Resolution won't go above 800x600 on external display

Hey all,
I broke my iBook's screen (nasty drop), but everything else works fine. I finally got my VGA adapter from home and hooked it up to my Acer AL1916 LCD, only to find that the resolution refuses to go above 800x600!
When I open Displays in System Preferences, I get two windows. The System Prefs window is labeled Acer AL1916 and only has options for 640x480 or 800x600. Another window spawns behind it, labeled VGA Display. This one goes well beyond what the iBook's GPU supports (up to 1600x1200). Changing this, even to a supported resolution such as 1024x768, has no effect on the external display.
How can I get the external display to accept a higher resolution? Do I need drivers of some sort (Acer seems to have Windows drivers only on their site)? Having my only computer stuck at 800x600 is pretty atrocious, so please respond ASAP if you know anything about this.

What font? Could be a pixel-based font that simply doesn't provide larger glyphs.
Mylenium

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Screen res defaults to 800x600 on external display

What I have:
I have my powerbook hooked up to an external 17" Philips monitor, via a KVM switch.
The KVM can handle resolutions far in excess on 1024x768.
What I want to do:
When I boot up the powerbook, I want the Powerbook to output to the external display at 1024x768
What is actually happening:
Instead, the powerbook outputs to 800x600. Oddly, the display on the powerbook also shows as 800x600.
If I click 'detect displays' in the sys prefs screen, the powerbook all of a sudden outputs to 1024x768 just as I like it. The screen on the powerbook also updates to 1024x768, too.
Any ideas on what might be causing this glitch?
Incidently, I tried bypassing the KVM and conecting the display to the powerbook directly, and the issue seems to persist.
I don't mind opening up sys prefs on each boot up, but it would be nice if it would default to 1024x768 automatically on each boot up, without my intervention.
Many thanks!!!
-Chris

Hello and Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Unfortunately this suggests that there is something more serious wrong with the graphics part of the logic-board.
Have you read this:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4349704
mrtotes

What is the max resolution the MacBook can drive on an external display?

Hi everyone,
I want to hook my my MacBook up to an external display, and I'm wondering what the max resolution it can drive is.
Is it different depending on whether I'm hooking up to a VGA display via the Mini-DVI to VGA adapter or to a DVI display via the Mini-DVI-DVI-D adapter?
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Dave

The MacBook can drive an external display at a maximum resolution of 1920 by 1200. More information is available on this page.
(22873)

Why won't my mac detect an external display?

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How do you know it's not recognized and how is it formatted?

Macbookpro doesn't recognize max resolution of an external display

hi
i have a macbook pro 7.1
i just bought an external display, LG IPS237L-BN 23 inch Full HD IPS LED Widescreen Monitor (250 cd/m2, 1920 x 1080, 5000000:1, D-sub, HDMI)
my mac doesn't seem to recognize the resolution. after some internet research, it seems to be a common problem, except that all i've seen are some solutions via dvi port. My monitor has only 2 hdmi (from what i can tell, i'm no expert), and some "d-sub", whatever that is.
I've had a small mdp adapter, connecting via hdmi-to-hdmi cable to the monitor, but to no success. I thought it may be the prob with the adapter as i've bought it a while back, so i went and got a mdp-to-hdmi cable (this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00675Q2UY/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8 &psc=1), but again, the max resolution in display preferences is 1600x900, and all is blurred, while my main purpose is photo and video work.
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Hi
did you found the solution?
I have MBP 7.1 too, and just bought an LG 22" FullHD monitor, but i got the same problem.
I can set the resolution to 1920x1080 but the screnn on external display is not like fullHD, and its not as colorful as it can be(I tried the monitor with my windows laptop, and the colors and resolution was ok).
I'm using Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter to connect them.
Help me if you can!
Many thanks,
nelsonhun

Cannot change display resolution when connected to external display

On my 2.0GHz 13" MacBook, I have no problem with the display resolution when connecting to external display/projector when I am running in Mac OS, everything work perfectly! But things start to get messy when I am running in Windows VISTA 32 (installed within the Boot Camp 2.1). Whenever I connect to any external display/projector via a MiniDisplay-to-VGA cable, the resolutions on both my MacBook LCD and external display/projector drop to 640x480. And i am not able increase the resolution in the Display Settings. Does this mean that I have not installed the latest version of display drivers? Or is it that Apple did not provide the VISTA 32 drivers (in Boot Camp 2.1) that is compatible with the Mini Display port.

Cool!
I'm glad you have it fixed.
Please resolve the thread so others can find your answer faster.
Thanks,
Bifocals
Click Accept as Solution for posts that have solved your issue(s)!
Be sure to click Like! for those who have helped you.
Install BlackBerry Protect it's a free application designed to help find your lost BlackBerry smartphone, and keep the information on it secure.

Different resolutions for Macbook Pro display and External display

Is it possible to have different resolutions for a Macbook Pro and an external display. I prefer to see less but larger on my Macbook Pro whilst seeing more but smaller on my external display. I use the DVI output to connect to an Acer 22in display.
Thanks in advance
Ian

in4time wrote:
I've actually tried that process and it doesn't work; I still get the same display qualities on both. Perhaps that process might work if one is not mirroring. Maybe there is a compatibility issue between my Macbook Pro and the Acer 223W. I'll persevere, but thanks for your help anyway.
Ian
Hi Ian,
allow me to chime in:
You are absolutely correct!
In 'Mirroring Mode' both internal and external display have the same resolution.
Only in 'Extended Mode' you can have different resolutions for both displays.
Regards
Stefan

Settings for an external display monitor

I'm working with FCP 7 but my screen is small 13.3 and for a person of my age (60) is a litle difficult to work. I would like an external monitor display but I cant afford to buy the Apple 24" display, so I'm looking for an other alternative. I found Viewsonic VX2260WM full HD 22"screen very affordable or maybe Samsung XL2370 23" screen. So I need now some help to setup all the system. I would like to have the possibility to have FCP work space in the big monitor but the preview in my MCP. Please, dear adviser, take in mind, for my age, that I need all the explanation full detailed.
Many thanks in advance
JoseCup

Thanks Jerry for your advice. I have had for a week a 22" ViewSonic connected with a HDMI Mini Display port adapter. I tried to do my best for the setup of this monitor with 1080p resolution while the MBP 13" was setup to the native resolution 1280X800 but the image at the external display was not good enough as the MBP screen. In any case I have return the ViewSonic because other problems. I'm now looking for an other monitor but I'm not sure what to look for. I need for a bigger work space for Final Cut but with a good quality image. Do you have any advice?

19 inch or 22 inch external display?

I have a black Macbook (older generation). I'm looking into buying the Acer H213H as an external display (21.5 inch LCD).
Before I buy it, I'd like to know if external displays with higher native resolutions than the Macbook will show fuzzier text/images than external displays with resolutions that are closer to that of the Macbook.
A simpler way to ask would be: will a 19 inch LCD show a crisper image than a 22 inch LCD when connected to the Macbook?
Thanks for any advice on the matter!!

The MacBook can display higher resolutions than 1280x800 when connected to an external display. Therefore, either monitor you are looking at will display crisply.

External Display Won't Recognize in Native Resolution

I have a 40" Sony Bravia 1080p TV. I'm currently hooking it up using mini display adapter to vga, then vga into the PC port in the TV.
Display preferences recognizes the TV as a VGA display. which is fine, however it won't display in the 1920 x 1080 60HZ setting.
Sometimes display preferences recognizes the external display (TV) as a SONY TV. When this happens, it allows me to select a 1080p setting, which works great.
Does anyone know why my mac recognizes the external display as VGA display one time, then a SONY TV the next?
is there any way to manually set what type of external display is hooked up?
It's not a huge issue, but it's frustrating, and i don't understand it.
Any help is appreciated!

Probably the TV needs to be turned on before the Mac. And when the Sony is switched away from the TV to another input and then switched back to VGA, that's probably when the Mac loses connection to the TV's identity.
You could try the Detect Displays command when that happens, or else try unplugging and replugging the the VGA connector. That's a pain but it might work.
If you want a real permanent solution, something like the Gefen DVI Detective will work. It was designed to fix problems like this.

External Display Resolution Issue...

I have a Mid-2012 MPB running Mavericks. Recently, I've tried connecting 2 different external display's to the MBP via an Apple Thunderbolt to VGA adaptor. I can't get the resolution of the connected displays to go above 800 x 600, and it looks awful.
The first screen is a Samsung SyncMaster T260HD with a native res of 1920 x 1200, and the other is a Samsung SyncMaster 933HD, with a native res of 1366 x 768. I plug them into my Windows box via a VGA cable, and it will drive each display at it's native res just fine. So what have I missed to get the MBP to do this???
Thanks in advance. :-)

My MBP has Thunderbolt and I have a mini displayport to DVI adapter. This is connected to the DVI port in the display.
That option key selection did not increase the alternative resolutions available.
I did reset PRAM according to a advise hee in the community. That did not help either.

Resolution external display

We are unable to get full resolution on external displayes
Have tryed different cables and displayes, but only get Max 1280 size ?
All right tested this solution to :
http://www.ireckon.net/2013/03/force-rgb-mode-in-mac-os-x-to-fix-the-picture-qua lity-of-an-external-monitor
http://embdev.net/topic/284710#3027030
How to force RGB in Mac OS X
Download the patch-edid.rb script from the forums thread above and put it in your home directory.
Connect only the external monitor(s) in question (I closed my MacBook lid, for example). The script will make override files for any connected monitor.
Type “ruby patch-edid.rb” in Terminal.
A new folder will be created in your home directory. Move it into the “/System/Library/Displays/Overrides” folder. If Finder tells you that you are overwriting an existing folder, consider backing it up first.
Restart your computer, enjoy your monitor.
To undo the changes, either delete the folder you had copied to the Overrides folder (if it didn’t already exist) or replace it with the folder you had backed up.
But still get unsharp Resolution on a 30 inch 2560x1600 Display
it semes to be a bugg in Maveriks that should be Apple fixad ?

Maverics 10.9.3 uppdate no difference 1280 higest resolution on my LG Flatron W3000H
Did start my old Masbook Pro Snowleopard No problems what so ever
Dropbox link full resolution
Dropbox Link full resolution
Message was edited by: Svendus

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.

External display won't work on Window

Hi can anyone please help me in this? when I using window XP, my external display won't display out but when I'm using MAC OS X it work well, why? please help... Thanks

I can only help if you are using an NVidia graphics card, as with that you can use the NVidia Control Panel to setup the external display.
Connect the display
Start NVidia Control panel
Select the Display icon
Then select Change Display Configuration
There you can set the resolution, extend the screen or create a copy et.c.
Hope that helps...

Macbook Pro, how to reset invalid external display resolution?

Hi there. I have a question about the external display configuration.
I recently connected my 2011 Macbook Pro 13" (10.8.2 Mountain Lion) to an external HD-TV using Thunderbolt to VGA adapter. After connecting the TV had 1920x1200 resolution which made the text and everything look very tiny. So I thought I'd lower the resolution a bit. But then I messed up and accidentally changed the resolution and refresh rate for the external display to one that wasn't supported. So the TV went black and gave an error about an invalid resolution. At the same time, on my Macbook screen I had only the background image and display settings dialog. No mouse cursor, no menu bar, no dock etc. So I couldn't do anything.
I disconnected the Thunderbolt adapter and got my Macbook screen back to normal, but when I plugged it in again, the same thing happened. Invalid resolution on TV, just background image and display settings on Macbook screen.
Now, this was just before I was going to give a presentation and it resulted in a very awkward situation with me franticly re-plugging the Thunderbolt adapter and looking just completely clueless In the end I had to borrow my colleague's laptop.
So my question is: when this happens, is there a way I can reset / clear the external display settings back to defaults? They are obviously saved somewhere since replugging the Thunderbolt adapter didn't give me back my original resolution.

A PRAM reset should solve that:
From the article linked above:
Your Mac stores certain settings in a special memory area even if it is turned off. On Intel-based Macs, this is stored in memory known as NVRAM; on PowerPC-based Macs, this is stored in memory known as PRAM.
Information stored in NVRAM / PRAM includes:
Speaker volume
Screen resolution
Startup disk selection
Recent kernel panic information, if any
To reset your PRAM:
Shut down your Mac.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command (⌘), Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.

Resolution won't go above 800x600 on external display

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