Can't use full screen on second display.

I gave them my ideas, and that is when they shut up, so they already have them. The engineer seemed receptive to most of them, and kind of hinted that I was on the right track with their thinking... so it shows they are looking into things.

Do NOT update to VLC version 2.0.0! It adopts Apple's new full-screen set-up, meaning that with an external monitor connected VLC opens in full screen to the primary monitor (which is the laptop's display, not the external [unless you change the display settings in System Prefs]). The old workaround of using VLC dies with version 2.0.0, so don't update unless you're willing to close your laptop's lid or change the primary screen every time you want to watch anything with VLC!

Good news on that: the VLC team chose to include an option to disable that, so the workaround still stands 🙂

Awesome! How does one go about doing that? I bet I could figure it out eventually but VLC has a ridiculous ammount of settings...

No I believe that is correct, even if you select "Save" after changing the fullscreen preference in VLC 2.0.0, you need to restart the app. But once you do that, it's back to the old fullscreen approach (being able to use non-primary monitor). Thank goodness. I was really getting cranky about having upgraded to Lion w/o being aware of the huge limitation.

I can't believe Apple has implemented such a stupid feature like Fullscreen. There are so many people complaning about large empty screens and this error of course. PLEASE fix this!

This specific error is fixed in Mountain Lion. (To be fair, a fix could've been expected in 10.7.1, or at the very least in 10.7.4, but that's good news for everyone planning to get ML.)

Other than that, I don't know if Apple executives or software engineers actually read threads in here, so it would probably be more helpful to come here with questions other Mac users (or developers) can answer and direct that sort of feedback to http://www.apple.com/feedback/ .

I can't believe that they broke the perfectly acceptable operation of Snow Leopard and Leopard replacing it for a tablettastic mess. It's not as bad as Windows 8, but it's a pretty good try at ruining a working interface.

Just to have the option of running in the SL format and bring back Spaces. They can keep the new format for the newbies and lightweight users; power users need proper control over dozens of working applications on multiple monitors.

Even attempting to put preview full screen on a projector as the second monitor resulted in a blank projector screen and my red face (a combination of frustration, anger and embarrasment). Just awful. And for nine months nothing's changed. It's the old Apple cold shoulder.

Ive just connected second monitor to my imac which I used have under snow leopard - clicked full screen to find my second monitor turn Grey - hope mountain lion will fix this but called into the local apple store to see if there was a work around - he suggested having several desktops open and then using the 3 finger swipe to move through them - so far after a hour or so using it find its quite comfortable to do - not exactley full screen but better than blank second monitor screen ! - three finger swipe up to get into mission control take mouse pointer to top right another desktop appears with a Plus sign on it - click this you get your second- third fourth etc desktops - then three finger swipe left and right - works nicely for me

incdentally - can anyone answer a question - how can you run 2 0r three aditional monitors of an imac- not thunderbolt version ?

Seriously. Is waiting for Mountain Lion all we can do?

I'm afraid so. Or working around the issue, either by mirroring or by using apps that don't use the new fullscreen (Keynote for presentations, VLC for video files, etc).

I agree that Apple screwed up there and should've fixed it in 10.7.1. Maybe, just maybe, they will fix it sooner if more people send them actual feedback.