bizarre effects connecting external monitor

[Skald]

I'm trying to connect my MacBook Pro (model 7,1 late 2010) to a desktop monitor (Samsung 906bw) using Apple's mini-display-to-dvi cable.

When I connect: (1) my dock disappears from my laptop and appears on the monitor.

(2) The desktop on the monitor is not the one on my laptop, but the generic scene (purple rays against the cosmos).

(3) I opened a video, which appeared on the laptop but not the monitor.

(4) Then my cursor has disappeared on the laptop and appeared on the monitor! (I had to disconnect the cable to get the cursor back).

What am I missing? Can anyone suggest a cure for this? Many thanks.

 

[getheledout]

Your laptop probably thinks that you want the external monitor to be your main monitor. You can change the arrangement of the monitors, menu/dock in the system prefs under display. You can also change the wallpapers individually.

 

[JasonH42]

Your laptop probably thinks that you want the external monitor to be your main monitor. You can change the arrangement of the monitors, menu/dock in the system prefs under display. You can also change the wallpapers individually.

Yeah, this threw me last night too when I connected an external display. By default the second monitor extends your desktop to the right, with the cosmos background. Move your mouse to the right and you'll see it appear on the second screen, or just go into display prefs and change things as getheledout suggested.

 

[Skald]

Still puzzled

Thank you for your two posts!

Yes, I can now move the cursor from one screen to the next, an important step.

I can't figure out how in "System Preferences" to make the laptop the primary monitor. "Display" does not seem to offer a choice.

When I "gather" screens to switch between the two, I can only change refresh rate, resolution, etc.). The "profile" on both gives info for the laptop display.

Under "appearance" there seems to be no way to make changes for the external monitor, just the laptop.

The toolbar stays on the laptop, and the dock goes to the external monitor.

 

[JTSmeed]

Under Display Preferences, on the Arrangement Tab, there is a white bar that should be across one of the blue representations of a monitor. Drag that to the monitor that you want the dock and menu bar to appear on.

 

[Skald]

Two down, one problem to go

Thanks for your quick (and effective) reply. I got the dock back on my laptop.

Now I still have the problem of not being able to play a video on the laptop and get it to display on the external monitor. When the monitor is connected, I still get the cosmos background. . . and the video plays only on the laptop.

Any ideas?

 

[blevins321]

Thanks for your quick (and effective) reply. I got the dock back on my laptop.

Now I still have the problem of not being able to play a video on the laptop and get it to display on the external monitor. When the monitor is connected, I still get the cosmos background. . . and the video plays only on the laptop.

Any ideas?

I don't know if there is a better solution to this one or not. But a workaround that I found is that instead of playing it full screen, play it in windowed mode and maximize the window. Annoying to still see the bars, though. I don't do it very often.

 

[JasonH42]

I might be missing your point, but you can drag application windows to the other screen (click and hold on the title bar with the mouse) and then maximise them once they are over there. It's like having a giant desktop spread over two screens.

 

[blevins321]

I might be missing your point, but you can drag application windows to the other screen (click and hold on the title bar with the mouse) and then maximise them once they are over there. It's like having a giant desktop spread over two screens.

Works for most things but video players have a hard time for some reason handling multiple monitor fullscreen playback. I'm away from my Mac at the moment, but if memory serves, if you play full screen in iTunes, it will play on the main only. And in VLC, it will make whichever other monitor you have go black when playing full screen on the other one.

 

[Skald]

Many thanks

Dragging the application from my laptop to the monitor did the trick. Thanks to everyone who pitched in solving my problem.