Trouble connecting external monitor to new MacBook

Just today I bought a new MacBook with Leopard, and also bought an external monitor (LG brand). I hooked it up as directed: an adapter from the mini-dvi port to a dvi cable, and the other end of the dvi cable in the back of the monitor. When I turned it on, the monitor was displaying the background picture on my desktop and the dock, but none of the folders and documents on my desktop were showing. Also, the cursor wasn't showing. I tried opening a document in Word, and that did not show up on the monitor. I called the company and they said the monitor should work with a Mac, but that I should get help from Apple because none of them are familiar with Macs and it is probably something I need to change in the display settings on the MacBook. I've never used an external monitor before, and know nothing about this. Do you think I need to return this monitor, or could someone tell me what to try to make it mirror the desktop? Thank you.

Your monitor is working exactly like it is supposed to in extended desktop. Nothing will be on it unless you drag something to it. Open Displays in *System Preferences*. With the external monitor hooked up a control screen for each display will show on the displays. Use Arrangement to drag the external to whichever side you want to have it on. I use mine on the left so my mouse enters the screen in the correct side. You can also use the external in mirrored mode where everything is the same on both monitors. The easy way to switch between mirror and extended is the F7 key.

Similar Messages

External Monitor for New MacBook pro

Can someone tell me what kind of external monitor and mouse I need for my new mbp 13" running the lion os x? I bought this little screen thingy and I cant half see it.

Yes, it's possible to run an external monitor — all MBPs can do that. You can use any monitor and almost any widely available USB or Bluetooth mouse or trackpad, though I highly recommend Apple's own Magic Trackpad.

Glitches on external monitor on new MacBook (video)

I am seeing graphical glitches appearing on the 2nd screen hooked to my aluminum MacBook (late 2008) through Apple's mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter. Dancing pixels, of a sort.
They are not there initially, but appear after an hour or two of use.
Unplugging and re-plugging the screen into the MacBook clears the issue...for a while...
The monitor in question is an Apple Cinema Display with an ADC connector, going through and Apple DVI to ADC converter before getting to the mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter. It's a lot of adapters, but it should not be a problem. And the glitches were never seen when this external screen was (until recently) used with my MacBook Pro rev 1.
See a poor-quality video of the glitches here:
http://gallery.me.com/blakespot#100108
Is anyone else experiencing this? Thanks.
blakespot

Interesting. I found that putting the MacBook to sleep and then waking it causes the problem to go away (for a while). I use the MacBook 5 days a week for a full work-day and it happens at least once every day.
I am using the MacBook with an Apple Cinema Display 20-inch (plastic)...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blakespot/2968210374/in/set-72157608229267141/
...and the refresh rate selector in Sys Prefs is disabled. I assume the MacBook know what the display is capable of and is feeding at that rate (probably 60Hz).
blakespot
Message was edited by: blakespot

How to connect external speakers to new macbook

Have a new 15" macbook pro with retina display and when I plug my bose computer speakers into the headphone jack the do not work; no sound. the only connection the bose speakers have is a male jack that fitss the headphone jack on the retina MBP perfectly. Anyone know what i might do to make this work?

Try going into System Preferences>>Sound and see if you have an option to pick the Bose speakers from the Output list.

Connecting External Monitor to Old MacBook Pro

I have a MacBook Pro 15 (2.2) Running OSX 10.58. Computer has 2.33 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
There is a DVI-out port (funky 8 pin holes/row with 3 rows and the + on the right with a pin hole in each quadrant.
Firewire port, and maybe another firewire port between the first one and the ethernet port.
I'd like to hook this up to a Samsung SyncMaster 245BW monitor. This has a DVI in plug which is similar to the plug on the MacBook, but the thing on the right is a - with no pin holes instead of a + with 4.
Can I make this connection, and what type of adaptor cable will I need?

I had a 1,1 and, as I recall, it came with all the video adapters that I would ever need. Like my 1,1 machine, your 2,2 machine comes outfitted with a Dual-link DVI port, so you should just be able to use a DVI->DVI cable to achieve up to 2560x1600 pixel resolution. Before you purchase the display, however, I would check to make sure that you'll be able to sync correctly... do you have access to the Samsung display? If so, try it out.
Good luck,
Clinton
MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS Mavericks 10.9.4, 16GB Crucial RAM, Crucial M500 960GB SSD, 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display

NB200-10Z trouble connecting external monitor

Hi,
I tried to connect my NB200-10Z to my LCD TV using a VGA-DVI plug. Now I connected my DVI cable to the plug and then the TV.
For some reason the TV is not recognized by the netbook. I tried the FN+F5 button and it only shows the lcd - related to the netbook display.
I thought perhaps I need a display driver update, but it seems I have the latest version (6.14.10.4926)
Rebooted the system as well, no effect.
I used to have my other laptop connected to this TV before, so the problem must be with this netbook.
Any idea's??
Appreciate your thoughts...
Cheers,
Richard

Hi Simon,
"Good" to hear I am not alone in this.
In fact I recently bought an NB305 and also am not able to connect this to my TV. (like you I too was used to connecting another laptop to my screen - hence the DVI cable).
The windows+p button did not do anything for me. The TV recognizes that something is connected as it goes into a sort of "waiting" mode - and says "disconnected" once I disconnect the cable again, so I believe it is a software issue.
On the NB305 there is a very nice software manager that ensures you have the latest version of all your software. Not sure what could be the problem.
Does anyone have any other suggestions?
(PS: the TV doesn't have a VGA input)
In the meantime I will try connecting to another TV.
Thanks in advance,
Richard

Dual External Monitors with 15" MacBook Pro (Late 2011)

I'm looking for suggestions for using dual external monitors with new MacBook Pro's. The company I work for has started to puchase these for certain employees and we are looking for any good suggestions.
It appears that the display/thunderbolt port should be able to support many devices but I have not seen any way to hook up multiple displays. The idea is that these employees would be working with the macbook pro screen closed while in the office and use dual displays. The only option that I can find is to use a usb device to output video to a second display. I don't really like that because my experience with these devices is that they usally present a display lag and I know our graphic designers would never go for that.
One employee suggested that he use the VGA adapter and then get a VGA splitter. I'm not exacty certain that would work though. Wouldn't that just mirror the display on two screens instead of allowing an extended desktop? Also it looks like expensive Apple displays have ports so that you can daisy chain thunderbolt devices out of those monitors but this company will not go for the cost of those displays.
Am I missing anything? Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks!

Look into the Matrox Dualhead2Go DP Edition. If it works with Thunderbolt Macs, it will support two identical 1920 x 1080 DVI monitors as one extended desktop. Verify with Matrox that it is Thunderbolt-compatible and will suit your purposes before ordering.

I connected an external monitor to my MacBook Pro, but it doesn't open any programs. It Just sits there with a blank screen. How do I get it to open programs and act like a monitor?

I connected an external monitor to my MacBook Pro, but it doesn't open any programs. It Just sits there with a blank screen. How do I get it to open programs and act like a monitor?

Dear Jean:
It sounds like you are trying to get your external monitor to act as the primary viewing screen. For example it would have your Doc, Icons, Etc. In order to make the external monitor the primary screen you have to:
Open System Preferences.
Choose the Displays Icon
There will be several tabs to choose from pick Arrangement
Drag the toolbar to desired display
Let me know if this helps at all!
Lance

How do I connect an external monitor to my MacBook Air?

How do I connect an external monitor to my MacBook Air?

With a minidisplay port to VGA or DVI or HDMI adapter:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB570Z/B/mini-displayport-to-dvi-adapter?fnode =53

Mountin Lion has trouble with external monitors

Not so much a question as a shout-out. Since going to Mountain Lion, my pretty new (February this year) MacBook has been having no end of trouble with external monitors. I use it a lot with the clamshell closed with two different external monitors of two different sizes, one at home, one at work. It sometimes thinks the one is the other, or if I unplug the monitor in sleep, when I later open the clamshell, the screen stays black and I have to force a reboot with the power button. Never had these problems with exactly the same set-up in Lion. Sometimes it also refuses to find a connected monitor or projector, I have to pull the dangle and put it in again.

If memory serves, one of the 'flaws' with BM's hardware is that it will not convert on-the-fly. So if your sequence doesn't match what the TV is accepting, you get black.
For example, my TV will not accept 1080p, only 1080i, so working in a 1080p sequence would produce no image for me as the BM will only output exactly what's in the sequence, it can't convert my 1080p/24 sequence into 1080i/30 for output.
Now I'd expect your TV would have no trouble accepting a 720p signal but, maybe the above data will lead you down a path of investigation.

External Monitor blurry with MacBook Pro

Good day, I have searched the forums but have not found a solution to my problem...
I recently purchased a Dell 2005FWP External Monitor and plugged it in (DVI to VGA) to my MacBook Pro. It automatically adjusted to a 800x600 resolution which of course is not ideal. The menu gives a long list of display resolutions but most of them are "not available" when I click on them. I have tried switching the docks and the monitors to the opposite sides on "Arrangement" of displays but I still don't get a different menu. I can't seem to find the menu of resolutions for the MacBook Pro either.
Please let me know what I am doing wrong...Sorry, I know I am clueless!!
Thank you!

I have a ViewSonic VX2035wm display connected to my MacBook Pro - the image on the external monitor shows ghosting and double images like we used to see on old tube TVs.
Here is a post from MacFixIt.com that details my problem.
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20081020231611468
Late-2008 MacBooks: Image problems on external displays with mini-DisplayPort converters
The new MacBooks and MacBook Pros come with a Mini-DisplayPort adaptor for external video, and Apple supplies various adaptors (DP to DVI, and DP to VGA) to accommodate current monitors. Some users are having difficulties with their adaptors when connected to certain monitors.
Apple Discussions poster Ocell writes:
"I have the exact same problem with my Viewsonic VG2030wm 20" LCD. I've ruled out bad DVI cables. The Macbook Pro works with my 12" Cintiq's display, and the Viewsonic works with my Intel iMac, so the video out/mini displayport adaptor/dvi cable/viewsonic display are all operational. It's just the specific combination of the Macbook Pro and Viewsonic that doesn't work."
This problem has been found to frequently occur with DVI adaptors attached to their computers, however it has also happened with users connecting to the VGA adaptors. In these cases, unlike the DVI situation where no signal gets through, users have noticed the screen blinking or shutting off at random times. While drivers may definitely be suspect, the problem appears to be hardware-related since users have experienced the issue both in Mac OS X as well as in Windows via Boot Camp.
The DisplayPort connections used on the new MacBooks have slight differences in their protocols than other connection types, which allows for expanded functions in smaller connectors, but also can run users into difficulties, especially when older connetion types are used. While there could be software involvement in this problem, it sounds like there's most likely a firmware-related problem that hopefully can be patched by Apple, or at least be accommodated for in a driver update.
Things to Try
Reset the monitor to defaults If there is a method for fully resetting the monitor, try doing that first. Most have a menu option to reset to factory defaults, but in addition there may be a way to fully reset the device such as unplugging it for an extended period of time. This information may be available on the manufacturer's website, or users can just try unplugging the device for an extended period such as 20-30 minutes.
Toggle various monitor setups In the "Displays" system preferences, toggle desktop mirroring on and off to see if the monitor is not just extending the desktop to the second monitor. Especially if users have black wallpaper on their desktops, secondary monitors that are just serving as extended desktops may appear to be off when connected. Alternatively users can try dragging documents off the sides of their main monitor to see if they go over to the second monitor.
Reset the computer Users might try resetting the computer's PRAM (which does contain some graphics parameters) by holding the options, command, P, and R keys down at bootup until the computer resets and makes the boot chimes again. Release the keys and allow the computer to boot normally. Additionally, users might try resetting the computer's system management controller. Here is an Apple Support article on how to do that.
Use a different monitor Unfortunately, with hardware problems such as this users will not be able to do much, so if another monitor is available that works then users should switch to that.
Try another adaptor Many monitors support both VGA and DVI inputs, and there is potential for users to get things working by using another connection type. Additionally, while it may be a long shot, users might also try chaining together various adaptors. For instance, users might try going from displayport to DVI, and then using a DVI to VGA adaptor as the next connection, to see if that somehow sends a proper signal to the monitor.

HT3986 How do I run an external monitor on a macbook pro running windows 7

How do I run an external monitor on a Macbook Pro running Windows 7

on my imac connecting a TB to dvi converter to my imac and to my 24" dell monitor was all it took
windows like osx saw the external monitor and let me clone to it or extend my desktop to it

How do I connect two monitors to my macbook pro?

How do I connect two monitors to my macbook pro? This question applies to both DVI and VGA, as I might have to work with multiple sets of monitors.

The MacBookPro only has enough horsepower in the video card for one external monitor.
If you want two or more, you need a MacPro.
Or a MacBook Pro and a Remote Desktop controlled MacMini.
http://www.apple.com/remotedesktop/

Can i install windows 7 via bootcamp (MB Air) while using remote disc? I put the windows 7 disk in my macbook pro drive, and connect to my brand new macbook air. In bootcamp i allocate the partition then i click install and bootcamp will not see the disk.

Can i install windows 7 via bootcamp (on my MB Air) while using remote disc? I put the windows 7 disk in my macbook pro drive, and connect to my brand new macbook air via remote disk. In bootcamp (on my air) i allocate the partition, then i click install, and bootcamp will not see the disk from my macbook pro's drive. How do i get the bootcamp assistant running on my MB air to automatically find the disk in my macbook pro with the ISO image of windows 7? The remote disk on my air can find the cd but bootcamp will not begin installing it. Anyway to do this without buying the damned usb drive?

I don't know first hand if you can use the Remote Disk option with Windows but as of 10.7.2 you can now use BCAssistant to make a bootable USB (thumb drive or external disk) W7 installer with the Boot Camp drivers installed also. Have you tried that yet?

How connect External monitor to iMac?

How connect External monitor to iMac?

How to do that depends on the iMac variant you have. iMacs have been in continuous production since 1998 in four broad families that are not 100 percent alike in behavior.
Please look at the iMac images and descriptions in the links on this site:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/index-imac.html
and tell us what variant you believe you have.
iMacs from the first through third-generations (G3, G4, and G5 processors) that support an external monitor were not set up to do anything other than "mirroring"--you see on the external exactly what is on the built-in display.
Your description sounds like you have a newer iMac than this forum covers because, starting with the Intel iMacs in 2006, external monitors were allowed to do both mirroring and "extended desktop." The latter is what I believe you are seeing.
Try this first: press the F7 key. On many Macs capable fo using external monitors, this was a shortcut to toggle between mirrored and extended display. If your keyboard has an "fn" modifier key, you may need to press that to get the F7 key to work.
If you have an intel-powered iMac I can ask the Hosts to move you to that forum, which is much more active than this one which is for pre-2006 iMacs.

Trouble connecting external monitor to new MacBook

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for