How to use an external moniter as the primary screen?

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iamkyle015


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a while ago my macbook's screen broke and we have a moniter lying around i hooked it up to it but when I started it up just the background was on the external moniter and I could only move the mouse around there were no desktop items?
 
IvanLasston

IvanLasston


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1.8 GHz i7 MBA 11" OSX 10.8.2
Hook up a mouse and keyboard and the external monitor. Close the Macbook lid and click the mouse. Then it should display primary onto the external.
 
chscag

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It'll do that OK. The problem he'll have is if the external does not display in "mirror" mode but instead displays in extended desktop which is the default.

Regards.
 
Aptmunich

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Go to System Preferences > Displays > Arrangement

See those 2 monitor icons? One of them has a bar at the top tat represents the menu bar.
Drag and drop the menu bar header on the internal display over to the external. Now your external display is the primary.
 
Collin Bl

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ago my macbook's screen broke and
Click to expand...
If the screen is unreadable then to do as Aptmunich says you need a work around. To do this you need another working Mac. Connect the broken mac to the other Mac with firewire < never tried it with USB so not sure if it will work > and the ext monitor to the working Mac. Power on broken Mac and hold T key for say 30 secs if u cannot see firewire symbol come up on broken screen. Then power on Good Mac and hold option key until both HD's show as available to boot off and select the HD from broken Mac.
Then go to Sys Prefs > Displays > Arrangement and drag the menu bar to Ext monitor.
Then shut it all down and connect Ext Monitor to Broken Mac and power up and the primary should show up on Ext Monitor.
 
Aptmunich

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Collin Bl said:
If the screen is unreadable then to do as Aptmunich says you need a work around. To do this you need another working Mac. Connect the broken mac to the other Mac with firewire < never tried it with USB so not sure if it will work > and the ext monitor to the working Mac. Power on broken Mac and hold T key for say 30 secs if u cannot see firewire symbol come up on broken screen. Then power on Good Mac and hold option key until both HD's show as available to boot off and select the HD from broken Mac.
Then go to Sys Prefs > Displays > Arrangement and drag the menu bar to Ext monitor.
Then shut it all down and connect Ext Monitor to Broken Mac and power up and the primary should show up on Ext Monitor.
Click to expand...
Ah it's broken...

Well - there's another way if you have Snow Leopard that doesn't require a 2nd Mac

- Boot normally
- Right-click the empty desktop and choose Change Desktop Background
- You'll now see the secondary system preference window on your secondary display - but you can't get the other preferences as the main window is on your broken display
- Click inside the window and then hit Command+F. This will activate the spotlight feature in System Prefs on the other window
- Type "Displays" and hit Enter
- You'll now be in the secondary Displays Prefs
- Click "Gather windows" to bring the other window over to the secondary display
- Arrange as necessary
 
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Wow that would never have occurred to me. Gotta file that one away for future use.
 

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