Did Apple remove the ability to rotate an external display in Mavericks?

It should be avaliable in System Preferences > Displays > Display

If you cannot see it on your setup, try holding the OPTION button when clicking on Scaled.

This may prompt it being visible.

@actionmarker yes .. it allows to select other resolutions. but some of them are missing.

for example, i was using 720x1280 while in 10.6.. now i can't find this option anymore..

is there anyway to force the resolution? i.e. edit config file??

I noticed this same thing after upgrading to Mavericks. I have been using 17" monitor in portrait mode in resolution 1024x1280 with my iMac, but now after upgrading the rotation preference doesn't work like it did in 10.8. When I set rotation of 90 degrees, I only get resolution choice of 1024x768 which results in more than two inches of black bars at the top and bottom of the screen.

Anyone has solution on it?

I got exactly the same issue as mikkoo...

annoying

Leucothea, are you using VGA cable between mac and monitor? I was using VGA cable earlier and now that I got my hands on a DVI adapter, I decided to give it a try. It worked!

If you're using VGA, get your hands on a DVI adapter and cable and give it a try.

Mikkoo,

Thanks for you information. Yes, I am using VGA cable.

And I finally resolved the issue by holding the OPTION key then chose "scale" in display perference.

By doing this, you will be able to see a lot more resolution choices. And I did find one that is suit my monitor.

Good luck!

Yes, it appears that Apple did remove the ability to rotate an external display in Mavericks.

For an iMAC running Mavericks connected via DVI to an external monitor, when 90º (portrait) screen orientation is selected in the ROTATION menu (Standard, 90º, 180º, 270º) in the Display Tab of the external monitor Display, both screens rotate to portrait. No combination of Control, Option, Command alters this. I've tried. Unless I'm missing something.

Ann

I stand corrected; in Mavericks you can have the external monitor in portrait with the main display in landscape. (On thoughtful reflection, Apple would obviously have the capacity to rotate the external monitor independently because the display monitor cannot be physically rotated to accommodate a portrait orientation.)

If, when you select an option from Rotation on the external monitor preference window (Apple>System Preferences>Displays>Rotate) and the iMac display also rotates, check that the screen mirroring is disabled. This may require that you go to the Air Display Menu in the Finder Menu Bar and select Turn Display Mirroring Off (as shown)

This all seems so easy and obvious after the fact.

Now all I need is a monitor stand for my external monitor and I'm in heaven.

Ann

@actionmaker

For Mavericks, if both displays rotate to portrait when Rotation is selected for the external monitor, turn off Display Mirroring in the Finder Menu Bar. (Full explanation below.)