I can't view the entire screen when connected to an external monitor via VGA adapter

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I can't view the entire screen when connected to an external monitor via VGA adapter

PLEASE HELP - my screen cracked on my MacBook and I'm unable to see anything (it's just fuzzy white) so I purchased the VGA adaptor so I can connect to an external monitor. When I plug in the screen is zoomed to close and I can not view the entire screen. I can see one application that I have open, which is iMovie but can not see the top menu or my icons at the bottom. How can I adjust the settings seeing how I can not access the menu bar or anything else for that matter. It also appears to be showing a second screen, maybe not my desktop because the background is different. I'm running on OS X Lion.

Any help is appreciated, I'm trying to finish an end of the year slide show for my kindergartner that I need completed today, I was five minutes away from finalizing then my two year old threw his monster truck at my screen!!!

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on May 29, 2012 9:12 AM

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Answer 1

May 29, 2012 9:31 AM in response to m_mak

You have the display set in Extended Desktop mode with the MacBook as the main screen. In System Preferences>Display on the MacBook screen there should be an Arrangement tab when you have the MacBook hooked up to the TV and both screens working. When you click the Arrangement tab do you see two monitors side by side? One of them will have a Menu Bar at the top. Just click on the Menu Bar and drag it to the second monitor. That will make the second monitor your main screen.

You can now use your MacBook in Clamshell Mode with a wired or Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3131 When you disconnect from the TV your Menu Bar will automatically change back to the MacBook.

Or if you want to use the MacBook’s keyboard and trackpad to work on the MacBook screen while showing it on a TV you can check the Mirror Display box on the lower left hand side of the Arrangement tab under the two monitors box.

If you can’t see your MacBook screen because it’s broken or the backlight is off use the F7 key to switch between Extended Desktop and Mirror Display.

(From the MacBook User Guide: F7 (video mode toggle key) Switch between dual-display mode (extending the desktop across the built-in display and an external display) and video-mirroring mode (presenting the same information on both displays).

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Answer 2

m_mak Author

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May 29, 2012 9:50 AM in response to frederic1943

Thank you for the write up. Since I can't see my screen on the MacBook I tried F7 but it didn't change the external to the main screen. Any other suggestions? I did try to click around on the unviewable MacBook screen hoping to get lucky and grab the menu bar to pull it over but wasn't able to do that either.

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Answer 3

May 29, 2012 2:59 PM in response to m_mak

I'm sorry you must have a newer MacBook. The F7 video toggle key was only on the Early 2006 model 1,1 MacBooks and the Late 2006 & Mid 2007 model 2,1 MacBooks. I've got the model 2,1 so I gave you the advice without checking that it was good for all MacBooks.

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