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DrBenru Author

Level 1

15 points

Turning off Macbook Display when using External Display on Lion

Before Lion you could turn off the internal display on a Macbook by closing the lid, putting the Macbook to sleep and using an external keyboard/mouse to wake it up. After waking up, the internal display would be off and you could open the lid and it would stay off. This allowed better airflow while using an external display, not to mention saved resources like video memory etc. If you wanted to turn the display back on all you had to do was select Detect Displays from the Display menu on the Menu Bar, or put it to sleep and wake it up with the lid open.

On Lion this function no longer works. Lion will automatically execute a Detect Displays when the lid is opened. I don't want to run Dual displays at the moment, my desk is not setup for this and I don't need it. I much rather have more video ram available when I'm playing World of Warcraft.

I know that not having control over what display is active is a more novice user friendly function, but some of us are not novices, Windows has had for years the ability to disable any display from the displays control panel. Most if not all windows laptops come with a dedicated function button expressly to select the active display (press it external display only, press again, internal display only, press again internal and external mirrored, press again internal and external dual display mode). This can be cumbersome and overwhelming to novice users I get it, but Apple should implement some fix for us gaming nerds. I want to keep my lid open to have better airflow and I want my internal display off. How about and advanced button on the Display Preferences.

Anyone know of any existing workarounds?

Macbook Pro 17"-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Jul 20, 2011 10:21 PM

112 replies

zachzach

Level 1

0 points

Apr 29, 2012 9:50 AM in response to DrBenru

sudo nvram boot-args="iog=0x0" worked for me on MacBook 5,1 (Late 2008 Unibody) with 10.7.3.

1. typed said command in Terminal

2. Closed lid on notebook

3. Clicked with Magic Mouse

4. MacBook's LCD doesn't even show up now

Littyboy

Level 1

4 points

May 6, 2012 9:29 PM in response to DrBenru

Do I require a bluetooth mouse/keyboard for this to work? I tried the sudo command route but it doesn't seem to work. I'm tryind to do an opened clamshell mode (lid open but monitor off)

1. Typed the command in terminal, input password.

2. Restart macbook pro

3. Internal monistor is on active during startup.

Am I suppose to close the lid and wake up the macbook somehow while the lid is closed? Or is it suppose to startup with the internal monitor already turned off?

By the way, the internal monitor is set as an extension of the external monitor. Not sure if that matters.

Littyboy

Level 1

4 points

May 6, 2012 10:01 PM in response to DrBenru

Edit: Nvm I got it to work. Thanks!

Godoy12

Level 1

0 points

May 8, 2012 10:43 AM in response to DrBenru

Alright, I found a solution that I think should be documented ASAP.

I'm running Mac OS X 10.7.3 on a Late 2010 MacBook Air, connected to a Samsung T24A350 through VGA.

This solution requires an external mouse.

1. In Mission Control Preferences activate one Hot Corner to put the display to sleep.

2. Connect the external monitor and plug in the power source to your computer.

3. Close the lid and wait for the external monitor to show the desktop after the blue screen.

4. Move the mouse to the Hot Corner to put the display to sleep using the external mouse.

5. Open the lid and voila!

Hope this helps cause it was driving me crazy and I didn't want to use magnets or terminal commands.

Apple, sometimes, you suck (I still love you tho).

Take care!

Godoy12

Level 1

0 points

May 12, 2012 4:10 AM in response to DrBenru

Better yet! Avoiding the need to use an external mouse:

Just put the display to sleep before closing the lid. When you open it only the external monitor will be used!

Shreeraj

Level 1

0 points

May 31, 2012 1:09 AM in response to DrBenru

I found that Lion does allow switching off the main display, but it requires power cable to be plugged in. I am using OS X 10.7.4

Jun 1, 2012 7:11 PM in response to DrBenru

I do not know which MacBook you have but mine shuts the internal display off when you turn the brightness all the way down.

FORESTCY

Level 1

4 points

Jun 2, 2012 2:26 AM in response to thejohnsmith

Don't need to do that. I posted some method here in page 17

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3190417?start=60&tstart=0

Jun 3, 2012 11:02 AM in response to Godoy12

I think this is the best solution

granted the magnet is faster but it gives me an uneasy feeling.

this answer should be marked as the one that actually solves the question this thread.

thank you so much.

Jun 26, 2012 2:38 PM in response to Godoy12

Fantastic Godoy12

eekaj

Level 1

4 points

Jun 26, 2012 7:44 PM in response to DrBenru

Not working for me.

can't believe its so complicated and this hard to get something so simple

I usually download an episode of something, then plug in the cable to my TV and watch it..

now your saying I need to have a power cable connected, I need to activate ho corners etc etc this is annoying!

If I put windows on bootcamp will it work normal?

Jun 29, 2012 2:08 PM in response to Godoy12

wonderful it worked, thank you, now I can use Lightroom on the large screen again, phewey

Jul 4, 2012 7:27 AM in response to essex girl

Hope someone can please advise, going nuts here trying to resolve external monitor issue....

Have white MacBook that I bought new in January 2007, been working fine with an old external 21" CRT monitor that I used with MacBook lid closed.

Running MacBook with Lion 10.7.4 and have a BookEndz dock.

In mid-May, decided to replace CRT with LCD monitor.

Bought a new ASUS 23" VH238H monitor. Connected it up to my BookEndz dock and it worked fine until the other day.

Before, I was able to open up lid, click on power button and then close lid and my external monitor would light up and then would see Mac boot up normally.

Now, when I try to use the external monitor I just get the message on display 'HDMI No Signal' and then screen goes black.....

Only other weirdness I had recently, is the System Prefs window not opening issue, but fixed that by trashing a pref file and rebooting Mac....

Any suggestions as to how to get external monitor recognized again by MacBook??

Thanks for any and all help.

Jul 4, 2012 12:53 PM in response to ArchiMark

Oops, my bad....figured it out, must have accidentally pressed the input source button, which is next to the monitor's power button....changed input source back to the correct one and voila! the monitor now recognizes and displays my Mac desktop again.....

🙂

Aug 6, 2012 2:35 AM in response to DrBenru

This works for me and should work for anyyone:

1. Activate "Mirror Displays"

2. Turn the internal screen black

Cheers

Turning off Macbook Display when using External Display on Lion