external monitor always goes to sleep!?!?!?!

I am trying to hook up an external monitor to my MBP and I want to close my laptop and just use the external monitor while I'm at work so I can put my laptop out of the way...but whenver I close my laptop the external display goes to sleep as well. I thought this was possible is it not?? I have adjusted the power settings to no avail!

mphubbar said:

I am trying to hook up an external monitor to my MBP and I want to close my laptop and just use the external monitor while I'm at work so I can put my laptop out of the way...but whenver I close my laptop the external display goes to sleep as well. I thought this was possible is it not?? I have adjusted the power settings to no avail!

Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't like this either. But there is a good reason for this feature. When you close your lid you restrict the airflow around the computer. Plenty of heat is lost through the keyboard area. Better to keep your computer lid open when it is on.

shoot...oh well I guess you're right...shucks! thanks for the info.

Whaaa!

you have to be kidding me? is the MBP so poorly designed that keyboard ventilation is required. And you guys are ok with that? i'm not... i might just have to hand deliver this thing back to steve. this thing is way more trouble than it's worth...



the only problem i have is if i have to open it (to use the webcam), and then have to close it... a reboot with the lit shut does the trick, but is majorly inconvenient.


-Eric

are you sure about ventilation through the keyboard? My MPB keyboard has iskin cover on it so I doubt much heat is getting through....doesn't seem to be heating up that much...although this is a newer MBP

It is possible to use the MBP with an external monitor and have it closed. Shut your MBP down, plug in the external monitor, open screen slightly and power on the MBP, and then immediately close the screen back down. You should then see everything display on the external monitor.

Here is a video on YouTube that shows what I am talking about--yeah, I know it is a PowerBook G4 but the steps work the same way for the MBP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp0rH7041TQ

Good luck<><

Geez. What does it take to get a straight answer on here?

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86286

mphubbar said:

I am trying to hook up an external monitor to my MBP and I want to close my laptop and just use the external monitor while I'm at work so I can put my laptop out of the way...but whenver I close my laptop the external display goes to sleep as well. I thought this was possible is it not?? I have adjusted the power settings to no avail!

Click to expand...

I was able to close my MBP with an external monitor with no issues. Today, I noticed I couldn't. Thought it had something to do with the maintenance I was performing on it. Went through all the gyrations to troubleshoot the monitor and connections. Then I viewed the Apple link provided by technologist: Apple Portables: How to use your computer in closed clamshell (display closed) mode with an external display

The first step, making sure the MBP was connected to an outlet was my issue. I'd somehow disconnected the power connector. Works like a charm now.

Hope this helps.

vestokes

Thanks

The outlet.... of course.... thanks.... sooo basic.

[email protected] said:

I was able to close my MBP with an external monitor with no issues. Today, I noticed I couldn't. Thought it had something to do with the maintenance I was performing on it. Went through all the gyrations to troubleshoot the monitor and connections. Then I viewed the Apple link provided by technologist: Apple Portables: How to use your computer in closed clamshell (display closed) mode with an external display

The first step, making sure the MBP was connected to an outlet was my issue. I'd somehow disconnected the power connector. Works like a charm now.

Hope this helps.

vestokes

Click to expand...

power was the answer.

> The first step, making sure the MBP was connected to an outlet was my issue. I'd
> somehow disconnected the power connector. Works like a charm now.

This saved me. Especially if it *was* working and then stopped, this is probably the answer. Thanks.

yellow19man said:

Yeah, I don't like this either. But there is a good reason for this feature. When you close your lid you restrict the airflow around the computer. Plenty of heat is lost through the keyboard area. Better to keep your computer lid open when it is on.

Click to expand...

There is absolutely no ventilation of heat through the keyboard. In fact if you ever had a MacBook pro apart you would see that the underside of the palm rest and key board has a type of plastic tape that covers nearly the entire keyboard and speaker area.
The only ventilation the macbooks have is at the back of the unit under the display lid . If apple never intended for pple to use them with only the onboard screen there wouldn't be an entire article on the apple site explaining how to use it in clamshell or closed display mode.


Apple did a very good job in designing these laptops to eliminate heat soak. Any laptop that is overheating is due to a build up of dust on the fans and heat sinks or being used in a manner in witch the unit wan not intended , such as sitting on a pillow or a bed with no space under the unit.

If you compare apple laptops with most brands of pc's you would find that the average pc laptop's temps range at idle 45-55 C while a mac book will idle at around 38-48 C . That is both units clean of dust , sitting on a hard flat surface , Those temps are just some examples , but I have see MacBook pros that idle at 35 C and never get past 57 C under heavy use. Ive never found a pc laptop that will idle that low and most under use will see 70 to 80 C .

dawson1112 said:

There is absolutely no ventilation of heat through the keyboard. In fact if you ever had a MacBook pro apart you would see that the underside of the palm rest and key board has a type of plastic tape that covers nearly the entire keyboard and speaker area.

Click to expand...

You do realize that you just composed a rather lengthy response to a post made almost 5.5 years ago (August, 2007)!

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

You do realize that you just composed a rather lengthy response to a post made almost 5.5 years ago (August, 2007)!

- Nick

Click to expand...

lol nope didn't even look at the date just popped up on the page so I read it

dawson1112 said:

lol nope didn't even look at the date just popped up on the page so I read it

Click to expand...

What you posted was very informative...although I would somewhat disagree with some of the Mac laptop temp. info you mentioned. We have lots & lots of folks posting on Mac-Forums with temps much higher than you mentioned (60's, 70's, 80's, even above 90°C under heavy load).

Even my Early 2011 17" MBP at the moment doing next to nothing other than Mac-Forums on Safari (pretty darn close to an "idle" situation)...and my cpu temps are 55-60°C, graphics temps are 49°C. I also have a 2008 "White" MacBook...and I know its temps are generally pretty high.

- Nick