Seeing Double or Seeing Nothing

December 13, 2006 8:06 AM

Help my MacBook play nice with my Apple Cinema Display...

I've read a few forums, but I can't seem to match the results. Shiny new MB 15" complete with 20' Apple Cinema Display. How can I plug the monitor in and close the MB so that it stays awake?

For those who might give the "obvious" answers, I have it set for mirrored displays, have the adapter, and have tried closing the lid then waking the guy up with an external keyboard and/or mouse...this last solution turns the display on but it goes nuts with distortion.

posted by sjuhawk31 to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

The last thing is what should work, so if it isn't, there's something wrong with your computer.

What does "go nuts with distortion" mean, and how long have you waited for it to sort itself out (on mine it sometimes takes a couple of minutes)?

Also, try plugging the screen in while the computer is asleep.
posted by cillit bang at 8:31 AM on December 13, 2006

Response by poster: It's like bad TV reception...I see the image, but it's rapidly shaking back and forth.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 8:39 AM on December 13, 2006

go into Security in System Prefs and tell it to require password when coming out of sleep or screen saver. my MBP does this and, once I unlock the machine, the screen refreshes and it works normally. (the dialog that asks for the password is on a black screen, so it has to re-draw the desktop and all associated bits.) I usually run dual displays then close the lid and wake it back up.
posted by mrg at 8:41 AM on December 13, 2006

should have previewed.. if it's actually shaking, it sounds more like a bad cable somewhere. does it do it when you set it up for dual displays?
posted by mrg at 8:43 AM on December 13, 2006

Response by poster: Actually no, mrg, it doesn't do it when I have it set for dual displays...they're identical, these "dual displays" - what do you think?
posted by sjuhawk31 at 8:51 AM on December 13, 2006

and have tried closing the lid then waking the guy up with an external keyboard and/or mouse...this last solution turns the display on but it goes nuts with distortion.

This should work without distortion (it does for me). Sounds like there is a hardware problem somewhere. There shouldn't be any distortion at all, even when first starting it, on an LCD screen.
posted by advil at 2:44 PM on December 13, 2006