External monitor makes both screens flash blue

Hi, I have a 2008 aluminum macbook, and I've been using it with an external monitor hooked up through a minidisplay port to DVI adapter. It's worked great until just the last few days. Now whenever I have the external monitor plugged in both screens will randomly flash blue (like when hooking in the monitor) every 10 seconds or so. I tried changing the refresh rate to 60 instead of 75, and that seemed to help for a little while, but now it just seems to be getting worse and worse. Any ideas?

This may help some of you. My screen appeared to "move" whenever I moved the mouse and jitter when I placed it in some parts of the Dock. To fix my problem I went into Universal Access in System Preferences and turned Zoom off. Sometimes I use the White on Black setting to make text easier to read and the keyboard short cut for that is almost identical to the Zoom one which will create some really goofy effects on the screen.

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My mac won't recognize an external monitor. The screen Goes Blue Once, then goes blue again and the second monitor just turns off. I am using an HDMI adapter to a visio TV. I also have my xbox on the tv. Can anyone Help??

My mac won't recognize an external monitor. The screen Goes Blue Once, then goes blue again and the second monitor just turns off. I am using an HDMI adapter to a visio TV. I also have my xbox on the tv. Can anyone Help??

Lol, figured out the first part. Just for those who may be searching, when you click on the Display Preferences, and click on the arraingment tab... it not only shows where your two screens will be displayed, but the WHITE BAR at the top of one screen is the dock/toolbar. Click and hold to grab this and just slide it over to the screen you'd like it to be on.
You have to release it IN the screen box, not on top of it... and it should pop right over to the new (or old) screen. At any rate, you can put the dock on either (or any) screen that you prefer.
I am thinking of ordering more of these. Lol. 3 monitor setup seems like it would be crazy good.
Still looking for the answer to keeping the new 16" screen on the right without switching between screen #s with that... not expose... Lion feature.
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My macbook pro no longer connects to my tv through HDMI my computer screen flashes blue but my tv does nothing! could someone please help!!

HI i was just wondering if anyone could help me!!
i have a macbook pro and i have connected it many times to my toshiba tv through my HDMI cable, and for some reason now when i plug it into my laptop the screen flashes blue on my laptop but nothing happens to the tv it just says no signal and i dont know what to do!!
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Hello ,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Please follow the steps below to troubleshoot having no display on the external display.
No video or no signal, image distortion, "snow," or flickering
Check connections
When using an external display be sure to check the following:
If you're using an Apple notebook, confirm the AC power cable or adapter is securely connected to the computer and the cable providing power to the display is also secure. It is always good to have your notebook connected to AC power when an external display is in use.
Confirm display adapters are fully seated in their respective connections and that they are supported models and for the computer and display. Refer to these articles to assist you with adapter compatibility and further configuration information:
Monitor and Display Adapter Table
About Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapters
Apple Mini DisplayPort adapters: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Remove all display cable extenders, KVM switches, or other like devices and retest to determine if the issue is resolved.
Try unplugging the video adapter or cable and then plug it back in.
If more than one video adapter is in use (or "daisy-chained"), troubleshoot by using only one adapter.
Example: A mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter connected to a DVI to HDMI adapter is an unsupported configuration because there is a series of adapters in use.
If available, try using a different display and or adapter (or use a different connector by using DVI instead of VGA, for instance).
Reset the system
You can reset the Mac's parameter RAM and SMC.
Reset the resolution
Start by resetting the Mac's parameter RAM. If the display does not come up, was previously set to an unsupported resolution, and still results in no video:
Start up in Safe Mode.
From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences.
Choose Displays from the View menu to open the preferences pane.
Select any resolution and refresh rate that your display supports.
Restart your computer.
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays
Take care,
Alex H.

TS3775 Hi I am trying to connect my mba mid 2011 with an imac 27" 2011 with target display mode tdm. When I am using a thunderbolt cable nothing will work. When I use a minidisplay cable, both screens turn blue but eventually nothing happens. What is the

Hi I am trying to connect my mba mid 2011 with an imac 27" 2011 with target display mode tdm. When I am using a thunderbolt cable nothing will work. When I use a minidisplay cable, both screens turn blue but eventually nothing happens. What is the problem

Your answer is likely in Target Display Mode: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Apple Support If you are familiar with this document, please re-read it and I suspect you may find something you either missed or are doing incorrectly.

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Hey Zeb,
Why you want to change the color management? Are not satisfied with the colors on your L300 screen? I have this notebook too and Im very satisfied with the color management. For me its all ok and I dont change anything on it.
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Best source for such parts is definitely eBay where you can buy used but well working components.
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Hey all. I have been doing some research both here and online elsewhere and am really not getting the answers I need
We use two Mac Minis (2010 model/OS 10.6.8 Intel/Dual 2.4 Core 2 Duo/8 GB RAM) at our church. Each Mini is connected to the projector system and a monitor, allowing us to give a presentation on one screen and run the program from another screen. Each is run through a video switcher and I have tweaked and set everything to the same output/resolution. Here is the problem: let's say I want to plug in my USB drive. When I do, both screens will flash blue and/or black, sometimes only one. When I leave the mini-dsiplay connected and disconnect the HDMI connection, the problem ceases. If I do vice versa, the HDMI will work but it does cut out if I move the adapter. I am using an HDMI to DVI adapter from Apple. The mini display to vga adapter is also from Apple.
This is a very vexing issue. It can happen at any time and there seems to be an issue with the HDMI portion. It's the same on both computers. I have purchased and tried several Apple adapters, thinking I may have gotten a bad one and all have the same result.
Anyone else having this issue or is it just me? I attempt to NEVER touch these during our services. It happens from any small movement of the computer or any cable attached to it or if I'm plugging in a USB drive/device.
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Thanks in advance...
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Wow, once response at a time please! The issue ended up being a faulty mini disply port to vga adapter cable, $30 fix.
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Boots to windows startup screen, flashes blue screen, restarts and repeats

HP ENVY H8-1414 Product #H3Z00AAR
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Alright, so here is my issue. I turn on my pc and it gets as far as the windows startup screen, flashes a blue screen error for about half of a second and then restarts it self. My HDD is recognized in the bios. Tried a memory test in diagnostics and it passes. Tried a hard disc check and it passes the SMART check but fails the Long DST with a failure ID of 0GF21L-0006LR-WPVX0K-61C703 (no idea if those a zeros or O's)
I've also tried the startup repair but it did nothing. So I removed the hard drive and tried to use it in a different PC but had the same issue so I figured the hard drive went bad. Then I tried formatting a spare hard drive and installed a fresh copy of windows 7 on it, tried it on a different PC and it works just fine. However, when I try to use that hard drive on the HP ENVY I get the exact same problem even though it worked just fine on a differenct pc.
I purchased this PC refurbished about 3 months ago, the warrenty just ended a week ago. There have been no hardware or software changes on it at all. This thing worked flawlessly last night... I locked the computer before bad and I woke up to this. No power outages over night or anything. It just doesn't make any sense.

Here are the specs for your HP ENVY h8-1414 Desktop Computer. According to the specs, this model came from the factory with Windows 8 installed. The "blue screen" and restart are normal for Windows 7, when it encounters an error, unless you have altered the default settings.
The LONG DST failure is indicative that the hard drive has failed or is about to fail. Unless the hard drive is moved to an identical or very similar computer, Windows will encounter a "blue screen. This is true with the original hard drive moving from the h8 computer to the other computer and the test hard drive from the other other computer moving to the h8 computer.
Try placing the "test" hard drive in the h8 computer and installing Windows 7 from a DVD or USB stick. If you have any problems, please post back with full error messages and screen shots. Also indicate what stage of the install Windows 7 was doing tat the time.
Please send KUDOs
Frank
{------------ Please click the "White Kudos" Thumbs Up to say THANKS for helping.
Please click the "Accept As Solution" on my post, if my assistance has solved your issue. ------------V
This is a user supported forum. I am a volunteer and I don't work for HP.
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Screen flashing blue

My partner's macbook will start up for a few seconds and then flash blue and is beyond use at this point. We don't have apple care and we've had it for a little over a year. What is the problem with the screen and will it cost anything to get it repaired? Also is there anyway we can just fix this ourselves?

Hi duckwheesper and welcome to Apple Discussions!
The first thing we need to do is to find out for certain if this is a hardware or a software issue. Start up the MacBook holding down the Option key. Does the blue screen issue occur? If it does not, very likely your problem is with software and reinstalling the OS or erasing and then reinstalling the OS will fix it.
If that doesn't do it, let's try [resetting the SMC|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964] of your MacBook. [Resetting the parameter RAM|http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/26871.html] may also help.
If all of those fail and you are still having the same issue, it's a hardware problem. Contact Apple for a repair, either by calling them at (800) 275-2273 or carrying the MacBook in to an Apple retail store. Be sure you [make an appointment|http://www.apple.com/retail] first or you may spend a long time waiting to talk to a Mac Genius.
Best of luck.

Macbook screen/display comes on and then goes dark; external monitor shows the screen in the mirroring mode; What's wrong, please. Thanks.

My Macbook (Black,August 2008...love it!) screen lights up/comes on and then immediately goes dark; the screen shows on an external monitor in mirroring mode. Any thoughts/suggestions. Many thanks.
Model Name:          MacBook
Model Identifier:          MacBook4,1
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors:          1
Total Number Of Cores:          2
L2 Cache:          3 MB
Memory:          4 GB
Bus Speed:          800 MHz
Boot ROM Version:          MB41.00C1.B00
SMC Version (system):          1.31f1
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State:          Enabled
Chipset Model:          GMA X3100
Type:          GPU
Bus:          Built-In
VRAM (Total):          144 MB
Vendor:          Intel (0x8086)
Device ID:          0x2a02
Revision ID:          0x0003
Displays:
Color LCD:
Resolution:          1280 x 800
Pixel Depth:          32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Mirror:          On
Mirror Status:          Hardware Mirror
Online:          Yes
Built-In:          Yes
Philips 191EL:
Resolution:          1366 x 768 @ 60 Hz
Pixel Depth:          32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Display Serial Number:          AU11103006796
Main Display:          Yes
Mirror:          On
Mirror Status:          Master Mirror
Online:          Yes
Rotation:          Supported

Hi, firetiger.... i have the EXACT same problem!!! i have the same Macbook aluminum unibody screen also. I have no idea how to fix it. I'm also out of warranty and i've tried everything... resetting the pram, trying to restart in safe mode, trying to boot from a cd... .NOTHING WORKS!!! i can still control brightness itself but ive never tried attaching to an external monitor. I know everything is loaded correctly... i just don't know whats wrong. If you have any ideas.. please let me know. Also, I think apple will fix the macbook pros with a similar issue for free http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377 but i know this doesnt apply for me. hopefully they work something out because I really love that computer!!!

External monitor shows black screen

Hey fella's,
I have an early 2011, 11'' Macbook Pro running Yosemite 10.10.1, which I've been hooking up to an IPS226 LG Flatron external monitor.
It did a number on me last week: the external monitor decided to show only a completely black screen. Like it's in power saving mode, except it isn't: the Mac recognises its existence, the laptop's monitor becomes a secondary screen. When I unplug the external monitor, it says "switching to power saving mode" and then goes black again...
Here's the kicker: I tried hooking it up to other laptops using different cables (mine is HDMI, so I tried VGA to another laptop) - worked like a charm. Then, when I plugged mine back in, also worked! Until today. Now it's happened again. What sorcery is this?
Thanks!

Hi Polindrom,
To troubleshoot this issue where the external display you're using with your Mac appears blank, please follow the directions outlined below.
No video or no signal, image distortion, "snow," or flickering
Check connections
When using an external display be sure to check the following:
If you're using an Apple notebook, confirm the AC power cable or adapter is securely connected to the computer and the cable providing power to the display is also secure. It is always good to have your notebook connected to AC power when an external display is in use.
Confirm display adapters are fully seated in their respective connections and that they are supported models and for the computer and display. Refer to these articles to assist you with adapter compatibility and further configuration information:
Monitor and Display Adapter Table
About Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapters
Apple Mini DisplayPort adapters: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Remove all display cable extenders, KVM switches, or other like devices and retest to determine if the issue is resolved.
Try unplugging the video adapter or cable and then plug it back in.
If more than one video adapter is in use (or "daisy-chained"), troubleshoot by using only one adapter.
Example: A mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter connected to a DVI to HDMI adapter is an unsupported configuration because there is a series of adapters in use.
If available, try using a different display and or adapter (or use a different connector by using DVI instead of VGA, for instance).
Reset the system
You can reset the Mac's parameter RAM and SMC.Reset the resolution
Start by resetting the Mac's parameter RAM. If the display does not come up, was previously set to an unsupported resolution, and still results in no video:
Start up in Safe Mode.
From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences.
Choose Displays from the View menu to open the preferences pane.
Select any resolution and refresh rate that your display supports.
Restart your computer.
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays - Apple Support
Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities!
Cheers,
Alex H.

Connect laptop to a external monitor with laptop screen off

I need to connect my laptop to an external monitor but i need my laptop screen off.
Is it possible? I use an hdmi or vga connection, gnome as DE and ati 5700 graphic card

mm...
try on a terminal "xrandr"
first type xrandr to know the name of the two displays... then
xrandr --output laptopdisplayname --off --output monitorname --preferred
That will turn of the laptop display and turn on the monitor....
But I don't know if that command runs on gnome.. if it runs try to download "arandr" gui app of xrandr from yaourt
Last edited by vigohe (2010-12-20 03:36:54)

Using External Monitor as Main Screen during OS Install?

I have a MacBook whose screen has gotten trashed (less than half of the left side visible), and I am resigned to using an external monitor. But I need to re-install Leopard. When I boot from the DVD, the trashed screen is the main one, and the external monitor is active, but the installer screens won't drag. Obviously I can't get to the Monitors Preferences to reset the main screen. BTW, resetting the main screen to the external monitor doesn't persist across the reboot.
SO: Is there a way to use the keyboard OR is there a Terminal command for switching the main screen to the external monitor?
Thanks in advance for any tips.

Try this trick. Get everything set for the install. You can have the disk in the drive so it is ready to rock as soon as you start. Have the external display hooked up. Turn off your MacBook. Now hit the on switch. As soon as you do close the display on the MacBook this will force the MacBook to use the external display as the main Monitor. Now do your install. You can open the MacBook and the internal display will stay off and the external will continue being the main monitor. This will allow use of the keyboard if you don't have an external one.

W520 wont display 2 external monitors and laptop screen

Hi everyone.
I have previously had 2 external monitors working as well as my W520's screen, so 3 screens in total. A few days ago Windows 7 crashed with a BSOD and now I can only connect 2 screens at once.
Everyhting seems to be connected correctly as far as i can tell
This is the error I now get when trying to activate the 3rd screen.
Is there another driver I need to install to reenable the laptop monitor to work along witht the two external screens?
Any help is appreciated.
Like the song says... 'you dont know what you've got till its gone'.
Thanks
shane

Why isn't the second Acer external monitor (2 of 2) "checked" as well?
Don't you want all three screens in use??
How DID you have your monitors connected before the BSOD problem caused your current situation? Do you have the two Acer monitors daisy-chained via DP from the DP connector out of the K1000M on the laptop? And you were also using the laptop screen as the third? If so, I'd think that all three boxes would need to be checked in nVidia Control Panel.

Messages notifications make my screen flash

I have a MacBook Air with OSX Yosemite installed. The title of my post is fairly descriptive of this issue. But let me include some things that I've tried to do to resolve the issue.
1. I looked over this article: OS X Yosemite: Audio pane of Accessibility preferences. I had a lot of hope this would resolve my issue, but upon going to the settings page for this I found the "Flash the screen when an alert sound occurs" checkbox to be un-checked. I checked, and un-checked it again to see if that would help, it did not.
2. Verified volume is turned up. Checking system preferences => Sound
a. I can see that the 'internal speakers' are selected as my output device, and the volume is mid-level.
3. Checked the notification settings for Messages for any setting that might indicate my desire to have the screen 'flash' when I get notifications. I don't see any setting there that appears to correspond with this anomaly.
4. Verified there are not any bluetooth audio devices connected to the Mac
I would really like to find out what is causing this. It is VERY annoying.

for the Points
Yes Marking my Post as Helpful awards me 5 points.
Marking your Own makes it clear that was the Solution. However you don't get points yourself.
8:24 pm Wednesday; January 21, 2015
 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

External monitor makes both screens flash blue

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