sbuzby

Q: Mountain Lion keeps forgetting display arrangement

Hello,

 

I have a brand new 12-core Mac Pro using two ViewSonic VA2026W displays. Every time I shut down and start up my Mac after installing OSX 10.8, my display arrangement is reversed from how I had it set before shutting down. This happened once with the original install of 10.7, so I switched the cables around thinking I had put them in the wrong order, and it never happened again. It doesn't seem like I should have to switch the cables again just because it's a new OS. This problem never occurred on my older 6-core Mac Pro on 10.6.8 using the same exact displays.

 

I understand that I can go into the system preferences and change the arrangement back, but that becomes pretty annoying having to then drag windows back where they are supposed to be and resetting wallpaper. I saw something about how the OS might not be able to tell the difference between the two displays, but why would this just become a problem with 10.8? And please don't say I should purchase Apple displays, they are absurdly high-priced.

 

Thanks for any advice you can provide!

 

Sam

Mac Pro, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Jul 30, 2012 8:36 AM

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Q: Mountain Lion keeps forgetting display arrangement

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  • by JCrebbin,

    JCrebbin JCrebbin Jan 3, 2013 7:05 PM in response to sbuzby
    Level 2 (220 points)
    Jan 3, 2013 7:05 PM in response to sbuzby

    Possible Solution.... needs testing, but initial trial has been successful. Does this work for anyone else?

     

    There are two .plist files I have identified which record the screen arrangement:

     

    1. /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist     (top level library, not user library)
    2. ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.windowserver.FE******-****-****-****-**********2E.plist

        (user library, where *** are unique code)

     

    I think the first drives the system arrangment (e.g., login window at startup etc), and the second is a user's own setup.

     

    1. I modified the screen and menu arrangement through System Preferences, which modified file (1).
    2. Using a text editor I copied and pasted everything into a new blank document and saved as com.apple.windowserver.plist
      • then duplicated the file and named it as per file (2). *even though there were some minor differences.
    3. I backed up and deleted the windowserver plists from both the system and user preference (ByHost) folders, including the lockfiles.
    4. Moved my new documents into their respective folders and rebooted... windows appeared where they were supposed to. (I should mention that I moved the screen and menu arrangement back to the 'wrong' way first, which showed me that the files had indeed altered the arrangement).

     

    The question is - will this now hold?

     

    Perhaps locking the file / changing the permissions to prevent the system updating it might help IF the problem reoccurs?

  • by sshanky,

    sshanky sshanky Feb 12, 2013 11:30 PM in response to sbuzby
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 12, 2013 11:30 PM in response to sbuzby

    Same problem here. mid2010 mac pro with two monitors. started after upgrading to 10.8, and I've rebuilt the system in the meantime and it still happens.    

  • by Syncopator,

    Syncopator Syncopator Feb 13, 2013 12:19 AM in response to Syncopator
    Level 1 (124 points)
    Applications
    Feb 13, 2013 12:19 AM in response to Syncopator

    UPDATE: For unrelated reasons, I had to replace one of my two, matching NVIDIA GeForce display cards with a new, ATI Radeon 5770 card, which now drives both my 2nd display *and* a 3rd one that I need occasionally.

     

    Interestingly, my desktop arrangement has been consistent, ever since (for the last 5 days or so). I don't know if the new card was the fix or just the fact that a change to the card configuration "jiggered" something (and that I could in theory now put the NVIDIA card back in). But so far, so good. Just thought I'd mention this new development.

  • by davidb239,

    davidb239 davidb239 Mar 1, 2013 4:58 AM in response to sbuzby
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 1, 2013 4:58 AM in response to sbuzby

    Same problem here, on mid2010 macpro hexcore. I am using two 27" Apple Cinema Displays, one connected to each of two ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics cards (in PCI slots 1 and 3). The display swapping only started with Mountain Lion. It is inconsistent - it happens after a variable number of reboots. I have just completed my 3rd clean re-install of Mountain Lion (10.8.2) and the problem remains.

     

    I have physically swapped the displays and it makes no difference whether or not the "Main" display is driven form the first or second graphics card.

     

    Occasionally I have also seen one blank display - overcome by rebooting - but this is a very infrequent additional problem.

     

    I have worked through all except the most recent suggestion from JCrebbin (Jan 3rd 2013).

  • by Syncopator,

    Syncopator Syncopator Mar 1, 2013 12:28 PM in response to Syncopator
    Level 1 (124 points)
    Applications
    Mar 1, 2013 12:28 PM in response to Syncopator

    2nd UPDATE: Never mind. The bug is back.

  • by Scott Finlayson,

    Scott Finlayson Scott Finlayson Mar 1, 2013 2:09 PM in response to sbuzby
    Level 1 (22 points)
    Mar 1, 2013 2:09 PM in response to sbuzby

    This issue continues for me as well - again, ever since the update to Mountain Lion, I am having this issue. Especially annoying when you combine it with the OTHER new issue I am dealing with since Mountain Lion which is constant Kernel Panics. With every Kernel Panic, comes the additional series of tasks to go back in and rearrange the virtual monitors, move the menu bar to the correct screen and reapply the correct ColorSync profiles to the correct displays.

     

    God, I miss the days (years) of just NEVER crashing on OS X, and how everything just "worked".

     

     

  • by donovanfromca,

    donovanfromca donovanfromca Mar 6, 2013 4:19 PM in response to sbuzby
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 6, 2013 4:19 PM in response to sbuzby

    I have this problem also since Mountain Lion and I've discovered the fix!  Leave the computer on....

    But seriously, after spending the afternoon doing thing like the usual and unusual under the friendly supervision of RJ and Alex and someone else at Apple.  No, I mean I pulled off the side of my Mac Pro and re-seated all the drives.  The consensus and conclusion is that this IS A BUG, and it is now a KNOWN BUG in ML and the engineers over there need to fix it, soon we hope.  At least Alex was good enough to admit it at the end of the day.  I owned Mac since Classic, then LC, too many to mention and next to the horrifying Airport update years ago that sank Logic 7 this is the farthest I've gone without geting resolution.  Call in.  My case #420716431.  I don't know if I should give that out, but we need to pull together to get them to work on it as hard as we have.  I really feel for you guys with a slew of monitors.  I only have the two, and half the time I'm good to go.  I don't know what they are thinking not having resolution available in the menu bar, but I didn't get into that.  I'll be checking back here in case someone cracks this.  Thanks, Donovan in Oxnard

  • by RVHernandez,

    RVHernandez RVHernandez Mar 6, 2013 4:23 PM in response to donovanfromca
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mar 6, 2013 4:23 PM in response to donovanfromca

    Nice post! That's all we can do at this point is laugh, because we've all been through the other emotions.

     

    And yes, I too have found the "solution" – I now just sleep my computer at the end of the day and restart maybe once a week.

  • by donovanfromca,

    donovanfromca donovanfromca Mar 6, 2013 4:37 PM in response to RVHernandez
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 6, 2013 4:37 PM in response to RVHernandez

    I haven't used Applescript for ages.  Just wondering if I could at least automate putting things right.  Don't know if this would be scriptable or if the program is still on my computer somewhere....will advise if I succeed.

  • by mrascal,

    mrascal mrascal Mar 10, 2013 3:48 PM in response to sbuzby
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 10, 2013 3:48 PM in response to sbuzby

    Same problem here.  Love to have a solution.

  • by donovanfromca,

    donovanfromca donovanfromca Mar 10, 2013 4:11 PM in response to mrascal
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 10, 2013 4:11 PM in response to mrascal

    I will post here if I come up with anything and hope others will do the same.  -d

  • by RVHernandez,

    RVHernandez RVHernandez Mar 14, 2013 2:40 PM in response to sbuzby
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mar 14, 2013 2:40 PM in response to sbuzby

    10.8.3 came out today and no fix. I still have this problem...

  • by Chf.MojoRising,

    Chf.MojoRising Chf.MojoRising Mar 16, 2013 11:00 AM in response to sbuzby
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 16, 2013 11:00 AM in response to sbuzby

    My issue is a little different. I have two screens connected to my Mac Pro. One is my 7 year old Cinema Display and the other is a 42" tv. The computer remembers my settings on my personal, limited account, but isn't outputting to the tv on my admin account. My original problem is that the log in screen outputs to the tv, even when off, most of the time.

     

    I just to log in from the smaller Cinema Display that's in front o the keyboard rather than the tv that's mostly off and sits to the side.

  • by davidb239,

    davidb239 davidb239 Mar 18, 2013 10:25 AM in response to RVHernandez
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 18, 2013 10:25 AM in response to RVHernandez

    I have just installed 10.8.3 and can also confirm that I still have this problem.

  • by sshanky,

    sshanky sshanky Mar 18, 2013 10:28 AM in response to sbuzby
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 18, 2013 10:28 AM in response to sbuzby

    I spoke with a friend who works for Apple, and he told me that the only way to really get Apple's attention is to file a bug report at bugreport.apple.com. I did so, having to register as a developer to do it, and provided a link to this thread, but they then replied asking for too much information for me to have time to fill out.

     

    If anyone wants to do it, it would probably help. I'm bugging out of this now, because I've moved on to another computer that doesn't seem to have the same issue. Good luck everyone!

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