Broken iMac screen - connect to a LCD and got span instead of mirror - how to fix?

[testinz]

Hi guys,

I got an 17" iMac with mini-dvi to dvi output with a broken screen. I used mini-dvi to dvi connecting to a different monitor.

It works in span mode.

I tried but couldn't find anyway to change it to mirror. This is not running on the newest Mac OS for sure.

Do you have any suggestions? Also, do you know which version of iMac is it? I thought it's a G5 isight but G5 doesn't have mini-dvi output.

Thanks!

 

[mattcube64]

Up in the top right corner, there should be a little icon of a display. Click that, and then select "turn on mirroring."

However, if the external monitor is a different res than the iMac, you might run into problems, as the icons will be different sizes to make up for the un-even pixel density. If that happens, I'd keep spanning on (desktop extension), go to your system prefs, select displays, and under arrangement place your dock on the external display. While you'll technically be spanning, you can just pretend the iMac screen doesn't exist.

Hope that helps.

Oh, and if you want to know what computer it is, go click the apple in the top left corner, and select "about this mac."

 

[testinz]

The problem is that I cannot see anything on the broken screen... I only see the spanned area on the secondary connected LCD.

 

[mattcube64]

On older Macbook Pros you could just press either F7 or command+F7 to toggle between mirroring.

That may not help you at all... but maybe it's worth trying all the combinations of Fn, the F-keys, and command you can think of?

 

[testinz]

Thanks for the reply... The command option doesn't work.... or seems like there are no quick switch command for iMac.

I wonder if there's a way to make the external display a primary display permanently.

Is there a script or program somewhere that I can use to put on a CD, autorun and change the screen to mirror/primary.

 

[testinz]

Successfully used the external screen as mirror screen by blinding opening system preferences and blindly move the windows from original screen to mirror screen using mouse.

Anyone know how to force iMac to use the mirror screen's resolution instead of the iMac screen's resolution? (eg. used 1920x1080 instead of original Mac screen at 1440x900)

This is for mirror screen option.

Thanks!

 

[andigopow]

broken imac screen cont.

I'm trying to avoid any problems like this.

My 15" iMac's monitor is cracked so all I can see are a few pixels and not much else. I want to connect the broken iMac to a new - and extremely cheap - LCD monitor (I have a working iMac so I'm not relying on this to be my primary computer set-up). Resolution isn't a major concern. I just want to be able to see the entire desktop of the old iMac.

1. What do I need to connect to the old iMac and new monitor?
2. Is there a way to avoid major frustration like testinz had when I connect the monitor to the iMac? I take it that I'd like to have "mirroring" on but how do I set things when I can't see the screen? (This iMac is running 10.4)
3. Suggestions for a cheap LCD monitor?

 

[imacvideo]

I've seen this type of thread in a few places now. All seem to revolve around the imac. Some people have broken screens and some want to convert their imacs to media servers. All of the problems boil down to we need a way to set the monitor settings from a command line.

Any powers users out their know how to do this?

Kudos for Apple for producing a system that gets it right 99% of the time. Their lack of a way to exert more control over settings is just Apple saying they are never wrong. Let's leave that type of attitude to some other company spiraling off to oblivion.

 

[andigopow]

I managed to get the iMac to work on a separate monitor (through the use of a Mini-dvi cable). Once the new LCD monitor was connected to the iMac I had to blindly drag windows from the left (broken) monitor to the right side - fortunately for me, I could just make out the shapes on the broken screen - and was able to open "Displays." The hardest part is that the display options on the right monitor do not have the "Arrangement" tab which allows you to select "Mirror Display." You need to be lucky and click-and-drag the display window from the broken monitor over to the working one, choose the Arrangements tab, and select "Mirror Display."

Once you do that, you can use the broken iMac by using the new monitor. Now I may end up installing Vista (with Boot Camp) and turn the busted iMac into a Windows machine.