Simple External Monitor Question?

When I hook up to an external monitor the computer reverts to old settings, the most noticeable being the background changes to one I had the previous week. How do I stop this from happening?

Sorry, but it's not been possible to power up any Mac from turned-off state from an external device for a number of years (with the sole exception of the current Xserve). So you will have to open the screen on your MacBook, power it up, close the screen which will put the unit to sleep, then wake it from the external keyboard/mouse. Or attempt the trick on the site you posted for remotely pressing the power switch.
For this reason, most people who use their MacBook like you do just put it to sleep rather than powering it off.
Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer

Similar Messages

  • IMac as external monitor questions

    I have an HP 6930p laptop from work and would like to connect my new 27" iMac to it to use as a larger monitor. The HP only has a VGA port, so I was hoping to find out if it's possible to connect this somehow to the iMac?? I didn't know if this could really be done with adapters, etc.
    One other question: I know you can use the iMac as an external monitor for a MacBook laptop, but will this also work if you're running a PC operating system via VM-Ware on the MacBook??
    Thanks so much

    You can only use your 27" iMac for a device with DisplayPort output. To use your Windows laptop with VGA output you would need to find a 3rd party adapter specially designed to convert the VGA output to DisplayPort output. Then you would need a cable that went from the adapter to the iMac that has a mini-DisplayPort connector on the iMac's end.
    As long as the MacBook has a DisplayPort there should be no issue with Windows on a virtual machine. You just need a cable with the correct connectors when it is DisplayPort to DisplayPort.
    Dah•veed

  • MBP (rev 1.1) external monitor question

    I am thinking about buying an external monitor (in the 20-24 inch range) to hook to my first generation MBP. My eyes are tired of staring at the smaller screen for big projects and the extra real estate would be nice at home. Maybe a silly question, but just wanted to be sure the ATI Radeon 1600 (256megs of vram) has ample power to run a large LCD. I am assuming it shouldn't be a problem, but would be interested in input from others. Not a gamer so no worries there but, I want it to look good and still feel as responsive as it does with the built in screen.
    Thanks for any input. Suggestions on a monitor are also welcome.

    Your MBP (and mine) +"Simultaneously support full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display."+
    Meaning yes, you can drive a large monitor with no problem.

  • External Monitor Question

    I recently bought a mini display to DVI adapter and I just wanted to know if its possible for me to set the external monitor as the main and use my macbook pro screen as a second for external applications I wish to put on the screen of it?
    I want to be able to use both at one time and not having to put macbook pro into closed clamshell mode.
    Any ideas?

    Yes. Just plug in your Mini Display adapter into the port, keeping your lid open, and use the System Preferences>Displays to 'arrange' your monitors (which one you want to keep the menu bars on, etc.).
    Very simple.
    Clinton

  • Macbook pro 13" and external monitor question

    Hi,
    I got a mbp 13" 2010
    I would like to buy a  HP 2510i monitor http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c02076507 &lang=en&cc=us&taskId=115&contentType=SupportFAQ&prodSeriesId=3757979&prodTypeId =382087
    Today I brought my macbook to a computer store and connected it to a samsung monitor 27" using mini-display to hdmi cable.
    When i mirrored the screens I got two black areas on the left and right. basically it wanst fullscreen. (macbook res is 1280x800, so I think I got the same resolution on the external monitor)
    But when I disable the mirror option Its all good and supports 1080p resolution.
    How can I get fullscreen(1080p) even when I am mirroring the screen? will this hp monitor be able to do this?
    thanx

    You can change your screen resolution by going to system preferences and displays from there you can select the bes resolution. However you will never get is perfect as the ratio is different from your ho screen to your mac. You could either go without mirroring (what I do with my cinema display) or plug it into your screen and then shut your mac lid so the dock moves onto the ho screen and it becomes your only display. You would however need an external mouse and keyboard to control this.

  • Very frustrated. Macbook Pro to external monitor questions

    Hello all,
    Long story short, I have a 13" late 2010 Macbook Pro and have been using my Moshi mini display to hdmi adapter to extend my display to either a television or a monitor. No matter the external display they both support 1080p yet when I plug my mbp into it, it can't scale correctly unless I underscan it. If i don't underscan it I lose half of my dock and the tool bar is invisible.
    Underscanning it makes the text fuzzier and less sharp. Does anyone have a solution for this? Is it my adapter?

    I had a similar experience with my external monitor - the MBP was in mirror mode and the external monitor's resolution was only as high as my MBP laptop monitor resolution.
    The trick is you have to close the lid completely. You will see your TV shut off for a bit, but the catch is you then need a wireless keyboard or mouse to "wake" your computer up while the lid is closed. Only then will you get your full resolution on your TV. Give it a few seconds once you close it, then when having a wireless bluetooth mouse, wake it, and in about 3-5 seconds your TV should turn on.
    I should note I'm using the same Mini Display port to HDMI out that you are. It works great, but took a while for me to realize that you have to close the lid on your laptop completely.

  • Lenovo B570 i5 3000HD only external monitor question

    Hi,
    I´m considering to buy a B570, 2410M, 3000HD graphics only ( no dedicated graphics card ).
    I will use the B570 as a desktop replacement, connecting an external monitor via the VGA-in, and will not use the laptop-screen at all.
    If I connect an external monitor via the VGA-in, configure this as the only monitor - and unplug the external monitor, and then plug the VGA again - will the B570 remember the settings ? Will the external monitor be ON or OFF ? Do I have to reconfigure the external monitor set-up again to make it work again ?
    What should happen:
    Unplug - Laptop screen turns on,
    Plug again: Laptop screen truns off, external monitor turns on.
    Thanks.

    as i know, you won't need to re-configure external monitor settings.

  • Bootcamp dvd and external monitor question

    I had parallels before but it does not compare to the boot camp program, Almost everything works great. I do have a couple of issues, The first one is the DVD player, It wont let me play movies it tells me that there is a driver missing(I have win xp) and it dosent play the movies. I also cant use my external monitor on the xp side but works great on the leapord side. Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated, Thank you

    bootcamp drivers for the GPU unit lack that functionality. Instead you can use more recent drivers for your GPU. Before installing any, make sure you uninstall the current one.
    For ATI:
    Alternative 1: Go to http://www.omegadrivers.net/ and download ati driver.
    Alternative 2: Download latest ATI driver for your chipset from ATI but not mobility one. For instance if your GPU is ATI Mobility Radeon X1600, download Radeon X1600 driver from ati. Then mod it with modtool from http://www.driverheaven.net/modtool.php
    For NVIDIA:
    Download your driver from http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/

  • Another bootcamp and external monitor question

    my external display works fine and looks good, however, while running xp pro with SP 2, i cannot tell windows to make my external monitor the primary display. is there a way around this? thanks.

    bootcamp drivers for the GPU unit lack that functionality. Instead you can use more recent drivers for your GPU. Before installing any, make sure you uninstall the current one.
    For ATI:
    Alternative 1: Go to http://www.omegadrivers.net/ and download ati driver.
    Alternative 2: Download latest ATI driver for your chipset from ATI but not mobility one. For instance if your GPU is ATI Mobility Radeon X1600, download Radeon X1600 driver from ati. Then mod it with modtool from http://www.driverheaven.net/modtool.php
    For NVIDIA:
    Download your driver from http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/

  • External Monitor Question - New User W510 (old Guy, Limited Skills)

    Good Afternoon,
    I have a new Thinkpad W510 for work.  When I hook my external mmonitor to the system, I can get it to display just fine.  However, when I close the lid top the actual Laptop, the system blanks out the external monitor.  My Toshiba Laptop never dis that (ran on XP Professional).  Is there something I can do to prevent this from happening?  Some setting?  Thank you for any help.
    Moderator edit: Masked members email address to prevent spambots from getting it.

    Yes. I'm assuming the computer is set to sleep when the lid is closed.
    Go to the Start menu and search up "Power Options".
    Then, in the sidebar, select "Change what closing the lid does" and for both battery and AC power, select "Do Nothing".

  • I know, another external monitor question...

    Can someone please point me to a link or suggest some keywords to find a solution for adding an external video monitor? Apparently I'm not using the right ones. FCP manual says to use a "3rd party video interface". I would like to monitor my video on an NTSC TV (likely an economical 15" flat panel) primarily to look for interlace issues before burning. I need to know what cheaper options are available for my Mac Pro with a spare DVI output and plenty of card slots. I do not want to run it through a camcorder via firewire, in an effort to keep my workspace clean.

    It all depends on what video formats you'll be working with. For example, you can use Firewire through a DV device (camcorder, VTR or converter) to monitor and of the DV25 formats on an external NTSC monitor.
    But for most other (higher) formats, you will need a specialized capture card such as those offered by AJA and BlackMagic Designs (Decklink).
    If you're concerned about interlacing issues and being able to spot them as you edit, use a CRT TV monitor - not a progressive scan monitor (LCD or plasma).
    -DH

  • Simple external drive question please

    Hi all, quick and probably rather basic question here....
    I have a mac mini which we use as a family internet channel, email and the occasional synching of an Iphone and iPod Touch. I am getting memory almost full messages from my mac mini. It is. However rather than going through files and deleting I would like just to be able to expand the mini with one of the stackable external drive options.
    The apple 500Mb Time Machine looks expensive compared to the IOMEGA Tb, does anyone have any advice/ recommendations...I have no other back up source so upgrading the internal drive is going to get messy.
    Hope you can help, I would like to purchase and get this issue resolved asap.

    First off, you'd be wise to address this issue ASAP: OSX gets very unhappy when it runs out of space on the hard drive.
    I'd recommend that you get an external hard drive that connects via Firewire. (Most of these will also have the option of connecting via USB, but you should use the firewire connection for best speed and reliability.)
    You can simply connect the drive and then use DiskUtility to erase and reformat it as Mac OSX Extended (Journaled). If you have a PPC Mini (2 USB ports on the back) be sure to use the Apple Partition Map. If you have an Intel Mini (4 usb ports) be sure to use the GUID partition scheme.
    Once properly formatted, you can clone your internal drive to the external using the free feature of SuperDuper! . I would then use System Preferences > Startup Disk to set the external as your startup drive.
    Be sure to verify the health of your internal with DiskUtility before you clone it.
    I'd also be sure to get as much free space as possible on your internal before starting any of this procedure, as OSX doesn't treat you well if you run out of space in the middle of an important process.
    BTW I run my Mini exactly as I describe above, booting from a 250 Gig firewire external drive.
    SuperDuper! is available for download here:
    http://www.shirt-pocket.com/
    the cloning feature is free.
    There is a decent selection of firewire externals at OWC:
    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/
    Another option would be to let OWC handle the whole cloning process. For a $99 fee (plus parts cost) they will install a larger internal drive (and other options) and clone your old drive onto it:
    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/mac-mini/install/
    You can get up to a 500 Gig internal for the Intel Mini this way. (Smaller if your Mini is a G4 model.)

  • External preview monitor question

    Hello,
    I'm trying to switch over to Premiere Pro CS5.5 for some of my future projects (coming from Sony Vegas 10) and I'm a little confused. I have a Black Magic intensity card and I am thinking about getting a Nvidea GTX 580 for the mercury playback.  My goal is to use dual PC monitors for working space and preview to a 42"  Panasonic Plasma HDTV.
    Question: I have noticed that many of the GTX580 cards have an HDMI output. Would I want to use the HDMI output of the GTX580 to feed my Plasma or would I still use the Blackmagic card?  I got the impression from another thread that Black Magic intensity will slow my Premiere timeline down.  Also would the GTX580 HDMI output be as accurate as the BM Intesity card HDMI output? 
    Many thanks,  Marc

    Hello Everyone,
    I have a ATI Radeon HD 5870 and a NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 in my Mac Pro.  I using the NVIDIA for my two monitors and the ATI for my external monitor.  I'm using the HDMI connection to my 42'.  Everything was working fine until today.  I'm not sure why I can't select the external monitor anymore.  I've rebooted my Mac (still thinking like a PC user), but that didn't help at all.  Has anyone else noticed any changes as far as the external monitor goes?

  • Tecra A2: Question about DVI and external monitor

    Hello,
    I'm trying to get a DVI Signal from the Tecra A2 using the advanced Port Replicator III but without luck. Does the A2 support DVI anyway?
    Another question: Is it possible to set the primary display to the external Monitor when using "extended Desktop"?
    Thanks
    Ralph Menon

    Hello Ralph
    Your unit doesnt support DVI port and you can not use it. As far as I know just ports that you can find on the unit you can use in Port Replicator because the signal is just loop through.
    The problem with primary display is that notebook is set to primary one and it can not be changed (on my Tecra M1 neither). The Windows will starts on external one but box for password will always appears on notebook display.
    Bye

  • Using my mid 2012 MB Air with an external HDMI monitor question.

    Am wanting to use my mid 2012 MacBook Air 13 inch running Mavericks with an external HDMI monitor.
    I've got a thunderbolt to HDMI adapter which I've plugged in and am able to redirect the sound to my speaker equipped external monitor by choosing it in the sound output preferences box.
    BUT I've got a picture displayed on both my air and monitor.
    My question - is it possible to switch the display so that it only shows on the external monitor - I'm only wanting to display the same picture on both displays.
    Finally is it possible to show one screen on the Air and a different one on the HDMI Monitor.
    Thankd

    Try  > System Preferences > Displays > Arrangement > Mirror Displays (or not).

Maybe you are looking for