External Display Resolution 1920 x 1200 missing in System Preferences

After using my Black MacBook (2.4ghz, 4gb, 250GB) for 9 months with my HP 2408w 24" external display at 1920 x 1200 (recommended resolution), ALL of a sudden, that resolution is no longer available in System Preferences.

It seems, after the 10.5.7 Leopard update, the problem started. Its totally annoying and obviously a video display driver issue.

Using the mini-DVI to DVI adapter with a DVI/HDMI cable.
Max resolution is now...1920 x 1080.

But ---

When i swtich to the VGA adapter & cable, BAM 1920 x 1280 works like it used to with DVI. Only now the image (on analog VGA) isnt nearly as sharp as the DVI image.

Apple, why did you break this?? There is no way that I can find to manually "set" the resolution, so I am stuck with the crummy picture on VGA, or the sqashed image on the DVI 1920 x 1080.

Apple store is clueless (as usual) but they will take my MacBook for 10-14 days and swap out the logic board -- WOW thanks!

Its probably my fault, I need to STOP applying this system updates...I should have learned by now!

Anyone know how to go back to 10.5.6 ????

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.7), External Display No Longer Working

Posted on Jun 14, 2009 7:45 PM

Reply
31 replies

Aug 11, 2009 11:22 PM in response to Rense VanderHoek

I was having this same exact problem and I fixed it...I hope my solution helps someone out because upgrading to 10.5.8 did not do the trick for me.

My problem was on the monitor side. I have an Acer AL2216W. What I did is I disconnected the monitor from my MacBook, turned off the monitor, disconnected power from the monitor, then held down the power button on the monitor for about 30 seconds (to dissipate whatever charge was left). Afterwards, I plugged everything back in and, presto, everything was back to normal and it automatically went to 1680x1050 like it was supposed to.

Hope this helps someone out there!

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External Display Resolution 1920 x 1200 missing in System Preferences

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