How to switch off iMac screen and only use an external monitor

Question

Level 1

9 points

How to switch off iMac screen and only use an external monitor

I know I'm going to sound foolish and the answer to my question may be simple
but I can't think straight at the moment

On my iMac the screen has a problem ( dead pixels ) and I will get it replaced in the future , in the mean time I have a very nice large external monitor connected to the iMac which I use ok, what I am looking for is a way at first when booting up , to be able to see both the iMac's screen and the external monitors screen , then some how shut off / make blank the iMacs screen only leaving the external monitor on ?

any advice or comments please

Thanks

2008 - 24inch iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.3), still Learning

Posted on Sep 17, 2010 1:34 AM

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Answer 1

nachdenki

Level 3

649 points

Sep 17, 2010 2:04 AM in response to redstain

afaik, this is not possible. maybe someone knows better, but I'm pretty sure

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Answer 2

redstain Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 17, 2010 2:18 AM in response to nachdenki

Hi, my idea was to just show a dark black background on the iMac's screen while I use the external monitor as the monitor sits at the iMac's side and looking at the pixalated screen gets on my nerves .

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Answer 3

nachdenki

Level 3

649 points

Sep 17, 2010 2:48 AM in response to redstain

yeah, I had the same idea as I have my tv connected to my imac, but it doesn't seem possible. you can lower the brightness of your imac, but unlike macbooks, the lowest setting doesn't mean "off"

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Answer 4

redstain Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 17, 2010 2:52 AM in response to nachdenki

Thanks for that , I wondered if I could Spaces some how ?
but if you have looked into things , may be not , and here's me think it would be just a simple click

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Answer 5

snkhan

Level 3

677 points

Sep 17, 2010 2:58 AM in response to redstain

Try:

Control + Shift + Eject

That should switch off the main monitor.

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Answer 6

redstain Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 17, 2010 3:03 AM in response to snkhan

Hi and thanks, but it turns off both the iMac screen and my external monitor

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Answer 7

den.thed

Level 9

77,146 points

Sep 17, 2010 3:33 AM in response to redstain

In Extended Desktop Mode +(Mirroring Off)+, Shades can independently dim either display to black.

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/23370/shades

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Answer 8

redstain Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 17, 2010 5:32 AM in response to den.thed

Thanks for that, ive downloaded it and it works fine , the only problem is ,as I need to mirror the desktop on my external monitor, but shades does not work in mirrored mode? not too sure what to try next

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Answer 9

den.thed

Level 9

77,146 points

Sep 17, 2010 5:17 PM in response to redstain

Extended Desktop Mode is the way to go, it gives you far more options than Mirroring Mode..

For example: selecting the proper Resolution for each display, dragging the menu bar to the connected display in Arrangement's using it as the main display, plus the ability to use, dim and/or completely ignore the iMac's display.

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Answer 10

Nov 4, 2010 4:15 AM in response to redstain

Unfortunatelly, this is an useful functionality that Apple has not implemented.
You can make it work by closing the lid of your laptop until it sleeps, pluging the monitor an conecting/disconnecting and USB socket so that the monitor screen wakes up. If latter on you open the lid the laptop, the screen remains unpowered.

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