Multi Display frustration

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1,361 points

Multi Display frustration

I’m now frustrated beyond belief with this multi display non functionality in Mavericks. My hope was that 10.9.2 would fix something. Maybe I’m using wrong hardware?

For hardware I’m using a 24-inch LED display (2010 model) with the latest iMac 27-inch. I’ve been a two-display Mac user for the longest time (since ‘90s with multiple graphics cards; upgrading every few years).

So my LED extended display worked beautifully with my now-retired iMac 24-inch. It should work fine connected to the new 27-inch iMac, right? The display port/ cable is compatible with the Thunderbolt port.

But is it not?

Or is it a Mavericks problem?

Problems new in Mavericks didn’t exist in Lion and before. They're mostly window positions. I didn't have Mtn Lion to compare. The problem affects way too many Apple apps. They open in one or the other display without rhyme or reason. It's totally random for which display the app will use when launched.

Finder windows

Safari

Mail activity window

Calendar

System Prefs

Notes

Text Edit

Pages

Numbers (probably the entire Mac suite)

Contacts

Word

Excel (the half-truncated windows where you can’t grab the title bar to move are the worst)

Quicken Essentials

too many others

Then auto brightness is entirely broken — I have to adjust the 24-inch display brightness MANUALLY every few hours.

Closest shred of consistency is Safari, when set to open all windows from last session with several tabs kept open before quitting AND Safari is launched directly as an app next time (as opposed to double-clicking a file to launch it).

Anybody else?

Any help? What am I missing?

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9), and iPad4 iOS7

Posted on Apr 8, 2014 6:37 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,518 points

Apr 8, 2014 6:54 PM in response to Ken2G5

I'm not sure I completely follow what you are seeing, but Mavericks does handle displays differently.

First, by default, each diplay is its own space. Each one has its own set of Desktops (Spaces). You can switch between desktops on one display, and the other will remain where it is.

You can change that back to having the display extend across both monitors in the Mission Control preferences. Uncheck Displays have separate spaces.

I had read a tech note that discussed compatibility with older monitors. I can't find it now, but it did discuss the lack of support for such things as the brightness controls.

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Answer 2

Ken2G5 Author

Level 4

1,361 points

Apr 9, 2014 11:21 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thanks! Unchecking of that checkbox — Displays Have Separate Spaces in Mission Control pref — helps! It’s so unintuitive to go there.

Some apps still misbehave but minor. Call Recorder, for example, (an add-on to Skype) is now flung way over to the opposite end of the other display. Weird.

But the bigger problems remain:

1. Brightness is still manual. Automatically Adjust Brightness controls only one (primary) display? No effect on a 2010 LED 24-inch Apple display?!

2. Excel windows still float off beyond the screen. Is MS Excel for Mac 2011 considered incompatible with Mavericks? Every functionality in Excel works fine, except that windows saved in a position outside the display area, like older documents, remain fixed outside the display area! So if the title bar is not visible, there’s no way to grab it and move it! I have to temporarily re-ARRANGE the displays again and again! Then do a save-as or duplicate the document. Uggghh.

Finder windows still don’t keep their views but probably not a multi display issue.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,518 points

Apr 9, 2014 5:02 PM in response to Ken2G5

1. Brightness is still manual. Automatically Adjust Brightness controls only one (primary) display? No effect on a 2010 LED 24-inch Apple display?!

No idea. You'd have to find that article that I think I saw to confirm.

2. Excel windows still float off beyond the screen. Is MS Excel for Mac 2011 considered incompatible with Mavericks?

Microsoft tends to roll its own user interface and not use the standard API built into the OS, so that may be the issue.

I rarely have use for the extended Desktop, so I don't have any experience with Office apps under that mode.

Finder windows still don’t keep their views but probably not a multi display issue.

You'd have to explain that more, but then again I don't use Extended displays, so I likely wouldn't be a good test of that situation.

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