How to make MacBook understand it doesn’t have a screen?

[YooA]

I own a MacBook Air with a ripped off screen and for last few days everything worked somewhat ok with mirroring an external display but today I tried to turn it on and I can’t see anything but a wallpaper. No dock, no menu bar, just a cursor being able to disappear to the left side. I had this issue before and somehow managed to solve it but can’t remember how.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Sounds like mirroring is turned off so it is now a secondary display.

 

[YooA]

Sounds like mirroring is turned off so it is now a secondary display.

… so how to turn it on now that I don’t have any primary display? Or how to make primary display disappear altogether?

 

[Don MC]

What happens if you slowly close the lid?
EDIT: Oh, 'ripped off'. As in 'completely missing'?
EDIT2: I'd perhaps right-click (two-finger tap) on the empty desktop. Then select "Change desktop background..."
This will not only bring up a wallpaper selection window on the visible desktop, but it would also open the System Preferences window on the invisible desktop. Then with a little luck, one could blindly drag that window to the visible desktop.

 

[YooA]

What happens if you slowly close the lid?
EDIT: Oh, 'ripped off'. As in 'completely missing'?

Yes, no lid, just two little cables dangling from the back.

When I right click on the empty desktop, nothing happens. I’ve been trying to move windows blindly with no results.

 

[Don MC]

Try Command + F1 or Fn + Command + F1
That's what I found on the webz.

Or pull out the display cable and reconnect. Then try all trickery, including right-clicking, again.

Edit: I'd also try forcing it to reboot (hold down the power key long enough).

 

[Slartibart]

remote login isn’t an option, I suppose?

@Don MC suggestion does the trick. 🤜🤛💪

EDIT: Do note that some Macs and keyboard layouts may require the usage of ALT+Command+F1 to get the Mirror toggle to work.