can't drag window/apps to the second external monitor

Question

Level 1

7 points

can't drag window/apps to the second external monitor

I have two external monitors hooked up to my MacBook Pro. Since updating my El Capitan today (Dec 2015), it won't let me drag any windows to one of the external monitors. It recognizes both external monitors in System Preferences/Display but, other than drag my mouse across it, it won't let me do anything on it. I tried unplugging it and replugging it; sleeping the computer and waking; restarting and moving the monitors around under preferences but nothing works. So right now one external works along with the laptop monitor but the other one just shows the desktop picture and nothing else.

Anyone else have the same issue?

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Dec 15, 2015 3:36 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 17, 2015 8:55 AM in response to Duane

you may have been "blessed" with the new abomination feature (reverse-ported from the iPhone) "Displays have separate Spaces". Here is how to turn it off:

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Answer 2

bivgroy

Level 1

10 points

Sep 12, 2017 12:18 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

This seems to have worked. I was really getting annoyed as I teach and I need to drag things from my laptop screen to the external monitor for the students. Thank you Grant.

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Answer 3

MazCanuck Author

Level 1

7 points

Dec 17, 2015 9:29 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I dont have an iphone but I will unclick this box anyhow and see if it helps. Also, I used the disk utility to see if that would help but nothing so far.

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Answer 4

MazCanuck Author

Level 1

7 points

Dec 17, 2015 8:46 AM in response to Duane

Hi Duane....Do you have any suggestions on how I can recover my second monitor to work properly? It seemed to have happened after the latest El Capitan update. Just, like you said, (you hit the nail on the head), my curser goes through the second monitor over to the laptop but won't drag any apps or windows to it. I really appreciate any help or guidance you could give me. Ana

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Answer 5

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Dec 15, 2015 3:39 PM in response to MazCanuck

Did you confirm the correct arrangement in System Preferences -> Displays of the two displays?

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Answer 6

MazCanuck Author

Level 1

7 points

Dec 15, 2015 3:47 PM in response to Duane

Yes, I did.

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Answer 7

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Dec 15, 2015 3:50 PM in response to MazCanuck

If you slide a window off the MacBook Pro screen does it appear on the external monitor?

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Answer 8

MazCanuck Author

Level 1

7 points

Dec 15, 2015 3:57 PM in response to Duane

No, that's just it. The first external monitor is my primary and I can't move anything off it to the second monitor. I can however move it to the laptop display by going through the second monitor.

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