ploebs

Q: 10.6.8 update: screen brightness issues when hooked to external monitor

I just upgraded to MacOS 10.6.8 yesterday, and since then, the screen on my Macbook is acting strange. 

 

I'm hooked up to an external monitor which I use almost all the time as the primary monitor.  Usually, when I'm using the external, I turn the brightness all the way down (to black) on the Macbook.  After the update, however, the Macbook seems to have a mind of its own.  The screen gets brighter, then dimmer, then brighter again, without reason.  Or, othertimes, after about 30 seconds of inactivity, the Macbook screen gets brighter, then when you move the mouse, it goes back to black again.

 

It's not that I care so much, but just wish I knew what was going on.  Glitch in the new software?

 

Macbook

MacOS 10.6.8

External monitor: ViewSonic VA2231wm

MacBook

Posted on Jun 25, 2011 10:39 AM

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Q: 10.6.8 update: screen brightness issues when hooked to external monitor

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  • by Bob Lang1,

    Bob Lang1 Bob Lang1 Jun 25, 2011 4:11 PM in response to ploebs
    Level 5 (4,080 points)
    Jun 25, 2011 4:11 PM in response to ploebs

    Maybe it's the "Automatically adjust brightness as ambient light changes" setting in Display Preferences.

     

    Bob

  • by ploebs,

    ploebs ploebs Jun 25, 2011 5:12 PM in response to Bob Lang1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 25, 2011 5:12 PM in response to Bob Lang1

    To the best of my knowledge, Macbooks don't have ambient light sensors.  I think that's a Macbook Pro thing.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

  • by Bob Lang1,

    Bob Lang1 Bob Lang1 Jun 26, 2011 4:11 AM in response to ploebs
    Level 5 (4,080 points)
    Jun 26, 2011 4:11 AM in response to ploebs

    On my MacBook, the camera thingy at the top of the screen doubles up as an ambient light sensor.

     

    Bob

  • by zwieven,

    zwieven zwieven Jun 26, 2011 9:30 AM in response to ploebs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 26, 2011 9:30 AM in response to ploebs

    Same here, after updating from 10.6.7 to 10.6.8 on a macbook pro (model 2008).

    Screen is not evenly lit, i.e. alternating rays of light starting at the bottom of the screen.

    Please, update patch ?

     

    Zwi

  • by zwieven,

    zwieven zwieven Jun 26, 2011 9:56 AM in response to zwieven
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 26, 2011 9:56 AM in response to zwieven

    update:

    after repairing permissions (using iTools) and restarting the computer problem was solved !

  • by sfthomas,

    sfthomas sfthomas Jun 28, 2011 3:51 AM in response to ploebs
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 28, 2011 3:51 AM in response to ploebs

    I'm getting the exact same thing. When I connect my somewhat ancient (mid-2007) MacBook to my Cinema display and turn the MacBook brightness right down it increases and decreases by a small amount apparently at random. No biggy but irritating all the same. There's no ambient light sensor so it can't be that.

  • by EHMartin,

    EHMartin EHMartin Jun 28, 2011 6:41 AM in response to ploebs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 28, 2011 6:41 AM in response to ploebs

    Seeing the same issue of un-blacking my MacBook Pro (2009) display after upgrading to 10.6.8.

  • by Barry Fass-Holmes,

    Barry Fass-Holmes Barry Fass-Holmes Jun 28, 2011 7:40 AM in response to ploebs
    Level 6 (11,900 points)
    Jun 28, 2011 7:40 AM in response to ploebs

    Since updating to 10.6.8 (using the combo updater rather than the delta) from 10.6.7, my 2009 15.4" MBP's display has shown this symptom in the absence of an external monitor.

  • by Barry Fass-Holmes,

    Barry Fass-Holmes Barry Fass-Holmes Jun 28, 2011 10:24 AM in response to Barry Fass-Holmes
    Level 6 (11,900 points)
    Jun 28, 2011 10:24 AM in response to Barry Fass-Holmes

    After I changed the display sleep setting in the Energy Saver System Preference from 6 minutes to Never, the symptom evidently has gone away.

     

    Hope this helps other users experiencing this symptom.

  • by TheNob,

    TheNob TheNob Jun 29, 2011 12:09 PM in response to ploebs
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Jun 29, 2011 12:09 PM in response to ploebs

    Same problem here with a MacBook Pro. I have the notebook connected to a Cinema Display and thus manually dimmed down completely my MacBook Screen. Now after updating to 10.6.8 my MacBook screen dimms up at the time when it would normally dimm it down if the screen was "enabled".

     

    I tried several steps to fix that:

     

    - Dis- and reconnected my external Cinema Display.

    - Changed display and energy safer settings in system preferences.

    - Fixed file permissions.

    - Did a PRAM-reset.

     

    Nothing helped.

     

    Please help us!

  • by Omziee,

    Omziee Omziee Jun 30, 2011 5:19 PM in response to ploebs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 30, 2011 5:19 PM in response to ploebs

    Same issue !!! 10.6.8 is crap !!!

    i wish i had never upgraded !!! 10.6.7 was working perfectly fine !!!

    and the fuc**** Apple people don't even reply to forums .. atleast read our problems and update a patch...

  • by ploebs,

    ploebs ploebs Jun 30, 2011 5:23 PM in response to Omziee
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 30, 2011 5:23 PM in response to Omziee

    I'm glad to know I'm not alone in the issue.  I too have repaired permissions, reconnected the monitor several times, and messed around with the energy saver settings, and nothing fixes the screen issue.  It would be nice if Apple acknowledged that there was a problem.

  • by Kawanaut,

    Kawanaut Kawanaut Jul 1, 2011 12:31 PM in response to ploebs
    Level 1 (54 points)
    Jul 1, 2011 12:31 PM in response to ploebs

    Same thing happens to my 2010 i7 MacBook Pro.

     

    I usually have the laptop monitor on complete darkness - but if I leave the computer untouched for several minutes, when the laptop monitor would usually begin to dim (if it was on), it will instead turn on -even though I left it turned off (brightness all the way down).

     

    This started after 10.6.8.

  • by hsteenwijk,

    hsteenwijk hsteenwijk Jul 1, 2011 12:46 PM in response to Kawanaut
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 1, 2011 12:46 PM in response to Kawanaut

    Same here on a 2010 MBP.

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