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User profile for user: grinerswife00
grinerswife00 Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

desktop background for external monitor

This might be difficult to explain, but here goes...

I use a macbook pro at our church. We plug into an external projector with the dvi. When I boot up the mbp, the projector projects a former desktop background. (I am not mirroring displays, nor do I want to). However, I do want that former background to change to the current one. The one the projector displays is the one of the earth, if that matters (this was my former desktop on the mbp). My current desktop background is not of the earth. I did attempt to mirror displays and that did not change the projected desktop. Thanks.

macbook pro, Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Nov 29, 2009 11:55 AM

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User profile for user: sdschramm
sdschramm
User level: Level 3
525 points

Posted on Nov 29, 2009 4:04 PM

Connect to the other screen and turn off mirror mode. Now open system prefs and go to the desktop/wallpaper section. You will now get two windows, one on each screen. Set the wallpapers you want on each screen. Now, unplug the DVI. You may need to set your laptop screen wallpaper one more time.

Now, when you connect the DVI the wallpapers should change to how you just set them.

OS X is smart and remembers your desktop picture PER monitor and PER resolution.

For example, I have a 24" external monitor at home. I have one wallpaper set on there, but if I plug in a projector to do a presentation, the screen res goes to 1024 x 768, so there is a different wallpaper for that screen. Unlike windows, you don't have to change it EVERY time. Just once, and then the Mac will save it 🙂

Hope that helps!

Regards,
Scott
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User profile for user: sdschramm
sdschramm
User level: Level 3
525 points

Nov 29, 2009 4:04 PM in response to grinerswife00

Connect to the other screen and turn off mirror mode. Now open system prefs and go to the desktop/wallpaper section. You will now get two windows, one on each screen. Set the wallpapers you want on each screen. Now, unplug the DVI. You may need to set your laptop screen wallpaper one more time.

Now, when you connect the DVI the wallpapers should change to how you just set them.

OS X is smart and remembers your desktop picture PER monitor and PER resolution.

For example, I have a 24" external monitor at home. I have one wallpaper set on there, but if I plug in a projector to do a presentation, the screen res goes to 1024 x 768, so there is a different wallpaper for that screen. Unlike windows, you don't have to change it EVERY time. Just once, and then the Mac will save it 🙂

Hope that helps!

Regards,
Scott
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desktop background for external monitor

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