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Andrik · Nov 16, 2004, 08:48 AM

Hello everybody-

I love my Rev A (?) 12" G4 powerbook running 10.3.6. Recently I bought an external LCD diplay and use the powerbook a lot with it. The display (Hyundai ImageQuest Q17) also works as a USB hub, and I have an Apple keyboard and a Micrsoft IntellimOuse Explorer USB attachd to it.

Everytime I unplug teh VGA-Mini-VGA converter I get the black screen on the book, after a secon or so I have the Powerbook display on again and my mouse pointer is lost which forces me to rebbot. This is obviuosly annoying. Any ideas?

Your help is most appreciated!

ibook_steve · Nov 16, 2004, 12:59 PM

Not sure I understand. You disconnect the monitor, move the cursor around with the trackpad and see no cursor? Check the displays preferences to make sure the machine is not still seeing the second display. It could be possible that the hardware that detects the display removal is messed up, causing your machine to still think the second display is attached and the cursor may be over there on the non-existent other display.

Steve

Andrik · Nov 17, 2004, 12:02 PM

@Steve:

... You disconnect the monitor, move the cursor around with the trackpad and see no cursor? ...

Yes, this is exactly what is happening

... Check the displays preferences to make sure the machine is not still seeing the second display. It could be possible that the hardware that detects the display removal is messed up, causing your machine to still think the second display is attached and the cursor may be over there on the non-existent other display...

How would I check this without being able to use the mouse?

Andrik

ibook_steve · Nov 17, 2004, 08:46 PM

Have display preferences open before you disconnect the display. See if the internal display flashes blue indicating a monitor detect action.

Steve

Andrik · Nov 20, 2004, 09:52 AM

Steve-

yes, I tried it: no blue flashig, it seems like the intermal LCD is recognized all right. I also noticed that I can still move the mouse using the trackpad, e.g. in the left corner to activate Exposee or click on items on the screen - but the corresponding cursor diappears....

Andrik

chabig · Nov 20, 2004, 10:09 AM

If the cursor is on the external display, just move it back to the main display.

Andrik · Nov 21, 2004, 09:45 AM

no, the cursor is not on the other screen but on the internal display, I can try to "click" buttons - which even works if I try a littel "blind" moving on the trackpack - the problem is that there is no "physical correlation" of the pointer on the screen.

Andrik

IEEE1394 · Nov 21, 2004, 02:14 PM

I've had this problem with my PowerBook. It is solvable without a restart, if you can manage to navigate around without seeing your cursor. Just move the mouse to the top left corner of the screen, grab the Apple menu, then System Preferences. From one of the menus at the top (it may be called window - I'm not at my Mac so I'm not sure) select the Displays control panel. All you have to do now is change the colour depth or screen resolution and your cursor should reappear. It's a bit tricky, but it beats a restart.

Andrik · Nov 22, 2004, 03:58 PM

@IEEE1394

I am sure glad that I am not the only one. Changing monitor resolution doesn't bring the mouse pointer back in my case. Logging out and in does help, though.

Andrik

albyrw · Dec 1, 2004, 09:28 PM

Hey guys, I think I have a solution for you. I run my 12" PB through my TV for DVD playback and was finding the same cursor disapearring problem when I unplugged. The problem is that the mac autodetects the display at the other end of the video out, and when you unplug it gets confused about the default monitor state. I sometimes find it forgets the external settings when I connect it initially: sometimes it spans, sometimes it mirrors.

Solution: turn your external monitor off before disconnecting. This way the mac knows there's no external display connected and will default correctly back to internal. You may need to switch back to mirror first if you've been spanning. Your cusor should then be fine.

Another solution: if for whatever reason you can't turn your monitor off, open sysprefs before disconnecting, position the cursor over the resolutions and when it disappears, click on one of the lower res options, then back to 1024. Your cursor should reappear.

Hope this works for you.