10.8.4 External Display Problem

Fix found for me connecting 15" Retina MBP to 23" Cinema Display. Installing Maverick did not help or solve the DVI to Thunderbolt adapter problem. But a $4 DVI to HDMI adapter solved everything. Maverick definitely brings extra functionality to the dual display setup. At first you'll think it's mirroring... but noooo... It gives you menu bar on both sides now, regardless of which is chosen as primary monitor.

The Wacom draw tablet does not retain memory. It always defaults back to monitor 1. But set the external monitor up as #1 and Wacom works great. All functions transfer back to MBP when disconnecting monitor... Then back to monitor when reconnecting. This is good!

Good luck all!

The problem seems to have creeped back after a brief bliss period just after I installed Maverick. Guess I can try DVI to HDMI cable ...

My problem just worsened. Upon restart this morning, I now have 3 inches of black on both sides, whereas the problem was initially restricted to 3 inches of black on the left side only. Even though workarounds seem to help for some, there's clearly a software bug at play here--and one that continues to be ingnored by Apple.

I had exact problem of offset screen for about 2 years. Serious problem after upgrade to Mavericks as I counldn't access the top menu. The problem was solved not via software or computer settings BUT by going to the tv/monitor - menu - horizontal/vetical control settings. Simple in the end!

fixed

i bought a new adapter mini displayport dvi and its ok

it was not a software pb and not linked with update apple software

This problem only occurs with VGA adapters and also seems to be unique to nVidia chipsets. I have a Mac Mini at home, connected via a KVM switch and it works fine, but my MBP with nVidia chipset doesn't work properly. If I connect my MBP directly to the VGA monitor and detect displays from the preferences, it works fine, but as soon as I connect my MBP via the KVM switch, I get the black bars on either side of my VGA monitor. You would think that once a display has been detected, that you would be able to save this configuration, but that is not the case.

No @hispeed i had problem on dvi thunderbolt, stop to say that, i hadnt a VGA display

!!!!

i changed the adapter and its ok

I have a Samsung SyncMaster S27B350 external monitor (1920 x 1080) with the official Apple VGA to Mini-DVI converter connected to my MacBook Pro. After upgrading to Mavericks (10.9), the display would no longer detect the correct settings and wouldn't offer the correct dimensions either. Everything was stretched or too large.

By happenstance, I learned that if I put my machine to sleep, then login again, the display is fixed and no longer stretched.

Hope that helps someone else. Nothing else seemed to work for me.

🙂

This is so sad! I followed this post from the beginning hoping for a solution. We are now so many months further and Apple has not even responded to this. I am convinced they just want us to buy dvi. I think the newer mbp's dont have vga anymore. I gave up hope that it will be fixed. It is a statement of Apple, they are now only focussed on profit, the quality has seriously dropped.

I dont know what to think, but it seems to me that some of these post in here saying that it is not a software problem because dvi fixed the problem might come from Apple to give balance to this thread.

It is a software bug. Everything worked fine until 10.8.4!

I lost complete confidence of having the latest update. I will wait with any future update untill I am sure nothing will go broken.

Only one thing is clear to me, Apple is not what it used to be anymore ever since jobs left us.

Can't confirm.

!!!! SOLVED !!!!

The same problem here both on my wife's Air11 and my Pro13. Both are 10.8.5.

Non original cheap mini displayport-vga adapter.

PRAM,NVRAM and SMC RESET SOLVED MY ISSUE. It takes 2minutes.

Hope it helps some of you.

Has anyone else tried resetting PRAM/NVRAM/SMC? I am still at 10.8.4. Going to make a fresh time machine backup on a new disk and then try to upgrade to Mavericks, and then do this reset to see if it resolves. I am using a 2009 mac mini, using a Samsung monitor through a KVM.

Well, I am on Mavericks 10.9.1, and I have a full display, but resetting PRAM/SMC did not help. Here is what worked for me, and I am not sure how long it will work. I made a fresh backup of 10.8.4 on a seperate drive and disconnected it to be safe for a few weeks.

I upgraded to 10.9.1 and had the same messed up display issue as 10.8.5 introduced (squeezed in about 2 inches on left and about 1/2 inch on right). I tried resetting per post above but it did not help. Actually, I ended up losing 1920x1080 for a little while (hint, hold alt down before selecting scaled if you lose it).

I found a new VGA cable in the garage, I swapped the existing cable (from monitor to KVM) to the new one, going directly from monitor to 3rd party VGA adapter. It took a minute, but then the display came back up. It was still off. I then went into display and selected Best for Display, it blacked out, and when it came back up it was finally correct. Showing edge to edge, 1920x1080.

I did put the computer to sleep and woke it up, still looks good. I also restarted a couple of times, still looks good.

I may try to buy the apple official adapter, but at this point I am not sure if it is the adapter or the KVM that the newer releases of OSX does not like.

Either way, it is a software problem that Apple should address. If it were hardware related, it would not work without any jumping through hoops. My .02.

Apple?

You are a legend!

Have a Samsung Synchmaster SA100 19" - only has VGA in... Have had endless problems with it - but it was cheap, and as a student, I don't have the luxury of upgrading just yet.

All was working fine until this morning - I initally thought it had something to do with my upgrading a little app called ZoomIt, since it mentioned something about improving compatibility with Mavericks dual-screen support. Deleting it did nothing, as did several restarts.

Was very disheartened upon learning that the issue might be with the VGA - since, as mentioned, I'm kind of stuck on it. After spending the better part of 2 hours trawling the web, with no luck - saw your suggestion, and tried it...

And what do you know - it worked!! Literally, click on Apple logo, select sleep, wait for heartbeat light, and wake my MBP (mid-2012 i5) [never even put in my password - obviously set to 15 minutes or something] - but miraculously, screen resolution back to how it was [automagically set to "best for display"], and the black bars have disappeared!

Trying to write up my dissertation - I am SO releived this worked. Thanks again!

Haven't been on my Mac for a couple of days, came back and the display has the same issue again (black bars, 2" on left, 1/2" on right). Did the same thing I did the other day, used a seperate plug not going to the kvm, detected display and everything is appearing properly again. My computer is set to not sleep, only shut down at 1AM and wake up at 8AM (sleeping is a problem with Plex). Frustrating to have to keep doing this....Apple? THIS IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. It would be nice to see an official response.