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User profile for user: jeanphicrosoft
jeanphicrosoft Author
User level: Level 1
43 points

Displays.menu unavailable on my menu bar

This issue is very ... bizarre !


After 2 fresh installations of Mountain Lion on my laptop (MBP 15` early 2011), I am completely unable make appear the display icon on my menu bar (I plug a videoprojector), by using the standard way, clicking on the dedicated checkbox OR by using the non-standard way, starting from Displays.menu (detailed after).


I strongly underline that some days ago, before these 2 installations, and after many other installations, I never encounter this issue : the icon was OK, using the same USB stick to install Montain Lion : this is not linked to the age of my laptop or laptop elligible for Airplay Video or something similar ... I have tried by installing Snow Leopard : no issue to show or unshow the relevant icon.


In parallel, I have tried :

- reset PRAM & NVRAM

- start on saved mode (hit SHIFT at boot startup) to refresh caches

- try to start manualy Diplays.menu available in /System/Libraries/Core services/Menu extra/ ...


without success !


EXCEPT that for this third solution, when I double-click on Displays.menu, something very fugitive happens in the menu bar, the icon appears, but dissapears immediatly after !


I thought that this could have been linked to an issue of space in the menu bar, or due to icons not provided by the system itself (Dropbox, VMware ...) but no.


I also tried to move system icons on other places (holding  on keybord) but no : it doesn't work !


It was OK in the past, and now, without any reason, it does not work again !


I'm still searching for a solution ... any suggestions ?

OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), iPhone iMac Mac Book Pro ...

Posted on Feb 2, 2013 1:19 AM

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7 replies
User profile for user: Topher Kessler
Topher Kessler
User level: Level 6
9,905 points

Mar 2, 2013 11:21 PM in response to jeanphicrosoft

In the Finder hold the Option key and choose "Library" from the Go menu. Then go to the Preferences folder in here and remove the file called "com.apple.systemuiserver.plist" and then log out and back in to your account. Then try setting the Displays menu extra to show in the menu.


Does the menu show up for other user accounts (create a fresh one to test this out if you don't have one)?

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User profile for user: mende1
mende1
User level: Level 10
93,538 points

Mar 2, 2013 11:22 PM in response to jeanphicrosoft

You have a Mac compatible with AirPlay Mirroring. See > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5404


That's the icon you are seeing on the menu bar, and it's to mirror the computer to an Apple TV, not to an external display. Apple has removed the Displays menu in OS X Mountain Lion, so you need a third-party app to make it appear again, as Display Menu > https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/display-menu/id549083868?mt=12

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User profile for user: jeanphicrosoft
jeanphicrosoft Author
User level: Level 1
43 points

Mar 2, 2013 11:40 PM in response to mende1

Maybe compatible, but (don't be angry ...) this is not the question, and i'm not convinced with your second comment because this icon exists in ML, and it can work, to manage also external display.


At work, there is no Apple TV, nore any other airplay compatible stuff : ML is not only dedicated to be used at home.


What I'm interested for, is to use the original program provided by OSX, discover where is the issue in the principal session, because it can work, as expected.


For me, this is a bug, not a restriction.

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Displays.menu unavailable on my menu bar

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