A monitor, a macbook air, and a whole lotta frustration
April 3, 2018 8:54 PM Subscribe
I have a Lenovo 2215s monitor and a Macbook Air 11inch 2015 running High Sierra 10.13.4.
They don't seem able to talk to each other so that i can have an external display. I know that each item independently works (monitor, laptop and cables) and I have the right MBA adaptor. The monitor does not show my MBA screen. I have tried restarting etc. I have tried googling an answer too. What shall I do next?
I know this is a stupid question, but tech support is all about the stupid questions. I see "the monitor does not show my MBA screen." What does it show?
posted by doomsey at 9:13 PM on April 3, 2018
posted by doomsey at 9:13 PM on April 3, 2018
Response by poster: The external monitor lights up and says "Power Saving Mode" when i plug the VGA cable in, and then quickly goes to a black screen and stays that way.
posted by MT at 9:25 PM on April 3, 2018
posted by MT at 9:25 PM on April 3, 2018
SMC reset is a good idea, but a better bet for fixing display problems is resetting the NVRAM. I have to do this on a regular basis for my work Macs.
I'm not familiar with the Macbook Air line but what exactly kind of connection are you trying to make here, from what kind of port to what using what adaptor? There are a lot of variables in monitor connections. Not all adaptors are created equal either.
posted by bradbane at 9:51 PM on April 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm not familiar with the Macbook Air line but what exactly kind of connection are you trying to make here, from what kind of port to what using what adaptor? There are a lot of variables in monitor connections. Not all adaptors are created equal either.
posted by bradbane at 9:51 PM on April 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Have you tried some basic messing around with the display extension/duplication settings? It's not explicitly listed in your question, so I figure it's better to ask...
posted by sagc at 9:54 PM on April 3, 2018
posted by sagc at 9:54 PM on April 3, 2018
Response by poster: I have this mini display port to VGA adaptor The monitor only has a VGA cable.
posted by MT at 10:09 PM on April 3, 2018
posted by MT at 10:09 PM on April 3, 2018
Do you have any other monitors you can try the adapter with? Perhaps it's bad.
According to this, that monitor should have an HDMI input has well. Is there perhaps a button on it to switch inputs?
posted by jordemort at 10:31 PM on April 3, 2018
According to this, that monitor should have an HDMI input has well. Is there perhaps a button on it to switch inputs?
posted by jordemort at 10:31 PM on April 3, 2018
I had this problem recently with a new LG display and a Macbook Pro running High Sierra.
I looked around in the console logs and I thought I saw something about an unrecognized display, which matched snuffleupagus' suggestion about an EDID problem.
I didn't find a satisfying solution, but what made it work finally was plugging a different working monitor in (an old dell that was being replaced by the new LG display), after which when I plugged the new one back in it was again recognized. I've had to do this twice now, and I don't know what triggers the problem.
Good luck!
posted by mmc at 10:42 PM on April 3, 2018
I looked around in the console logs and I thought I saw something about an unrecognized display, which matched snuffleupagus' suggestion about an EDID problem.
I didn't find a satisfying solution, but what made it work finally was plugging a different working monitor in (an old dell that was being replaced by the new LG display), after which when I plugged the new one back in it was again recognized. I've had to do this twice now, and I don't know what triggers the problem.
Good luck!
posted by mmc at 10:42 PM on April 3, 2018
I don't know why the VGA adaptor isn't working, but I also think an HDMI adaptor would be more likely to work (and that will also produce a higher quality image, though maybe not noticeably so)
posted by aubilenon at 11:01 PM on April 3, 2018
posted by aubilenon at 11:01 PM on April 3, 2018
That monitor has an HDMI port. Use that instead, with a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter. Never use VGA, it's antiquated and low quality.
posted by w0mbat at 11:20 PM on April 3, 2018
posted by w0mbat at 11:20 PM on April 3, 2018
Response by poster: Just to be clear @jordemort linked to the wrong model above. The monitor I have has VGA only.
At this point I think i'm just gonna get myself a refund.
posted by MT at 11:23 PM on April 3, 2018
At this point I think i'm just gonna get myself a refund.
posted by MT at 11:23 PM on April 3, 2018
If you are in a position to get a refund on a monitor with VGA only input then I would take that. It is a now a pretty antiquated connection method.
posted by rongorongo at 2:57 AM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by rongorongo at 2:57 AM on April 4, 2018 [1 favorite]
Is this your monitor? If so, it has a DVI-D input, which you'll have more success with than VGA (and, assuming it works, the image will be better anyway). Look for a Mini DisplayPort - DVI-D adaptor.
posted by ardgedee at 3:01 AM on April 4, 2018
posted by ardgedee at 3:01 AM on April 4, 2018
My Macbook Pro needed to be connected to power in order for it to connect to the monitor. Try connecting to power, plug the power in and restart the computer.
Hopefully that will do it, if not double check system preferences-display to see if the Lenovo is in the drop down menu.
posted by ashtray elvis at 3:03 AM on April 4, 2018
Hopefully that will do it, if not double check system preferences-display to see if the Lenovo is in the drop down menu.
posted by ashtray elvis at 3:03 AM on April 4, 2018
The monitor I have has VGA only.
It's less likely to be an EDID problem over VGA (although it's still possible).
I haven't seen a VGA only monitor in an eternity -- returning it is probably the best bet, I'm surprised it even exists these days. There are plenty of affordable and decent monitors with at least one HDMI or DP connection.
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:16 AM on April 4, 2018
It's less likely to be an EDID problem over VGA (although it's still possible).
I haven't seen a VGA only monitor in an eternity -- returning it is probably the best bet, I'm surprised it even exists these days. There are plenty of affordable and decent monitors with at least one HDMI or DP connection.
posted by snuffleupagus at 4:16 AM on April 4, 2018
It shouldn't be this, but there is an issue with the latest MacOS update and displays (I know you have an apple mini display port to vga adapter and that's not noted in the linked article but you never know).
posted by inviolable at 10:32 AM on April 4, 2018
posted by inviolable at 10:32 AM on April 4, 2018
I had a flaky Mini Displayport to VGA adapter that worked once in a while but not consistently and on some computers but not others. If I were doing diagnostics based on information supplied so far I would probably be most suspicious of the adapter. Especially if it's a cheapest-available-on-ebay variety.
The thing that inviolable is talking about, while super annoying (it affected me, and it literally took all night to downgrade my machine successfully), is not related. It would affect a USB-to-VGA adapter, not a MiniDP-to-VGA one.
posted by doomsey at 4:42 PM on April 4, 2018
The thing that inviolable is talking about, while super annoying (it affected me, and it literally took all night to downgrade my machine successfully), is not related. It would affect a USB-to-VGA adapter, not a MiniDP-to-VGA one.
posted by doomsey at 4:42 PM on April 4, 2018
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Display_Identification_Data
You might try emailing the developers of SwitchResX (http://www.madrau.com/) and see if they think their utility might be able to help with detection and/or EDID override.
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:11 PM on April 3, 2018 [1 favorite]