Display arrangement: Mac (iMac) forgets display order every time I turn it on

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Display arrangement: Mac (iMac) forgets display order every time I turn it on

I use an iMac 2021 (latest stable Ventura release) and a second external display. Every single time I boot my computer, the secondary display is on the wrong side (left). I fix it in System Preferences using the display arrangement settings. Then, the next day when I turn my computer on again, my secondary display is on the wrong side. It's infuriating.

I did some searching, but I'm unable to find a solution for this one. Anyone else experience this? Did you find a way to fix it?

iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021, 2 ports)

Posted on Dec 27, 2022 5:46 AM

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Answer 1

K_Wall44

Community Specialist

Dec 28, 2022 11:55 AM in response to zacharye

Hi zacharye,

Does the issue occur in safe mode? If you are not familiar with the safe mode steps, you can follow the steps here: How to use safe mode on your Mac to get it done. Once in safe mode, you'd want to use the Mac as you normally would to see if the issue occurs again. You can tell when the Mac is in safe mode because on the desktop it will show the words Safe Boot in the top right-hand corner of the screen. The steps are also below.

"Apple silicon

Shut down your Mac.
Turn on your Mac and continue to press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window.
Select your startup disk, then press and hold the Shift key while clicking “Continue in Safe Mode.”
Log in to your Mac. You might be asked to log in again.

Intel processor

Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key as your Mac starts up.
Release the key when you see the login window, then log in to your Mac.
You might be asked to log in again. On either the first or second login window, you should see ”Safe Boot” in the upper-right corner of the window."

If the issue occurs, have you tried swapping the cables to resolve the issue?

Best regards.

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Answer 2

zacharye Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 2, 2023 5:26 AM in response to zacharye

OK... if anyone comes across this thread because you're having the same issue, I finally figured it out.

It's the zoom setting.

In System Preferences > Displays, both displays MUST be set to default zoom. As long as they are, my iMac seems to remember the proper display arrangement when it boots. If either display is zoomed in, the displays are flipped when I boot.

What an annoying macOS bug. Hope this helps other people with this issue.

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Answer 3

MVegas21

Community Specialist

Dec 28, 2022 12:22 PM in response to zacharye

Hi zacharye,

To further isolate the issue test in a new Administrator account. If needed, this article will guide you through creating a new account: Add a user or group on Mac.

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Users & Groups in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

2. Click the Add Account button below the list of users on the right (you may be asked to enter your password.)

3. Click the New Account pop-up menu, then choose Administrator.

4. Enter a full name for the new user. An account name is generated automatically. To use a different account name, enter it now—you can’t change it later.

5. Enter a password for the user, then enter it again to verify. Enter a password hint to help the user remember their password.

6. Click Create User.

Cheers.

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Answer 4

Sheree_P

Community Specialist

Dec 28, 2022 1:13 PM in response to zacharye

Hi zacharye,

Since the issue doesn't appear in a different account, it appears the issue may be settings related. This article has great information that may help: Use one or more external displays with your Mac.

If you're unable to determine the cause, we recommend contacting Apple Support here: Get Support.

Take care.

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Answer 5

zacharye Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 28, 2022 12:12 PM in response to K_Wall44

Thanks for responding — I just tested and yes, the issue is the same when booting into safe mode.

Re: swapping cables, I'm using an iMac so there's only one cable connected to one external display. I have tried different cables though, and I also tried both Thunderbolt ports. None of that helped with the issue, unfortunately.

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Answer 6

zacharye Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 28, 2022 12:37 PM in response to MVegas21

Appreciate the response. I can confirm that on the new admin account, the iMac does correctly remember the display arrangement after a shutdown. I tested my main account again as well and the problem persists. Thanks

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Answer 7

zacharye Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 28, 2022 1:37 PM in response to Sheree_P

Ok great, thanks again. Unfortunately, I've gone through all the display-related settings mentioned in that article (and more), so I'll have to reach out to support. Appreciate everyone's help — thanks yall

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Answer 8

zacharye Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 31, 2023 4:08 AM in response to zacharye

So, I ended up rearranging my desk and placing my second display on the other side of my iMac to accommodate this issue. Funny enough, I like it better this way, with the display to the left of my iMac instead of the right.

Things were going great until earlier this week, when I booted my iMac and my second display was placed on the right side instead of the left. "That's strange and ironic," I thought before rearranging it to be back on the left. That was the original side I wanted it on, but I rearranged my desk because nothing would fix the bug.

But now... it's on the right side every single time I boot my iMac. Incredible.

Bumping this thread to see if there have been any developments or if anyone else might know something. My iMac is just trolling me at this point.

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Display arrangement: Mac (iMac) forgets display order every time I turn it on

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