Cannot switch to virtual display

Question

Level 2

488 points

Cannot switch to virtual display

3 different Macs:

Mine: Mountain Lion
Wife's: Lion
Mom's: Snow Leopard

Up until I installed the Mountain Lion upgrade on my Mac, I could use Share Screen with any one of the above and be able to "Switch to virtual display". Now, when logging into my wife's Mac (Lion) or my mom's Mac Mini (Snow Leopard), I don't even have the option to switch to virtual display... I can only do screen sharing.

However, when I sit at my wife's Mac (Lion) and use screen sharing to access my Mac (Mountain Lion) the option to switch to virtual display is present but it's grayed out (disabled).

Anyone got any secrets they'd be willing to share?

OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Aug 8, 2012 6:13 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 22, 2012 11:13 AM in response to Michael Paul

I have same problem.

When use Screen Sharing on Mountain Lion and connect to iMac (Lion) there isn't option Virtual Display.

When use Screen Sharing on Lion and connect to MacBook Pro (Mountain Lion) have option Virtual Display but disabled.

Copy screen sharing from Lion to Mountain Lion but option Virtual Display remains disabled.

Do you have find a solution?

Thanks!

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Answer 2

Sep 22, 2012 11:54 AM in response to Smashmedia

Or maybe Apple has disabled this option.

Ahm ... if a user is logged in I want to access and then can go into an area "virtual"

Try it and let me know!

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Answer 3

Rob Sz

Level 1

15 points

Oct 25, 2012 7:18 AM in response to Michael Paul

Yes, the Switch to Virtual Display feature seems to have been removed from OS X 10.8. My workaround was to create a dummy screen saver user account; after switching the display to that user, a virtual display option for my actual user account is presented as an option when connecting to the machine. (Yeesh.)

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Answer 4

Feb 24, 2013 11:57 AM in response to Michael Paul

I also miss this feature! Why can't we choose to have the switch to virtual display at anytime?

There is a discussion about the same thing here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4674841?answerId=21344852022#21344852022

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Answer 5

Eric Root

Level 10

684,039 points

Feb 24, 2013 1:40 PM in response to Michael Paul

Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.

Feedback

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Answer 6

Mar 18, 2013 11:09 AM in response to Michael Paul

In the new implementation you only get the option to use the virtual account if somone else is utilizing the system (wife logged in and you try to login with your different account.) Otherwise I think apple figures no one is using the system why would you need to specifiy a virtual login. If you do use the active account for ARD or screen sharing you could always lock the screen (curtain icon) if you don't want anyone around the remote system to see what you are doing (in effect creating the same concept as full virtual.)

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Answer 7

Mar 18, 2013 2:47 PM in response to keithfromvirginia beach

Where is that curtain icon on screen sharing (the one that comes with 10.8 version?

I don't see it, and ARD is not free, right?

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Answer 8

Mar 20, 2013 1:28 PM in response to alias.mac

You are right I guess there is no lock or curtain icon for screen sharing. I remember back in 10.5 you could hack it to do so but I don't see anything for the newer OS. ARD does have the features but as you pointed it is not free (although a really good price for what it does.)

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