ehdonhon

Q: How do I tell Lion to disable the LCD screen even when the lid is open?

Hello,

 

A known issue with MacBook Pro's is that the WiFi reception is poor when running in clamshell mode.    A workaround for this issue when using an external monitor only has been to close the MacBook, wake it with a USB device and monitor attached, and then re-open the lid.

 

Unfortunately, this doesn't work in OS X Lion.   That's because as soon as you open the lid, Lion re-detects all the displays and re-enables the LCD monitor.  I'm sure in some circumstance, that's very helpful.   But not in mine.

 

Does anybody know of a way to keep Lion from re-enabling the monitor whenever the lid is opened?

 

Thanks!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Jul 20, 2011 12:44 PM

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Q: How do I tell Lion to disable the LCD screen even when the lid is open?

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  • by myname150,

    myname150 myname150 Jul 20, 2011 2:51 PM in response to hamer313
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 20, 2011 2:51 PM in response to hamer313

    YES. I mean Windows 7 has the ability to change displays so easily, If I even recall correctly, this feature has been around since Windows 98 SE (or Win2K)!

     

    It shouldn't be too difficult to add that option in the Displays bit of System Preferences.

  • by hamer313,

    hamer313 hamer313 Jul 20, 2011 2:52 PM in response to myname150
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Jul 20, 2011 2:52 PM in response to myname150

    Very true, never really thought of that.

    I don;t think it is asking too much really.

  • by mkedge,

    mkedge mkedge Jul 20, 2011 3:13 PM in response to ehdonhon
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 20, 2011 3:13 PM in response to ehdonhon

    I did it.

     

    there's an app for our problem. it is called SwitchresX.

    I've managed to disable macbooks screen with lid open.

     

    try it for free 10 days http://www.madrau.com/download/latest/latest.html

  • by hamer313,

    hamer313 hamer313 Jul 20, 2011 4:43 PM in response to mkedge
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Jul 20, 2011 4:43 PM in response to mkedge

    Wait a minute, how are you switching it off??? i have it installed but cannot find an option to disable the display???

     

    Please share!

  • by hamer313,

    hamer313 hamer313 Jul 20, 2011 4:58 PM in response to hamer313
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Jul 20, 2011 4:58 PM in response to hamer313

    Problem solved!

    Download SwitchResX, Go to preference panes, open the app.

    Then enable the daemon in the app and then simply use the icon in the menu bar to disable the display!

     

     

    One caveat.

    It does not turn the display off.

    All your system resources are devoted to the external display - i.e. the mac does not 'see' the laptops display however it simply makes the screen 'black' but it is still switches on. Turn off the backlight and it is as good as off.

    However I do wonder whether you could damage the display by having a load of black pixels constantly stuck on it?

     

    Message was edited by: hamer313 Worked out the display wasn't off but it wasn't recognised by the mac either so system resources were the same as if the screen was off.

  • by jpringle,

    jpringle jpringle Jul 20, 2011 8:01 PM in response to ehdonhon
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 20, 2011 8:01 PM in response to ehdonhon

    I am also having this issue. =/

     

    I want to be able to open my Macbook Pro up so it doesn't overheat without having the internal monitor going. Come on Apple.

  • by TimGauthier,

    TimGauthier TimGauthier Jul 20, 2011 8:15 PM in response to ehdonhon
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 20, 2011 8:15 PM in response to ehdonhon

    I don't wish to install a 3rd party app to do this, I feel it is likely a bug.

  • by ehdonhon,

    ehdonhon ehdonhon Jul 20, 2011 8:24 PM in response to tjk
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 20, 2011 8:24 PM in response to tjk

    tjk wrote:

     

    Have any of you tried this?

     

    http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20060607121656766

     

    Regretfully, that's exactly what used to work, but no longer works in Lion.

  • by sherby_paladin,

    sherby_paladin sherby_paladin Jul 20, 2011 8:25 PM in response to ehdonhon
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 20, 2011 8:25 PM in response to ehdonhon

    Yes, I've tried it. It works but leaves the display turned on. I guess it will do for now (until the demo expires).

     

    Apple, please fix this. It's almost embarassing...

  • by Ovate,

    Ovate Ovate Jul 21, 2011 12:18 AM in response to hamer313
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 21, 2011 12:18 AM in response to hamer313

    SwitchResX is excellent! Thanks for that. I can now have my external display as the main display, and use my laptop as an additional one. Something that Apple should have enabled a long time ago!

     

    Apple needs to get its act together with this. Otherwise LION is great so far....

  • by Ovate,

    Ovate Ovate Jul 21, 2011 12:23 AM in response to Ovate
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 21, 2011 12:23 AM in response to Ovate

    oops spoke too soon, when you seet the external monitor as the main display the dock still stays on the laptop, oh well back to your original idea of using SwitchResX to "disable" the laptop one.....while apple sorts this out!

  • by TimGauthier,

    TimGauthier TimGauthier Jul 21, 2011 12:29 AM in response to Ovate
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 21, 2011 12:29 AM in response to Ovate

    If you go to the display properties, and then choose the arrangements tab. You can then move the little white bar from one screen to the other, this moves your main app including dock and menu bar.

     

    Screen Shot 2011-07-21 at 1.27.50 AM.png

  • by Ovate,

    Ovate Ovate Jul 21, 2011 12:40 AM in response to TimGauthier
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 21, 2011 12:40 AM in response to TimGauthier

    Ah I see what my problem was, I have the dock on the right hand side of the window, so when the laptop is on the right of the external display, the dock obviously stays on the right hand side of the laptop!! My mistake! Sorry Apple!!

     

    At least I'm back using the wifi properly when using the external display. Only got the wifi in clamshell mode problem to get fixed now....

  • by Jonathan UK,

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Jul 21, 2011 5:12 AM in response to ehdonhon
    Level 7 (33,974 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jul 21, 2011 5:12 AM in response to ehdonhon

    I agree that we should not need to resort to third party apps in order for clamshell mode on an MBP running Lion to continue operating in the way that it should do (and did under Snow Leopard). It's imperative that I be able to use an external display for an MBP that's running with its lid open and own display off.

     

    As tjk suggested, I have submitted a bug report accordingly and would encourage others who want this issue to be fixed to do the same here. This is a slightly deeper link that takes you straight to the feedback form for OS X-specific issues:

     

    http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

  • by vaclavXXX,

    vaclavXXX vaclavXXX Jul 21, 2011 6:27 AM in response to ehdonhon
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 21, 2011 6:27 AM in response to ehdonhon

    I think it is bug too. I don't wish to install a 3rd party app. I want button for switch off and switch on my display on MBP. Thx Apple

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