Macbook doesn't recognize external display

I am trying to use my tv as an external display. My Intel Macbook doesn't detect my tv as an external display, this is because I am using an unconventional connector (VGA to RCA connector).
Anyways, I am wondering if there is a way to force my laptop to output video over the mini-DVI out port on my computer. I am thinking a utility or something would be able to do it.
This is my setup:
mini-DVI out from computer>
mini-DVI to VGA cable from apple>
VGA to RCA(yellow video cable) (from hong-kong)>
AV in of TV (RCA yellow video cable)
I realize that the VGA to RCA makes my computer not detect my tv, I am looking for a work-around.
Macbook 2.0GHz (White) Mac OS X (10.4.8)

You just need the Apple mini-DVI to video adapter. It has both a composite and s-video output.

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On Sat, Nov 29, 2014 at 2:41 PM, Apple Support Communities Updates <

What is apple doing. This macbook pro doesn't detect external display, doesn't detect my wacom..

This is awsome. Cant work on this laptop... Doesn´t detect nothing.

Hey there mrlrsm,
Welcome to Apple Support Communities.
The article below provides troubleshooting tips that may help you resolve the issue with your MacBook Pro no longer recognizing the external display.
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays - Apple Support
Ciao,
-Jason

Macbook air 13 inch 2012 doesn't recognize external monitor...

Hello everyone I'm having a slight problem with my macbook air and I was hoping that someone here could help.
I am using a Thunderbolt to HDMI adaptor to connect my Macbook air 2012 13 inch to an external monitor. When I connect my computer to the monitor my computer doesn't recognize that it is infact connected and acts as if nothing is connected.

I followed the steps on the link you provided for resetting the SMC and also did NVRAM reset but now, when I open the lid, it doesn't come back up, instead it just beeps 3 times and never comes back up.
Not sure what to do about this now.

How can I disable the internal display on my MacBook Pro with connected external display?

I used this metod with the MagSafe power cable connected (see http://osxdaily.com/2012/06/15/yet-another-way-to-turn-off-internal-lcd-display- of-macbook-pro-with-lid-open/).
Open System Preferences and click “Mission Control”, then click on “Hot Corners”
Select a hot corner and pull down the menu to select “Put Display to Sleep”
Now connect the external display to the Mac and move the cursor to the newly created sleep corner to turn off the internal display
Close the MacBook lid and wait a few seconds before opening the lid again, the internal display should stay off while the external display will be powered on
This worked great under Mac OS X 10.7.4, but after the last update to 10.7.5 it doesn’t work more. The built-in display turns off really, but a few seconds after opening the lid it lights up again. Do you have any suggestions? Dimming the brightness or clamshell mode is not very useful.
MacBook Pro 13-inch,
2,7 GHz Intel Core i7,
Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G56)
Thanks!

I have the same problem: not able to work with my external display mirroring the internal one - while shutting the internal display off.
I believe there is an issue with Mac OS X Lion 7.5 that Apple needs to solve, since apparently it does not happen with this version of the OS only...
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4315808?start=45&tstart=0
Or any other way to solve it?
Mac Book Air, 13-inch Mid 2011
Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 11G63
Thank you!

Mid 2010 Macbook Pro sleep and external display problem

I recently upgraded to the new 2010 15 inch core i7 Macbook Pro. The problem i have is that it will not detect an external display (23inch Cinema) after waking from sleep. This happens after using the display to extend the desktop and also when using the Macbook in closed mode.
I've managed to get it to detect the display only after either restarting the Macbook completely or by going into energy saver and switching to dedicated graphics then going back to detect display.
It seems that when on integrated graphics it doesn't register that an external display is connected. If i leave a program open and running that causes the dedicated graphics to kick in then it works ok. If i close all programs, shut the macbook pros lid, computer sleeps and external display shuts off. If i click the mouse to wake with lid closed, apple logo lights, machine starts up few seconds later macbook returns to sleep. If i open the screen the machine wakes as normal but the external monitor doesn't.
Any help is much appreciated as its starting to frustrate me now...
Many thanks
oh and im running OSX 10.6.3

I thought it was intermittent to begin with until i started looking into it. By leaving programs open, like aperture, before i put the machine to sleep it appears to wake the external monitor up without a problem. If i shut all programs or leave basic things open like safari and mail which don't require the dedicated graphics, then upon wake it wont register an external screen is connected.
Manually detecting displays in settings doesn't work.
Disconnecting and reconnecting mini display port doesn't work.
Turning off power to cinema display and powering back up doesn't work.
To get the display going again its either 1) turn off macbook pro and re-boot or 2) re-start the machine then the display is automatically recognised. Or 3) launch a programme that kicks in dedicated graphics then manually go in and detect displays again..... like magic the display then springs to life.
No ideas anyone??

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.

MBA not always recognizes external display after sleep

Hi,
I have a 2011 MBA and use it on a external display (Dell 2709w) with the lid open. The issue with this MBA is that after sleep it often (every second time I wake it up) doesn't show anything on my external monitor. In order that the external monitor works again I have to plug the DVI cord out and in or press recognize monitors under monitor settings.
I also did a PMC and SMC reset but both did not help.
I have also done a complete reinstall witch did not help as well.
I also did a test with a MBA from a friend (exact same model) and his always works with the external display after sleep while mine only works every second time.
Could this be a hardware defect? sound pretty strange to me, but who knows...

I have managed to make the Apple Hardware test by just pressing "D" while restarting. The test, however, did not find any error - but this does not surprise me as I think it only tests the ram.

MacBook Pro Retina + 3 external displays + clamshell + heat issues

Hi Apple Community,
I have a 15" MacBook Pro Retina (2.6, 16GB) running 3 external displays (2x 22" via thunderbolt ports -> VGA & 1x 27" via HDMI). I am running in Clamshell (i.e. the MacBook Retina has the lid closed and is in a TwelveSouth BookArc). I currently have SMC FanControl running and set the fan to max (~5900 rpm) which is keeping the temp at ~54 degrees celcius.
Basically I'm wondering if anyone knows about the heat management with using a macbook this way. Will too much heat damage the screen since the lid is closed etc.... How hot does the macbook have to get before damage can occur...?
Many thanks
SamNz8107

Hey Samnz8107!
Thanks for your reply. Saw it straight away and tried the update but it didn't work. When you open the dmg it says:
"Alert:
This software is not supported on your system."
So that's unfortunate!
Nope nothing comes up on the third screen when plugged in. And in the display window in the System Preferences, in arrangement, only the mac display and two displays are shown. It seems that the mac only wants to see two external displays. Because say all three are plugged in, it's whatever is plugged in last that isn't seen. So it's not a specific problem with the HDMI, because say if I unplug one of the VGAs, then the other VGA and HDMI will show no problem!
When three screens are plugged in, the third screen is on and knows something is there (so it doesn't go into standby mode or ask you to connect something...but it just stays off. It's not a black screen - it is definitely off .ie there is no signal...but the screen does know something is there!
Any further ideas?

Macbook will not detect external display

Was using a $7 aftermarket minidisplay port to HDMI cable with success for about 2 months with no problems detecting external display. Started having problems (it would randomly detect until it eventually would not at all) and tried all solutions I could find in discussion boards to no avail. I recently bought a $40 cable from the apple store and it worked fine for about a month and now it only recognizes my external display about 50% of the time (which is how the problem began the first time). Very frustrating! What is the deal here?

Did you have any luck resolving this? I have had exactly the same issue when updating the EFI Firmware to Version 2.8 (the latest for a Mid-2013 MacBook Air 6.2 model) - MBA61.0099.B12
I've tried flushing the NVRAM/PRAM and also resetting the SMC but no joy. I'm trying to drive an AOC Q2963 monitor using a display port connector. Annoyingly, I don't think there's a way to rollback to a previous firmware version.

Macbook does not recognize external monitor

Hi,
I have a Macbook and I tried to connect an external Benq FP93GW using a Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter but the external monitor does not detect any signal.
Any suggestions?
Thank you in advance for any help.

You might read this post of someone who couldn't get his external display to be recognized until he reset the MacBook's SMC (System Management Controller).
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9351216#9351216
This thread also has some other details on trying to workaround color issues on the external display but it was a reset of the SMC that finally allowed the MacBook to recognize the display. However, Apple cautions that a reset of the SMC should only be done after other options or possibilities have been exhausted. Before you try a reset of the SMC you might want to try a reset of the MacBook's PRAM.
Here is a link to Apple's support article on resetting the SMC:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411
Here is a link to Apple's support article on resetting the PRAM:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

Close the macbook pro when using external display

Hi
I would like to know if is recomended to close the laptop when using an external display? i ask because i read somewhere that the system take ventilation through the keyboard? is better to work with the laptop always open? or doesn't matter if is closed?

Third opinion...
I had a 2.16GHz 15" MacBook Pro that I used as a presentation machine at some trade shows in '07 and I once ran the machine with the lid closed, hooked up to an overhead projector looping a movie for 11 hours. When I finally shut it down for the night the machine was pretty warm (it was well ventilated) and was immediately usable. Out of curiosity the next day I ran it with a lid slightly cracked and the unit was significantly warmer at the completion of my day.
The only thing I could justify as the temperature difference is that the LCD was on and causing heat in addition to the video card. I guess I would have been curious to leave the lid slightly cracked and then manually set the backlight to off.

Intel iMac won't recognize external display with Dynex mini-DVI adapter

I've got an original Intel iMac with a Mini-DVI connection on the back. I'm attempting to hook it up to an external display (a plasma screen, in fact). I picked up a Dynex Mini DVI to Video Adapter DX-AP100 for Apple. This connector has a mini-DVI connector on one end, and both a video-out and an S-video-out on the other.
When attempting to use the adapter, the iMac does not recognize that there is an external display connected. Here are the facts:
The external display: I've tried this with a Panasonic Plasma screen connected directly through S-video, as well as a Pioneer receiver (one that switches video) connected both through s-video and composite video. And yes, I've got the settings on the TV correct. I've also tried this with a Polaroid LCD TV connected via S-video and composite video.
I did notice that when I click "Detect Displays" while the Plasma was connected, the plasma briefly "flashed", implying SOMETHING was happening, but still no dice.
Anyone have any experience with this Dynex DX-AP100 that could share some wisdom?
OS: v10.5.6
System Profiler:
ATI Radeon X1600:
Chipset Model: ATY,RadeonX1600
Type: Display
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 128 MB
Vendor: ATI (0x1002)
Device ID: 0x71c5
Revision ID: 0x0000
EFI Driver Version: 01.00.068
Displays:
iMac:
Resolution: 1440 x 900
Depth: 32-bit Color
Core Image: Hardware Accelerated
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
Built-In: Yes
Display Connector:
Status: No display connected

Yeah, I realize S-video is limiting, but I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible. The TV is mounted to the wall and there are not currently any DVI or HDMI cables coming out of it. There's an S-video input from my receiver that I'd prefer to use since it's readily accessible already. In the end my goal is to use Netflix "Watch Now" on the TV, so I'm not too worried about video quality.
and before someone asks if I considered that the receiver's S-video input might be the problem...I tried taking the s-video wire from the stereo and plugging it directly into the adapter. No dice.
ONE ADDITIONAL PIECE of information...while trying to get this to work on an LCD monitor, I plugged the composite video connection from the TV into the adapter. Suddenly the Mac recognized an additional monitor, but it saw it as a VGA monitor, not as s-video or composite video, and no signal went to the TV.
I'm considering trading in this adapter for a mini-DVI to VGA adapter, but that really won't help me with the connection to the TV.

My macbook doesn't recognize my iphone 5 and wont let me sync my music or apps in itunes

My itunes 10.6.3 (25) in my macbook OS X doesn't recognize my iphone 5. So I can't sync my apps or music to my phone (although I was able to sync my photos and videos through iphoto) I rebooted both my phone and mac and switched connecting ports. Nothing.

Welcome to the Apple Community.
Have you tried in different locations, does this happen everywhere. Have you tried a hard restart.

Macbook doesn't recognize external display

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