No signal to monitor?

External monitor "no signal"?

• So my laptop is not recognizing my external monitor (Samsung SyncMaster P2370HD). It use to sync without any problems, whenever the laptop would turn on so would the external monitor; I never had any problems until now. For some reason, even when plugged in correctly (I triple checked) my external monitor says "no signal" and then shuts off. When I unplug the DVI from my laptop it says "check signal cable" and will stay on, but as soon as I plug it into the laptop it says "no signal" and shuts off. I played around with the display settings; I tried a "connect to an external monitor" wizard, which didn't detect the monitor, I tried doing it manually by extending my desktop to an additional monitor, but the SyncMaster still doesn't activate. I thought maybe I need to update some drivers or something but I'm not quite sure where to go to access the external monitor driver? If there is such a thing. The only time the external monitor will activate is if I boot-up my computer with OSX as opposed to Windows. I have a MacBook with a partitioned hard drive: Windows Vista and OSX. When I boot-up via Windows Vista, it'll pop-up on the SyncMaster until the Windows log-in screen, and then it turns off saying "no signal". Any advice would be much appreciated! my set up: - MacBook with partitioned HDD: Windows Vista (Bootcamp) and OSX 10 - external monitor: Samsung SyncMaster P2370HD - Connecting from: SyncMaster > DVI > MINI DVI > MacBook

• Answer:

  Version of OS? A polycarbonate MacBook can use Windows XP SP2, Vista, or 7. My answer will be for 7. After all, XP is TEN YEARS OLD, and Vista is like Windows 6 and a half -- wants to be 7. The driver is for the graphics set in the computer. Doesn't matter what display (monitor, projector, other Mac screen). To check for driver updates, Start > Control Panels > Apple Software Update. If you don't have Apple Software Update, install it through the "Boot Camp Setup.exe" app on the "Mac OS X Install DVD". Insert the DVD, wait... click "Yes" (Vista / 7), click "Install". Your connecting path is about as simple as it gets, if your description is correct. Both computer and display have DVI. Set Windows for the same resolution as you see after OS X connects to the display. Typically Mac OS will find the display and set the resolution automatically; that's from many years of graphics superiority at Apple. Windows isn't as reliable in that respect. In other words, boot in OS X, wait for the display to work perfectly, check the resolution setting, write it down. Could be "1920 x 1080" or whatever.