New MacBook connected to external VGA display screen flash.

Ugh. Yesterday's Navidia update seems to make things worse. Or at least the blank screen lasts for three to five seconds instead of 1 second. Purchased this MacBook three days ago. My company has not even reimbursed me yet. Not sure if I'm going to keep it or wait for Windows 7.

This really adds insult to injury since I had to make a separate trip to purchase a $30 adapter which has always been included. I'm not sure, but Apple's stock is not looking so grand in my book about now. Kinda like watching an old friend get old. Just a little bit sad.

With the new update installed, the display settings now allow me to select "60.0hz" (instead of the 59.xx which was the only option before) No more flashes! For those still having trouble after the update, I'd try this too. It's tricky when the ext. screen is mostly black but it worked for me. Good luck!

The new update... is crap!... utter... CRAP! and untested it seems. After finishing the update my external monitor went from flashing once every I'd say 15 minutes for 1 second to flashing every 10 seconds for 9 seconds. That's right my monitor comes on for 1 second every 9 seconds or so in other words. It went from annoying to NOT WORKING AT ALL!

I was forced to install SwitchResX which brought it back to a state of just the old issue flashing once and a while. I am using third party software right now just to make my mac work. Wow, fantastic! (*sarcasm sign*) Anyone who is monitoring this thread should all attempt to call Apple in the next 7 days and get as much call volume on this issue as possible and attention as possible. Don't stop until they as well let you know your issue is going to engineering like some of the people in this thread have mentioned.

It seems there is a break down in communication between us and the engineers. Maybe if we all get our cases escalated to that department and engineering gets barraged with all the same issue they will see the urgency of this issue.

I urge you to call, I am going to call, as my case # with apple is at that level and I am going to make them send another as I have done the update and the issue is worse and actually un-usable now.

If people need the steps with SwitchResX to make their machine work again let me know and i'll post it

Message was edited by: gingy22

try plugging in your laptops to a power outlet while having it hooked up to your monitors..

Right... ya that's a pretty basic step... it won't work at all not plugged into a power source... we know that.

The same thing with 2.4GHz Alluminium MacBook and my new HP LP2475w display.

It flickers (shows black screen) for a very short period of time (0.1 second may be) every 10-30 minutes.
I tried both the native 1920x1200 and reduced resolution 1280x800, the problem is the same.

Hope Apple fixes this soon.

I have a new Macbook ALU and external display LG L222WS.

Until the Nvidia update I had the same problems as others: random flashes every 30 minutes more or less. After I had updated, the display is continously flashing and it is impossible to work at all.

I have installed SwitchResX but I don't know how to make it work (how to set 60Hz). Could someone post the necesary steps, please? Thanks.

Yup mine's playing up again now. For a moment I thought it was fixed. Grr

alexmontpeti and anyone else that needs them,

Here are the steps to fix the issue with SwitchResX:

1. Throw a tantrum (most people have already completed this step...) maybe call Apple and let them know their update is no good. If you do not talk to a specialist there is no chance engineering will find out you as well are having the issue.

2. Install SwitchResX from either of the first two links on this page (hopefully the site doesn't go over bandwidth from this) http://www.madrau.com/html/SRX/DL.shtml

3. Launch SwitchResX with your external display connected in Extended Desktop Mode. (Should be located in your system preferences from the blue Apple)

4. Select your display in the drop down menu at the top of the program

5. Select the Custom tab

6. Hit the plus in the lower left

7. A confusing screen at this point pops up. Don't change anything except!... Active which is the native resolution you put in there. As well put under scan rate 60 in both fields. In other words make sure your mac does not use anything except 60Hz.

8. Click OK to dismiss that screen and hit apply and authorize with your password.

9. Restart your computer or the setting will not appear in your system preferences.

10. Once again make sure your computer is in extended desktop mode once restarted

11. Launch system preferences from the Apple and select displays this time

12. On the macbook display hit the gather windows button in the display tab

13. Your external display should have a window on the screen of your macbook now so select your resolution you put in SwitchResX and 60Hz should now be an option in the Refresh Rate section as we added it and restarted.

14. Jump for joy if it worked!



The follow is for clamshell mode users only like myself 🙂

15. Put your computer to sleep

16. Wake your computer from sleep in clamshell mode and if your lucky it won't be flashing as it seems to be a glitch as it's now broadcasting 60Hz but the setting goes back to 59Hz because it thinks it's a different display now or something.

17. Go into system preferences displays again and change the Refresh Rate back to 60Hz because if you don't and you put your computer to sleep the flashing will come back and revert to 59Hz won't woken from sleep if you don't do these steps.

I hope this helps as I tried to be as detailed as possible and I hope this works for all.


Cheers!

my email is iphonzors@gmail.com if you'd like to ask further questions or send thanks 😉


PS... could someone let me know if this works with miniDisplay to DVI as well as it has only been tested for me on miniDisplay to VGA

I think I kind of solved the problem with the vga adaptor (1-2sec blackout) - ymmv but since i did that, i didnt have a single blackout...

here's what i tried:

* install switchresx
* in the prefpane, open the "custom" panel and add a resolution
* i used 1680x1050 at 60 hertz (not 59.xxxx)
* save and use that resolution

as i said, no more blanks since then (2 days & counting)
i think it could be that the driver or whatever does not set the correct vertical refresh rate (by default, i could only use 59.xxx), but 59.xxx is not 60.

as always, ymmv, try it out and report back

i almost forgot, my screen is an lg flatron L225WS (the one without dvi)

hi
on my LG 226W switchresx does not work - if i switch to 60 hz the screen wouldnt recoginze the screen size properly when it tries to auto-set the resolution.
the result is that i get a black column on the left side on my display....

interestingly here in austria, europe the update is not listed anymore when i start the auto-update program...

seems apple has recognized the problem and pulled the update back from their servers

i just walked it through with a collegue of mine, make sure you use the simplified settings and CVT-RB to get all the correct settings

Thanks, gingy22.

I tried the steps you explained but it didn't work. I got the display working at 60 Hz, with full resolution (1680 x 1050), and with apparently no flashes. The problem is that the colors were set to 256. I tried to set "thousands" or "millions" of colors but there was no effect. The display was still showing 256 colors. It is very weird...

I have a LG FLATRON L222WS display with an Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter.

That is very very strange.... I'm not sure if that would be a compatibility with your monitor or what. If available to test with different monitors I would. As well I would maybe try in the SwitchResX program where you set the custom settings to mess around with that simplified settings. People have reported changing that to CRT-RB is important. Don't forget to apply authenticate and restart.

Simplified settings and CRT-RB mode does not work with me. The best I can reach is without it and it is a 256-color mode =(