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20" 2007 imac not finding external screen

elf69

elf69

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jun 2, 2016
2,333
489
Cornwall UK
As title really.

My imac is not detecting the 19.5" monitor connected.

I have a Hanns-G HL195 connected to my imac via an adapter.

can I force detection?

I have no other mac to test the adapter on.

I may have to buy another adapter.

any advice guys?
 
If you have the display attached, and the display power is on - can you see the display as a device in your System Information, then Graphics/Displays tab?

Are you sure that the display is working? Do you have another computer that you can try the display, or even a friend with a computer that can help you?
Have you tried shutting the iMac off, then attaching the Hanns with adapter, make sure that the display is on, then boot your iMac ?
If the display works when connected to another computer, then, yes, you need to get a different mini-DVI to VGA adapter.
 
Monitor is off my gaming PC so yes works.

No not shown in preferences
[doublepost=1467577946][/doublepost]OK so after two restarts I now got my desktop back ground on the second monitor.

It is in extend mode which is what i want.

I want use it as a proof screen for web design while i work on the site on the imacs own screen.
 
Good to hear! I was glad to help...

And, you would now see it in your Displays pref pane, which should show up on _both_ screens.
You can also set the position of the extended display related to your internal screen in the Arrangements tab of your Displays pref pane.
The Arrangements tab will not appear unless the external display is detected, and you use it to adjust the position of your external screen to make it simple when you drag a window from your main screen to the external.
 
Yes thanks you was a great help.

Im just waiting a universal vesa mount now as want the 19" in portrait mode.

I read I can do this in preferences by holding down a key to show advanced features.
 
You should not need to hold down any key. Open Displays prefs, and look for the dropdown for "Rotation"
You will see a Displays pref windows on each screen, and the Rotation choice should appear only on the external screen, where you can try it out.
 
When I googled it, it said rotation is hidden if I do not hold key down.

In display pref there is no rotation (i was not holding key down)

Until the stand arrives I will not worry about this.
 
What version of OS X are you using?
My external display needs no key held down for the Rotation dropdown to appear in the Displays pref pane. It depends on firmware support from the attached device (the display that you use)

Or, could be that rotation won't appear through a VGA connection (?), or your Hanns-g display firmware doesn't support rotation.
Yes, nothing to worry about. It either works now, or it won't work at all with your Hanns-G display. If you don't see the dropdown for Rotation now, then the vesa mount will not magically change that (even if you press the "secret" key)
 
elf69 said:
here is link:

http://osxdaily.com/2010/12/28/rotate-mac-screen-orientation/

however now on the external screen in preferences now I get rotation setting without holding the button as per the link.
Click to expand...
Very true! That's how it should work. You likely just needed a restart.

Note that your linked article was posted (December 2010) when Snow Leopard was still the current system. It appears to have been updated as time went on, but not edited very accurately to allow for changes in that pane (now 5 versions later)
 
Yeah I had not clocked date until last nite.

Now just hope same applies to my macbook as the adpater not working.

more restarts might get it working :)
 
I thought you said that your adapter (the video adapter) is working now.
Are you talking about another adapter (such as your power adapter/charger)?
 
sorry for confusing you.

yes the mini dvi on imac working great with your help.

I have a mini display port on macbook which is not working but from what I learned with the imac I think I can get my mini display port working.
 
Well now it is rotated and working....

is there a way to adjust settings so as not to distort everything?

screen rotated but seems the res settings don't.

so high res width and low height.
widescreen is: 1366 x 768

thing is screen no other way now.
so can I tell mac the screen is higher than it is wide?

not sure this even possible
 
Last edited:
Rotate screen, should also flip the res settings (768 x 1366, for example.), and you should also see that your mouse operation is backwards (making it challenging to accept, or change those display settings.)

My screen, for instance, swaps from 1920 x 1080 to 1080 x 1920 when rotating 90 deg.

Maybe it's your choice of display, which has been around for a few years, and the oodball 1366 x 768 is really designed to used with laptops, I suppose.
 
the screen is unusable in portrait mode.

little upset about but hey what can you do.

it seems to stretch the height and squash the width.

Even tried to use word and I cant as so distorted it hard to use.

Will have to go back to landscape orientation.
 
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