on the Macbook (I know it doesn't like talking to the screen if I don't).
The display and macbook have always worked fine together in the past...
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to test for causes or fix this display related problem?
MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.2)

You don't mention ever having brought the problem to Apple's attention, or what resulted from your request for Apple's help with it. This isn't a universal or widespread problem. It may be a hardware fault in your own equipment that needs to be resolved with a repair, or it may be a software problem (corrupt file, incompatible software conflict, update needed, etc., etc.). You seem to think Apple should have fixed it for you without your lifting a finger, and you're eager to complain about Apple's lack of support. But you've offered nothing to indicate that Apple even knows you need support. You do have to ask for it. Have you done so?
We have no idea what steps you've taken to try to narrow down the possibilities, e.g., making sure the monitor is turned on; trying a different video cable as iVmichael has suggested; testing the monitor with the same cable on a different computer; testing a different monitor with the same cable and then with a diferent cable on your computer; substituting a different cable adapter, if you are using one; applying all applicable system software updates and then Repairing Permissions and Repairing Disk; starting in Safe Mode and seeing whether the monitor is recognized and activated then; seeing whether the monitor is detected in System Profiler; and so on. You may have done some of these things, but you haven't told us about them or about the results.

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Hi, I'm having the same problem, tried to connect both a Viewsonic and a Hanspree. Was happy to find your response here, but I just got the Moshi adapter with the macbook pro so it seems silly it would have gone bad. :/
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^_^

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Hi Folks,
I have a strange problem that gives me quite some headache:
Is use a MacBook Pro 3,1 2.2 Ghz, 4GB RAM, 128MB NVidia something together with a Samsung SyncMaster 215TW.
For the past year I was using my external screen without any trouble, connecting it via DVI to the mac. Every night I turn down the lid putting the notebook in sleep mode and switch off the monitor. Exactly as I did yesterday. But this morning however the external display didn't wake up as usual it did just nothing - was not even detected via the detect display function. And this is still the case right now.
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Message was edited by: Tyke Tyler
Message was edited by: Tyke Tyler

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Firstly - I've searched this problem several times now and I've found this problem in four of five discussion topics on this board, each with 4 or 5 pages of people adding "I'm having the same problem" but in all of that there wasn't a single response from Apple, instead they just 'archived' the discussions and hoped that people would just go away.
That's pretty ******* disgusting customer service, considering the amount of money we're paying for your products. You owe us at least for them to ******* work properly - not just ignore major problems, which are clearly present for quite alot of your customers.
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I'm not just some kid ******* around with an expensive computer for the fun of it. I make a living using this system and I need the big screen for the work I do. I don't have the time to spare every sodding day to be ******* around with **** that doesn't work properly.
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But seriously, please justify spending over £1000 on a computer that can't perform the simplest of tasks without spazzing out?
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Hi, I'm having the same problem, tried to connect both a Viewsonic and a Hanspree. Was happy to find your response here, but I just got the Moshi adapter with the macbook pro so it seems silly it would have gone bad. :/
I suppose I'll take it into the Apple Store and see what they say. Thanks!
^_^

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Hey hparekh and welcome to the forum -
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I can't seem to make this work. I'm using a MiniDP-DVI cable which is plugged into an DVI cable plugged into an external monitor. I know it works because I have tried it on other computers and it has worked on the Macbook (erratically).
I've reset the PRAM several times and it has not fixed the problem. I did it in this order:
1. Remove adapter from computer
2. Shutdown
3. Press Option Command P R until the second chime is heard.
4. Log on as usual
5. Reconnect adapter to MBP
This is what the system log states when I plug the adapter in:
Oct 27 20:47:01 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Received display connect changed for display 0x42732c0
Oct 27 20:47:01 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Created shield window 0x66 for display 0x042732c0
Oct 27 20:47:01 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: handle_will_sleep_auth_and_shield_windows: no action for lock state 1
Oct 27 20:47:01 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Received display connect changed for display 0x3f003d
Oct 27 20:47:01 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Received display connect changed for display 0x3f003e
Oct 27 20:47:01 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Received display connect changed for display 0x3f003f
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x042732c0: GL mask 0x1; bounds (0, 0)[1280 x 800], 9 modes available
          Main, Active, on-line, enabled, built-in, boot, OpenGL-accel, Vendor 610, Model 9ccb, S/N 0, Unit 0, Rotation 0
          UUID 0x0000061000009ccb00000000042732c0, ColorProfile { 3, "Color LCD Calibrated 2012-06-28"}
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: GLCompositor: GL renderer id 0x01024301, GL mask 0x0000000f, accelerator 0x00004333, unit 0, caps QEX|QGL|MIPMAP, vram 451 MB
          texture units 8, texture max 8192, viewport max {8192, 8192}, extensions FPRG|NPOT|GLSL|FLOAT
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x003f003f: GL mask 0x8; bounds (2304, 0)[1 x 1], 1 modes available
          off-line, enabled, Vendor ffffffff, Model ffffffff, S/N ffffffff, Unit 3, Rotation 0
          UUID 0xffffffffffffffffffffffff003f003f
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x003f003e: GL mask 0x4; bounds (2305, 0)[1 x 1], 1 modes available
          off-line, enabled, Vendor ffffffff, Model ffffffff, S/N ffffffff, Unit 2, Rotation 0
          UUID 0xffffffffffffffffffffffff003f003e
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x003f003d: GL mask 0x2; bounds (2306, 0)[1 x 1], 1 modes available
          off-line, enabled, Vendor ffffffff, Model ffffffff, S/N ffffffff, Unit 1, Rotation 0
          UUID 0xffffffffffffffffffffffff003f003d
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Created shield window 0x68 for display 0x042732c0
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Created shield window 0x69 for display 0x003f003f
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Created shield window 0x6a for display 0x003f003e
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Created shield window 0x6b for display 0x003f003d
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x042732c0: MappedDisplay Unit 0: Startup Mode 1280 x 800, CGSThirtytwoBitColor, Resolution 1, IOMode 0x80000000, IODepth 0x0, IOReturn 0x0
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display added
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display removed
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x042732c0: GL mask 0x1; bounds (0, 0)[1280 x 800], 9 modes available
          Main, Active, on-line, enabled, built-in, boot, OpenGL-accel, Vendor 610, Model 9ccb, S/N 0, Unit 0, Rotation 0
          UUID 0x0000061000009ccb00000000042732c0, ColorProfile { 3, "Color LCD Calibrated 2012-06-28"}
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: GLCompositor: GL renderer id 0x01024301, GL mask 0x0000000f, accelerator 0x00004333, unit 0, caps QEX|QGL|MIPMAP, vram 451 MB
          texture units 8, texture max 8192, viewport max {8192, 8192}, extensions FPRG|NPOT|GLSL|FLOAT
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x003f003f: GL mask 0x8; bounds (2304, 0)[1 x 1], 1 modes available
          off-line, enabled, Vendor ffffffff, Model ffffffff, S/N ffffffff, Unit 3, Rotation 0
          UUID 0xffffffffffffffffffffffff003f003f
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x003f003e: GL mask 0x4; bounds (2305, 0)[1 x 1], 1 modes available
          off-line, enabled, Vendor ffffffff, Model ffffffff, S/N ffffffff, Unit 2, Rotation 0
          UUID 0xffffffffffffffffffffffff003f003e
Oct 27 20:47:02 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x003f003d: GL mask 0x2; bounds (2306, 0)[1 x 1], 1 modes available
          off-line, enabled, Vendor ffffffff, Model ffffffff, S/N ffffffff, Unit 1, Rotation 0
          UUID 0xffffffffffffffffffffffff003f003d
Oct 27 20:47:03 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: **DMPROXY** (2) Found `/System/Library/CoreServices/DMProxy'.
Oct 27 20:47:03 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x042732c0: MappedDisplay Unit 0; ColorProfile { 3, "Color LCD Calibrated 2012-06-28"}; TransferTable (256, 3)
Oct 27 20:47:04 --- last message repeated 1 time ---
Oct 27 20:47:04 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: **DMPROXY** (2) Found `/System/Library/CoreServices/DMProxy'.
Oct 27 20:47:04 SMBP.local WindowServer[80]: Display 0x042732c0: MappedDisplay Unit 0; ColorProfile { 3, "Color LCD Calibrated 2012-06-28"}; TransferTable (256, 3)

I had the exact same behavior and log and I solved the issue by replacing the MiniDP-DVI adapter. I tried the "broken" adapter on another set of laptop+display and it was working there, so that made me think the adapter was ok, when apparently it was not.

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Macbook won't detect external display anymore - Random shutdown injury??

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