Mac mini M2 monitor switching

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29 points

Mac mini M2 monitor switching

What's up with that? Been using my MacMini M2 for a few months now with one monitor. Last week my old iMac 27 died on me and now I'm using the Mini full time. I hooked up an additional cheap Acer monitor that I use in front of my keyboard for composing until I got a new better monitor, no problems. Worked great!

So yesterday I get a notice from Best Buy that a sale was happening and the monitor I was looking at was 100.00 dollars off! It's a Samsung 4K 28inch. Not top of the line, but way better than the Acer!

When I boot up, it's forgetting which monitor I had made the default, the new 4K, if I turn on the other Samsung 1080, it comes up (the 4K) but it's having me log in on the 1080 Samsung! I switch between the HDMI and the adapter and it does the same thing!

No big deal, but I would like to know what is happening. It makes me wonder if this is why I'm having display issues when using FCP, does crazy things. I can't imagine it's the monitor, I think it's an OS issue.

Any ideas?

Mac mini, macOS 13.2

Posted on Jun 19, 2023 5:41 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 19, 2023 4:27 PM in response to Don Johns

If you're only turning on one monitor before you turn on the Mac Mini – then maybe the Mac Mini is making the one that is turned on (and available to display the login prompt and Dock) into the new main monitor.

Just a thought.

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Answer 2

Don Johns Author

Level 1

29 points

Jun 20, 2023 5:23 AM in response to Servant of Cats

No, that's not it. I read your response and decided to try an experiment. I turned on both monitors before booting and it defaulted to the monitor to the left. Monitor on the right was blank. I logged in on the left monitor, then the right monitor came on. I went into my preferences and it was showing left monitor as my default, when I switched them, (which I've done multiple times) The desktop images (external drives) switched over to the left monitor!

This is nuts! Apple you need to change your slogan to something else, because "It Just Works" is not what happens anymore, yes it use to be that way, but lately I feel like I"m using a PC instead of a Mac.

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Mac mini M2 monitor switching

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