Proceedure for using external monitor - help

I have a 2nd Gen MacBookPro with the FW800.
I was told that in order to properly utilize my external flat screen monitor I have to do the following:
1. Plug in external keyboard and mouse (not the monitor)
2. Start the laptop and log in using the laptop monitor
3. Once all is running, close the laptop lid, wait for the computer to go to sleep then connect the external DVI monitor.
4. Wake up the computer and the external monitor will display correctly.
This does work but is a pain.
If I connect the external monitor in the beginning, and then close the lid, the display is distorted (maybe simply a much lower resolution).
Is this normal? I was thinking about buying a dock and the benefit would be diminished if I still had to go through all this.

This process is only necessary if you are really constrained for space. Having both the MacBook's display and the monitor open simultaneously you get an extended desktop to move windows around. Closing your display, you lose a lot of workspace.
Yes it is distorted at the lowest resolutions. Though some monitors have better support for the progressive scan built-in to the MacBook Pro than others.
Also if your monitor is a 4:3 ratio display, the 16:9 "stretched" resolutions will appear distorted because you are trying to fit rectangular pixels on square ones!
Use a non-stretched resolution if you want less distortion on a 4:3 display, if that's what it is.

Similar Messages

HT201300 You have Macbook of some kind and it has two Thunderbolt ports. Which port do you use first for an external monitor/projector?

You have Macbook of some kind and it has two Thunderbolt ports. Which port do you use first for an external monitor/projector?

By the way, I have tried shutting of the display switching in the power settings. That was basically the only real answer I found anywhere. It didn't work.

How to blank laptop screen when using external monitor/

Hi there
I need some help with figuring out how to configure my xorg.conf for my Arch Linux 64 bit installation on a HP Pavilion dv 5000 laptop so that I can automatically blank my laptop screen when using an external monitor. I have Arch Linux installed along with Ubuntu Feisty. In Ubuntu my external monitor (Viewsonic 1912WB) was not detected at the time of installation but with the native 1280X800 resolution that is good for the laptop takes effect for the external monitor automatically when the external monitor is plugged in. The laptop monitor goes blank when the external monitor is plugged in.
In my Arch Linux installation I have not been able to configure a dual head configuration using the ATI Radeon drivers (fglrx). I have the native 1280X800 resolution set up for the laptop monitor and this resolution takes effect for the external monitor also. However the laptop monitor also continues to function when the external monitor is plugged in. I would like to blank the laptop monitor when using the external monitor.
I am attaching my Arch Linux xorg.conf and the Ubuntu xorg.conf below. Thanks for anyone who can help, I am having a lot of difficulty in figuring out how to set up xorg.conf among all the things that I have had to learn so far in Linux and I am a relative newcomer to the whole thing. I have tried to compare the two xorg.conf files and edit my Arch xorg.conf in accordance with the Ubuntu one but it did not work and I keep getting errors!
I am using XFCE as my Desktop environment.
Arch Linux xorg.conf
# File generated by xorgconfig.
# Copyright 2004 The X.Org Foundation
# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
# copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
# to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
# the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
# and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
# Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
# all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
# The X.Org Foundation BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
# WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF
# OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
# SOFTWARE.
# Except as contained in this notice, the name of The X.Org Foundation shall
# not be used in advertising or otherwise to promote the sale, use or other
# dealings in this Software without prior written authorization from
# The X.Org Foundation.
# Refer to the xorg.conf(5) man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# Module section -- this section is used to specify
# which dynamically loadable modules to load.
# Files section. This allows default font and rgb paths to be set
# Server flags section.
# Input devices
# Core keyboard's InputDevice section
# Core Pointer's InputDevice section
# Other input device sections
# this is optional and is required only if you
# are using extended input devices. This is for example only. Refer
# to the xorg.conf man page for a description of the options.
# Section "InputDevice"
# Identifier "Mouse2"
# Driver "mouse"
# Option "Protocol" "MouseMan"
# Option "Device" "/dev/mouse2"
# EndSection
# Section "InputDevice"
# Identifier "spaceball"
# Driver "magellan"
# Option "Device" "/dev/cua0"
# EndSection
# Section "InputDevice"
# Identifier "spaceball2"
# Driver "spaceorb"
# Option "Device" "/dev/cua0"
# EndSection
# Section "InputDevice"
# Identifier "touchscreen0"
# Driver "microtouch"
# Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0"
# Option "MinX" "1412"
# Option "MaxX" "15184"
# Option "MinY" "15372"
# Option "MaxY" "1230"
# Option "ScreenNumber" "0"
# Option "ReportingMode" "Scaled"
# Option "ButtonNumber" "1"
# Option "SendCoreEvents"
# EndSection
# Section "InputDevice"
# Identifier "touchscreen1"
# Driver "elo2300"
# Option "Device" "/dev/ttyS0"
# Option "MinX" "231"
# Option "MaxX" "3868"
# Option "MinY" "3858"
# Option "MaxY" "272"
# Option "ScreenNumber" "0"
# Option "ReportingMode" "Scaled"
# Option "ButtonThreshold" "17"
# Option "ButtonNumber" "1"
# Option "SendCoreEvents"
# EndSection
# Monitor section
# Any number of monitor sections may be present
# Graphics device section
# Any number of graphics device sections may be present
# Standard VGA Device:
# Device configured by xorgconfig:
# Screen sections
# Any number of screen sections may be present. Each describes
# the configuration of a single screen. A single specific screen section
# may be specified from the X server command line with the "-screen"
# option.
# ServerLayout sections.
# Any number of ServerLayout sections may be present. Each describes
# the way multiple screens are organised. A specific ServerLayout
# section may be specified from the X server command line with the
# "-layout" option. In the absence of this, the first section is used.
# When now ServerLayout section is present, the first Screen section
# is used alone.
# Section "DRI"
# Mode 0666
# EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"
# The Identifier line must be present
# Each Screen line specifies a Screen section name, and optionally
# the relative position of other screens. The four names after
# primary screen name are the screens to the top, bottom, left and right
# of the primary screen. In this example, screen 2 is located to the
# right of screen 1.
# Each InputDevice line specifies an InputDevice section name and
# optionally some options to specify the way the device is to be
# used. Those options include "CorePointer", "CoreKeyboard" and
# "SendCoreEvents".
Identifier "Simple Layout"
Screen 0 "aticonfig-Screen[0]" 0 0
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection
Section "Files"
# The location of the RGB database. Note, this is the name of the
# file minus the extension (like ".txt" or ".db"). There is normally
# no need to change the default.
# RgbPath "/usr/share/X11/rgb"
# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (which are concatenated together),
# as well as specifying multiple comma-separated entries in one FontPath
# command (or a combination of both methods)
# FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/TTF"
# FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
# FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
# FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
# FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
# FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
# FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
# FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
# FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType/"
# FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/freefont/"
# FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
# FontPath "/usr/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
# The module search path. The default path is shown here.
# ModulePath "/usr/lib/modules"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
EndSection
Section "Module"
# This loads the DBE extension module.
# This loads the miscellaneous extensions module, and disables
# initialisation of the XFree86-DGA extension within that module.
# This loads the font modules
# Load "type1"
# This loads the GLX module
# Load "glx"
# This loads the DRI module
# Load "dri"
Load "dbe" # Double buffer extension
SubSection "extmod"
Option    "omit xfree86-dga" # don't initialise the DGA extension
EndSubSection
Load "freetype"
# Load "xtt"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
# For most OSs the protocol can be omitted (it defaults to "Standard").
# When using XQUEUE (only for SVR3 and SVR4, but not Solaris),
# uncomment the following line.
# Option "Protocol" "Xqueue"
# Option "Xleds" "1 2 3"
# Option "LeftAlt" "Meta"
# Option "RightAlt" "ModeShift"
# To customise the XKB settings to suit your keyboard, modify the
# lines below (which are the defaults). For example, for a non-U.S.
# keyboard, you will probably want to use:
# Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
# If you have a US Microsoft Natural keyboard, you can use:
# Option "XkbModel" "microsoft"
# Then to change the language, change the Layout setting.
# For example, a german layout can be obtained with:
# Option "XkbLayout" "de"
# or:
# Option "XkbLayout" "de"
# Option "XkbVariant" "nodeadkeys"
# If you'd like to switch the positions of your capslock and
# control keys, use:
# Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:swapcaps"
# These are the default XKB settings for Xorg
# Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
# Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
# Option "XkbLayout" "us"
# Option "XkbVariant" ""
# Option "XkbOptions" ""
# Option "XkbDisable"
Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "kbd"
Option    "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
# Specify which keyboard LEDs can be user-controlled (eg, with xset(1))
Option    "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option    "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option    "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
# Identifier and driver
# the following line.
# Option "Protocol" "Xqueue"
# Mouse-speed setting for PS/2 mouse.
# Option "Resolution" "256"
# Baudrate and SampleRate are only for some Logitech mice. In
# almost every case these lines should be omitted.
# Option "BaudRate" "9600"
# Option "SampleRate" "150"
# Mouse wheel mapping. Default is to map vertical wheel to buttons 4 & 5,
# horizontal wheel to buttons 6 & 7. Change if your mouse has more than
# 3 buttons and you need to map the wheel to different button ids to avoid
# conflicts.
# Emulate3Timeout is the timeout in milliseconds (default is 50ms)
# Option "Emulate3Buttons"
# Option "Emulate3Timeout" "50"
# ChordMiddle is an option for some 3-button Logitech mice
# Option "ChordMiddle"
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option    "Protocol" "Auto" # Auto detect
Option    "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
# When using XQUEUE, comment out the above two lines, and uncomment
Option    "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
# Emulate3Buttons is an option for 2-button mice
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
# HorizSync is in kHz unless units are specified.
# HorizSync may be a comma separated list of discrete values, or a
# comma separated list of ranges of values.
# NOTE: THE VALUES HERE ARE EXAMPLES ONLY. REFER TO YOUR MONITOR'S
# USER MANUAL FOR THE CORRECT NUMBERS.
# HorizSync 30-64 # multisync
# HorizSync 31.5, 35.2 # multiple fixed sync frequencies
# HorizSync 15-25, 30-50 # multiple ranges of sync frequencies
# VertRefresh is in Hz unless units are specified.
# VertRefresh may be a comma separated list of discrete values, or a
# comma separated list of ranges of values.
# NOTE: THE VALUES HERE ARE EXAMPLES ONLY. REFER TO YOUR MONITOR'S
# USER MANUAL FOR THE CORRECT NUMBERS.
Identifier "My Monitor"
HorizSync 30.0 - 62.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 70.0
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "aticonfig-Monitor[0]"
Option    "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
Option    "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option    "DPMS" "true"
EndSection
Section "Device"
# The chipset line is optional in most cases. It can be used to override
# the driver's chipset detection, and should not normally be specified.
# Chipset "generic"
# The Driver line must be present. When using run-time loadable driver
# modules, this line instructs the server to load the specified driver
# module. Even when not using loadable driver modules, this line
# indicates which driver should interpret the information in this section.
# The BusID line is used to specify which of possibly multiple devices
# this section is intended for. When this line isn't present, a device
# section can only match up with the primary video device. For PCI
# devices a line like the following could be used. This line should not
# normally be included unless there is more than one video device
# intalled.
# BusID "PCI:0:10:0"
# VideoRam 256
# Clocks 25.2 28.3
Identifier "Standard VGA"
Driver "vga"
VendorName "Unknown"
BoardName "Unknown"
EndSection
Section "Device"
#VideoRam 131072
# Insert Clocks lines here if appropriate
Identifier "* Generic VESA compatible"
Driver "vesa"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "aticonfig-Device[0]"
Driver "fglrx"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 1"
Device "* Generic VESA compatible"
Monitor "My Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 8
Modes "1280x800" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 16
Modes "1280x800" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
Modes "1280x800" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]"
Device "aticonfig-Device[0]"
Monitor "aticonfig-Monitor[0]"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
Ubuntu xorg.conf
# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf(5) manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
# path to defoma fonts
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection
Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "vbe"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "HorizScrollDelta" "0"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "stylus"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
Option "Type" "stylus"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "eraser"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
Option "Type" "eraser"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "cursor"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/wacom"
Option "Type" "cursor"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI Technologies Inc ATI Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)"
Driver "ati"
BusID "PCI:1:5:0"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "ATI Technologies Inc ATI Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x800"
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
InputDevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection
Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Xrandr 1.2 provides means for this. But today the only supported configuration is xorg-server-1.3 + xf86-video-intel-2.0. So for Radeon you'll have to wait for drivers that support Randr 1.2.
On my laptop (Thinkpad x60s) that would be:
xrandr --output VGA --auto
xrandr --output LVDS --off

Macbook Pro 15 Late 11 extreme fans noise when using external monitor

Dear Apple, recently I bought Macbook Pro 15 Late 11. I really love it's speed and new OS X Lion, BUT this Macbook really noisy when I use external monitor and keyboard. I work on external monitor all the time. I don't care about how hot my Macbook is when I'm on external monitor. Let it just be hot and quiet.
P.S. Example. I run Ableton Live and have 6200 RPM working on external monitor (awfully loud!). CPU 90% idle. When I switch off external monitor and use internal one, RPM drops down to 4500 with the same Ableton work session. By the way, I don't need cool graphic card. Apple, let our work days be quiet.

I did that and it didn't help. It's common problem with an external monitor. Here are some links:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1162550
http://www.ivy-rose.co.uk/Articles/Macbook-Pro-Cooling-Issues

What is the maximum resolution for an external monitor for a 13" BMP

I have a new MBP 13 and a new Samsung LED 23" monitor that is spec'd at 1920x1080 resolution. However the maximum resolution I can get (using Display) for the external monitor is 1600x900 (or 1600x1200 stretched). What could be causing this limitation?

Are you guys able to resolve the issue with the Samsung HDTV LCD monitor? I just bought the Samsung B2230HD but having some image issue. I am connecting to the LCD from my macbook pro using Mini Display Port -> DVI -> HDMI but the image on the LCD is very grainy where the text is not sharp at all. The mac is able to detect the correct resolution of 1920x1080 though

GS70 Stealth Pro Crashes when using external monitor..

Hi Guys,
I just bought a GS70 ghost pro a few weeks ago and have been loving it, no problems, running Battlefield 3 and watchdogs..
However I just bought an external monitor, Asus VG248QE, when i connected it via display port and tried to play Battlefield 3 on the external monitor the laptop crashed - both screens blank- fan on- power button went orange- had to hold down the power button to reset.
Tried it again, opened Bf3 in window mode, put it on external monitor, went to full screen - it played ok for a few minutes then the laptop crashed again..
I had played bf3 no problems on the laptop screen previously.
Anyone got any ideas what might be going on? I'm new to gaming on pc so I'm a bit lost, any suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks,
Dan

Which nvidia driver are you using? (latest one from nvidia GeFormce Experience or MSI website)
Try to use the one from MSI website and update the latest VBIOS(80.04.F7.00.0C).
http://www.msi.com/support/nb/GS70_2PE_Stealth_Pro.html#down-firmware&Win8.1 64
step by step guide:http://www.msi.com/files/pdf/VBIOS_Update_under_DOS_mode_EN.pdf
Can you check the CPU and GPU temperature under two situation? (1. when running without external monitor 2. using external monitor)

Using External Monitor (Closing Laptop shut down image on external)

I am always having to RESTART the MBP to get the screen on the external monitor exclusively. I usually use my MBP with external monitors but when I close the laptop the external goes blank too. Then i have to restart and close the laptop very quickly.
Is there some way to do this without restarting computer each time? (close laptop but keep image on external monitor).

My 'wish' is to be able to hot switch without 'sleeping' the MBP as this interrupts backups and network drives etc.
You mean that you want to be able to go from clamshell mode to open MBP with its display in use? As far as I know this isn't really possible. I'm not at home at my external screen right now so I can't test for sure... but as far as I know as soon as you are in clamshell mode the internal display is deactivated. Have you tried opening it up while its in clamshell mode and then unplugging the display? Maybe if you open it while in clamshell mode, and select "Detect Displays" before unplugging the external screen, the MBP display will come back on. In my mind, this should cause the MBP display to come on, but I'm not sure and I'm not in a position to test it now unfortunately. When I get home I'll check it out for you and see what I can figure.
You're right though, the best solution right now may be to leave the MBP open, use the external display in "mirror" mode, and dim the display of the MBP down to nothing using F1/F2.
One more thing: When I started using external monitors and projectors, I did not use the menubar item for "Displays". But, I've since started using it and it really makes things much more simple for managing external displays. You can turn it on in System Prefs --> Displays. Then you can detect displays, adjust their resolution, and change the mirroring settings on the fly without System Preferences.
--Travis

Using EXTERNAL Monitor (eSata question too) do you need KEYBOARD Attached?

First, do you need a keyboard attached? I ask as I can't seem to figure out how to use external MONITOR and CLOSE the macbook pro to watch STREAMING video as the computer goes to sleep.
Have tried using the F7 as well as in display preferences moving the DOCK to various monitors, regardless, it still goes to sleep when I shut the MBP, so am wondering if a keyboard has to be attached as it doesn't know you are watching video.
Second thing, I want to use the EXTERNAL to WATCH STREAMING video, however, if I click on FULL SCREEN (external) which is using Silveright, both DISPLAYS go FULL Screen. For the life of me I cannot get external to display FULL SCREEN and have the MBP open to use for other things, work, net browsing, et-cetera.
Thanks.

I ask as I can't seem to figure out how to use external MONITOR and CLOSE the macbook pro to watch STREAMING video as the computer goes to sleep.
If your MacBook Pro goes to sleep who will stream the video?
For the life of me I cannot get external to display FULL SCREEN and have the MBP open to use for other things, work, net browsing, et-cetera.
If the mirror display is turned off in the "Display" preference, you would be able to (usually) watch videos in full screen in the external display and work in your main display. But some application may not support this. Check if the application that you are using for streaming video has any preferences to deal with the external display, if not, see if there is any other application that would solve the problem.

Using external monitor with laptop

At work I have an external monitor, keyboard and mouse so I want to close my laptop and leave it on a shelf while I work. Yesterday I plugged in my monitor before opening my laptop and it woke out of sleep (still closed) and let me work without having to open the machine. It also automatically fit my screen to the display size. Today I connected my laptop to the external monitor, but if I close it it goes to sleep (regardless of using the keyboard etc). The screen also shows a widescreen view of my desktop (it's not fit properly like yesterday). What do I have to do so that I can close my laptop, yet still be able to use it?

Today I connected my laptop to the external monitor, but if I close it it goes to sleep (regardless of using the keyboard etc).
That's normal. It will go to sleep, and you then wake it back up from the external keyboard/mouse. There are hacks such as Insomnia X which, I believe, will disable this sleep when the lid is closed, but you use any such hack at your own risk.
The screen also shows a widescreen view of my desktop (it's not fit properly like yesterday).
Have you checked the Displays preference for the external monitor to be sure it's set appropriately for the display's resolution?

How can I set a custom resolution on a MacbookAir for an external monitor?

I've been trying to set a custom resolution on my macbook air for an external monitor but the only options displayed are 1280x1024 and 800x600. How can I bring up more options? Thanks!

Your Mac sets those resolutions (and the display NAME) based on the information your display provides when a query is sent at Startup. If those are the only resolutions shown, then your display has said that is all it can do.
What display is this, and what Interface is being used?
This pane will tell you more about what the display has reported:

Help with using external monitor

I have an imac which is running keynote and I would like the office receptionist to use it to display a slide show on an external monitor.
I have been able to set this up and can get the keynote onto the external monitor just fine, however when you press play on the presentation it automatically opens the presenters view on the imac display and nothing else can be done on the mac.
What do I have to do to allow the slide show to run on the external monitor and at the same time be able to use the mac for any other purpose, i.e mail, word, excel, notes etc etc? So basically get rid of the presenters view and just let the slide show run by itself.
Any help would be appreciated, in additon if anyone knows how to do the above on powerpoint for mac please let me know as the mac has both installe.
Thanks in advance!

What do I have to do to allow the slide show to run on the external monitor and at the same time be able to use the mac for any other purpose
When Keynote is in Play, the graphics card is dedicated to displaying Keynote, it cant be used for other purposes.
To save on the expense of using an expensive computer to just show a presentation, we export in Keynote as JPEG files, copy them to a USB memory stick and plug in to the USB of a Smart TV which shows the images as a slide show.

Help with using external monitor on MacBook

I have a white MacBook 2.1 running 10.5.8. I use to have it run a Samsung LCD 19" which had a 1280x1024 native res, which was available in the screen prefs. That broke, so now I was going to go bigger with a 24". I've forgoten how this works, but I see the specs show this book should do a max of 1920x1200 on an external monitor. However, I don't see that listed as an option in the prefs. Will that be listed if I hook up a monitor capable of that? Also... Most 24" monitors seem to be native 1920x1080. I want to run at the native res of the monitor and not have to do any stretching or anything. Do I need to find a monitor that has a native res of 1920x1200 to match the book's max res? Or will the 1920x1080 work somehow without stretching. I have the mini DVI to DVI adapter, so I assume I should be set for any monitor sold new now.
Thanks for any help. FYI... Don't buy Samsung... 3 1/2 years on an LCD is rediculous.

Hi Dave,
Yes, the available resolutions will show when you hook up an external display.
Depending on the resolutions availabe on a given display, you may or may not be able to run it without stretching (or black bars) at native resolution (most likely you'll be able to).

Can't use external monitor as default monitor for full-screen settings

Hey guys,
I have been trying to get quicktime to let me use my external monitor as the full-screen monitor. Every time I go into full-screen, it reverts back to my MBP screen.
I cannot seem to find this option even in the fullscreen preferences. Rather than having an option I can click on (like I've seen in pictures), it just says "Movie Size." I have Quicktime Pro 7.5.5 and I am running Leopard.
Any ideas? I can play most of my movies on VLC, but since I paid for Pro it would be nice if I can get it to work on my external monitor.

I have to say, I am in exactly the same place ppshr150 is. I have checked both Quicktime and Quicktime Player preferences and the option to choose a default screen for full-screen presentation of movies does not exist.
I can drag movies over to the second monitor and then press Command F and they will play there but from a presentation perspective, this is rather unprofessional.
It surprises me that Apple does not have this option. Or is it a bug they haven't/won't fix?

Which cable to use for 2 external monitors on MacBook Pro?

Hy there,
I'm currently using one external monitor on my MacBook Pro via a mini display to VGA cable from apple.
I would like to hook up another (second external monitor) one using also VGA.
After doing some research I've learned that I should use some sort of adaptor cable for this. I'm just wondering if there is any way of getting one of there for a decent price in europe? (decent is sub €100).
Thanks a lot!

Hello, Carl.
Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.
Here is the best resource I could find that gives the best option.
About Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapters
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4241
Cheers,
Jason H.

Using External Monitor as display, and laptop for keyboard and track pad

Hi,
I have an aluminum Powerboook that is about two years old and I have it attached to a Samsung Syncmaster 203B external monitor. I have been looking for a set of instructions so that I can set the displays (I have been scouting around the preferences window and display options) to have the highest quality. At the present the words on my external monitor are a little fuzzy and I bet could be improved. Also, I've got the monitor and the computer set to be mirrored, but I really don't need the laptop window to be active. I'm just using it for it's keyboard and trackpad and it's sitting on my lap.
Thanks so much,
Rob Collins

Turn off mirroring if you don't need it. Set each display to it's native resolution. Your Powerbook is likely 1280x854, your Samsung is 1400x1050. Use the DVI interface.
Personally, I just dim my laptop when using the external display, although technically it's still active. Confuses the heck outta me sometimes when an app throws a window onto the laptop.

Proceedure for using external monitor - help

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