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SteveJobs · Oct 7, 2005, 08:07 AM

Hey everyone,
I'm in trouble and need help. The situation is as follows: I accidentally reset the screen resolution of my Mac mini's screen to 1280x960, while it only supports 1280x1024. Consequently, the only sign the screen is showing is "Chosen frequency not supported" and so I am unable to use the Mac mini. I plugged in a different screen and switched the resolution to 1024x768 (which the screen also supports, alongside 800x600 and 640x480 and yes, it is weird that these are 4:3 resolutions while 1280x1024 isn't, but this is the way it is), but switching didn't help - the system seems to save individual settings for each screen.

So, I have two ideas for whose execution I need help:
a) I thought that perhaps it's possible to reset the screen's resolution at startup by way of a script or something like this. This would circumvent the individual setting problem and the problem of the mal-preconfigured resolution.
2) I thought that perhaps there is a system file which contains each screen's resolution and which only needs to be modified in BBEdit or the likes.

Any ideas for any of the two?

Help would be appreciated, I need this Mac mini at this very screen asap.

Greetings,
Steve

P.S. I forgot to mention: It should be possible to access the mac mini via my ethernet network while it is not connected to any screen at all, but it's obviously also possible to connect the Mac mini to another screen again and to change something or so.

SMacTech · Oct 7, 2005, 08:19 AM

Have you tried resetting your PRAM at start-up?

SteveJobs · Oct 7, 2005, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by SMacTech

Have you tried resetting your PRAM at start-up?

Good idea! However: Just tried that, resetted PRAM several times (6 or 7), but the screen still gives the same message: "Frequency not supported".

Any further ideas?

Steve

SMacTech · Oct 7, 2005, 08:59 AM

Boot from an install CD? Are display prefs accessible there? I don't know at this point. Something seems wrong for it to stay at an unsupported resolution.

mpancha · 09:02 AM

Try holding down the shift key during startup. I saw an article on macosxhints about thais.

here's a thread on macnn about this same problem on a macmini : Link . Just look for the highlighted "Safe Boot" section.

Good luck

SteveJobs · Oct 7, 2005, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by SMacTech

Boot from an install CD? Are display prefs accessible there? I don't know at this point. Something seems wrong for it to stay at an unsupported resolution.

Back in Mac OS 9 times, this would have made sense because I could simply have deleted the screen prefs and the resolution would have been reset (-- I think, or perhaps resetting the PRAM would have made the change); however, no chance in OS X as far as I know. The install cd would simply use a default resolution and leave the system resolution untouched - I think, I can try later on, though...

The problem is, I think, that the system believes this to be a really proper resolution, but the screen doesn't. Otherwise, it would reset automatically, I think.

Lot's of I thinks, sry for that...

In need for help,
Steve

mpancha · Oct 7, 2005, 09:13 AM

any luck with Safe Booting (my post a coupoe of posts up, you might have missed it since our post times are off by just a couple minutes)

SteveJobs · Oct 7, 2005, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by mpancha

any luck with Safe Booting (my post a coupoe of posts up, you might have missed it since our post times are off by just a couple minutes)

Yes! Safe booting was excellent advise and worked immediately. The resolution was reset to 1024x768, so that I could reset it back to 1280x1024 which works perfectly fine again

Great idea, thx a bunch!

Steve