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Way to trick Macbook Pro into thinking it deteted a display???

soundguy15

soundguy15

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 9, 2009
86
0
Background
I have a Macbook Pro 4,1 and I am trying to connect it to an Insignia HDtv through the VGA port (I have a DVI to VGA adapter). It will detect it as the proper display when I use a short VGA cable with all the pins. But when I use my 15 ft long VGA cable that has 1 pin missing (i'm guessing that the pin is used for detecting displays) it detects is as a "VGA display".

Here's the problem
when i use the short cable in 1080p it takes up the whole screen as it is supposed to, but when I use the long cable it doesn't take up the whole screen.

My half solution:(
I connect my macbook pro to the HDtv using the short cable. Then I disconnect the VGA cable from the DVI adapter. Then I connect the long cable to the DVI adapter. problem solved.

What I want:confused:
As you can tell, this process is annoying as hell. I'm tying to find a way to trick my Macbook into thinking that it has detected the HDtv. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanx. :)
 
Buy a new cable. Preferably one with a digital signal (HDMI/DVI) as you seem to be wanting to run HD materials.
 
Oh yeah, great idea guys. why didn't I think of that.

Oh, maybe because I don't have the money to buy a new cable. and the one I have works fine, i just have to go through a really annoying process.

Such wonderfully useless help you find these days.:mad:
 
soundguy15 said:
Oh yeah, great idea guys. why didn't I think of that.

Oh, maybe because I don't have the money to buy a new cable. and the one I have works fine, i just have to go through a really annoying process.

Such wonderfully useless help you find these days.:mad:
Click to expand...

if it worked fine, you wouldn't have started this post.
 
soundguy15 said:
Oh yeah, great idea guys. why didn't I think of that.

Oh, maybe because I don't have the money to buy a new cable. and the one I have works fine, i just have to go through a really annoying process.

Such wonderfully useless help you find these days.:mad:
Click to expand...

So what other solution were you expecting us to come up with? "Oh yeah just shove a paper clip into the hole where the missing pin should be and you'll be good to go"? :rolleyes:

Seriously, if you're not buying your cables at Best Buy, then the price of a new cable is absolutely negligible compared to the price of the hardware you're using. Check the Monoprice links that people have posted already. You might be surprised.
 
Calm Down

Ok guys. I know I could just buy a new one. but that's not the point. If there is a way to "trick" your mac into thinking it found a specific display then it would not only help me, but also others who have similar issues. So if you don't have any ideas then just don't post!
 
soundguy15 said:
Ok guys. I know I could just buy a new one. but that's not the point. If there is a way to "trick" your mac into thinking it found a specific display then it would not only help me, but also others who have similar issues. So if you don't have any ideas then just don't post!
Click to expand...


Right... So, because you don't like the ideas that people posted you tell them they're not helpful and not to post....

Little brats liks you annoy the f#@k out of me. Yes there is a way, due to your attitude towards members on this board I will not tell you.
 
soundguy15 said:
Ok guys. I know I could just buy a new one. but that's not the point. If there is a way to "trick" your mac into thinking it found a specific display then it would not only help me, but also others who have similar issues. So if you don't have any ideas then just don't post!
Click to expand...

Do you seriously not understand why people are annoyed with you?

"Hey guys I have a broken piece of hardware and it's not working the way I want it to. Any ideas?"
"Here's a link to a really cheap product that will solve your problem in no time."
"Such wonderfully useless help you find these days. :mad:"

Think for a minute about how that looks to the people who took time out of their day to freely offer you a suggestion that involves a minimal financial investment and accomplishes exactly what you want, only to be met with sarcasm and called "useless". If your original post had included something to the effect that you were unwilling to invest another $7 into your existing $3000+ setup, then yeah, you probably wouldn't have gotten this "useless help".

And yes, the fact that you could "buy a new one" is exactly the point. You have a piece of hardware that doesn't do what you want it to. This forum is not filled with Magic Internet Pixies who have the power to alter a physical object in your possession. "Others who have similar issues" would probably pack their lunch one day next week instead of eating out and thus save enough money to get the correct cable, which is why people suggested exactly that. You don't have to pay $45 for a cable at Best Buy. Look at the links people have given you. Heck, you could probably even sell the old cable on eBay and make back a good percentage of what a new cable would cost you. And you could have done all of this in the time it took you to keep whining that nobody was willing to offer you a free solution that met your mysterious criteria.

OK, now that that's out of the way, does your HDTV not have any HDMI or DVI inputs? You could get a way better picture by using a DVI cable either hooked into the television or a DVI-HDMI adapter.


But a DVI cable might cost upwards of $20 :)eek:), so I guess I shouldn't bother annoying you further with that suggestion.
 
First of all, I would like t apologize for calling your help useless. I realize that you take time out of your day to answer my question.

Also, I think that my first post was unclear. My cable isn't "missing" a pin, but it was manufactured without it. Makers of cheap cables (like the some of those you want me to buy) do not include this pin because it's only purpose is to detect what display is connected.

So. Does anyone know of some software that will read an EDID file and trick my MacBook into thinking that display is conected
 
soundguy15 said:
First of all, I would like t apologize for calling your help useless. I realize that you take time out of your day to answer my question.

Also, I think that my first post was unclear. My cable isn't "missing" a pin, but it was manufactured without it. Makers of cheap cables (like the some of those you want me to buy) do not include this pin because it's only purpose is to detect what display is connected.

So. Does anyone know of some software that will read an EDID file and trick my MacBook into thinking that display is conected
Click to expand...

Looks like its missing a pin then.

There isn't any software, but I could write you some real quick. It will cost .01 cents more than the cheapest new cable you can find. What makes me think you would want the software instead, just to be obstinate?
 
Would you like someone to mail you a VGA cable?

I would assume if there was software to do what you're asking for someone would have mentioned it.
 
Ok then. I guess I'll buy a new one. I just hope it's not made without a pin like my last one.

Or I could get a DVI-HDMI cable. What's the difference in quality. (just estimate)
 
Well i bought a DVI-HDMI cable and when i connect it to my HDtv the edges of the picture are cut off. I turned off the overscan option on my MBP but then there is a 4 inch box around the picture.

Any ideas, or am i just gonna have to live with it?
 
soundguy15 said:
Well i bought a DVI-HDMI cable and when i connect it to my HDtv the edges of the picture are cut off. I turned off the overscan option on my MBP but then there is a 4 inch box around the picture.

Any ideas, or am i just gonna have to live with it?
Click to expand...

overscan is what makes the picture go beyond the edge of the display.
If you turn off overscan and have a 4" black border, then more than likely you are not using the correct resolution for the TV unless the TV is simply huge.

What TV do you own and are you trying to use it a monitor for computer work or simply for media like movies or games?
Also your TV may have a specific mode for when connected to a PC; check the TV's menu or manual.

Worse comes to worse, you can buy a better VGA cable.:)
 
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