NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 01:06 PM
Original message |
Mac help - how do I reset my displays? |
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For some unknown reason, my wife let my 3 year old daughter play with our iMac computer all by herself. Now, the whole screen is a garish neon color and I can barely read any text. Everything looks warped. I have no fucking clue how to reset the appearance/display/desktop back to its default settings.
Can anybody help me out?
Thanks
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Ava
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Sat Apr-29-06 01:07 PM
Response to Original message |
1. maybe this guy can help you |
NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 01:30 PM
Response to Reply #1 |
6. I've had few problems with it until now |
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It's actually been great when it comes to not crashing or locking up... certainly better than a PC.
It's just that a lot of things are really counter-intuitive.
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lavenderdiva
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Sat Apr-29-06 01:08 PM
Response to Original message |
2. my husband, who is familiar with apple computers says to |
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go to www.apple.com/support then click on 'discussions'.
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 01:21 PM
Response to Reply #2 |
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they don't recognize my serial number, so now I have to go out to Kinko's & scan my proof of purchase (after I find my proof of purchase!) and then put it in a file & email it to apple.
I thought Macs were supposed to be user-friendly?
Grr.
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lavenderdiva
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Sat Apr-29-06 01:46 PM
Response to Reply #4 |
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husband is taking a nap, so my next best suggestion is to try the DU Computer help forum: go here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=242there's a lot of very knowledgeable people there, both PC's and Macs. Good luck!
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lavenderdiva
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Sat Apr-29-06 01:48 PM
Response to Reply #4 |
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and says you don't need your serial number to go on the apple discussion board. I don't know, as I am a confirmed PC user...
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 01:55 PM
Response to Reply #8 |
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I was trying to get into the chat session they had, but need a s/n for that.
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:10 PM
Response to Reply #8 |
34. no responses there yet |
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and i've gotten a ton on here so far. I guess all the mac users are in the Lounge today?
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targetpractice
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Sat Apr-29-06 01:13 PM
Response to Original message |
3. Press Apple-Option-Contol-8 at the same time |
NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 01:22 PM
Response to Reply #3 |
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all it did was turn the screen from neon blue to a neon lava color.
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riona
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:01 PM
Response to Original message |
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clicking "System Preferences", then click "Display," Click Geometry tab and Factory Defaults? Listen, if worse comes to worse, put in your Tiger disk, click restart, hold down "c" key after the startup chime. Once it is booted, click the File menu and select "Disk Utility" from the File menu You aren't "installing"). Then select your hard drive on the left, and click "First Aid" tab. Click "Repair Disk." Let that run through and if you wish, do it a second time. Quit "Disk Utility" and "Install." Restart computer. Remove disk after.
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:07 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
11. I don't see a Geometry tab |
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When I go to System Preferences & Display, I don't see any tab for Geometry - but, I can barely read anything on the screen.
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riona
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:15 PM
Response to Reply #11 |
13. If you can't read anything, |
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maybe you had better do the Hard Disk Repair I mentioned. Have you ever done it? It's a good maintenance thing. Also, every time I have had to call support, we always end up doing this.
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riona
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:30 PM
Response to Reply #11 |
19. By the way, did you try logging out and then loggin in |
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as another account to see if the display is gone there too? Also, did you try totally shutting down?
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:34 PM
Response to Reply #19 |
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and yes, having used PCs for 15 or so years, it's still my natural instinct to first restart a computer & then shut it down & repower up whenever there is a problem
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:13 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
12. Also, I already tried a repair |
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It wasn't with the OS X cd in the drive, but there was some sort of repair utility that I used. nothing happened.
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riona
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:22 PM
Response to Reply #12 |
14. You have to put your disk in |
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I had to buy Tiger so, I use the Mac OSX Tiger Install DVD. Try it with your disk - as I said, it's good to do this once in awhile anyway. Don't forget - you are repairing, not installing.
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:26 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
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I held down the "C" key and it's asking me all sorts of install questions now.
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:28 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
17. when i did that, it goes into |
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Preparing installation...
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:41 PM
Response to Reply #10 |
21. I tried it and got no option for "Disk Utility" |
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When booting up, I got the chime sound then held down "c" until the install menu came up... it gave me the option of selecting to boot up from Network, OS X 10.4 (from the Disk) and also OS X 10.6 (from hard drive)
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begin_within
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:26 PM
Response to Original message |
16. What version of the Mac OS are you running? Go to the apple in the upper |
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left, choose either "About this Macintosh" or "About this Mac" and a window will open which tells you what version is running.
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:28 PM
Response to Reply #16 |
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Edited on Sat Apr-29-06 02:42 PM by NewJeffCT
my DVD/CD says Mac OS X v10.4
I've had the PC since late November 2005 and it was brand new then.
if I check my HD, it says something like 10.6
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begin_within
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:39 PM
Response to Reply #18 |
36. I would try this first... |
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Click on the apple in the upper left. Choose "System preferences." Click on the "Show All" icon. Under "Personal," click on "Appearance" Next to "Appearance," choose either "Blue" or "Graphite," whichever you prefer. Click on the "Show All" icon again. Under "Personal," click on "Desktop & Screen saver." Choose a desktop color or pattern. I happen to think solid colors are less distracting, and the "Solid grey dark" is the best. But that's your preference. Click on the "System Preferences" menu and choose "Quit System Preferences." If this doesn't fix it, you may have to re-install your system software.
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riona
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:45 PM
Response to Original message |
22. Like I said, Apple support always |
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makes me put the (in your case #1 Install Disk) Tiger Disk, hold down c, and ignoring the install stuff, click on the File Menu at the top, and then click Disk Utility, Hard Drive on the left and the First Aid Tab, followed by clicking on Repair the Disk (bottom). When done click to quit these.
As for the account thing, what they taught me was to open a brand new account - I call it "test" and then I can see a "virgin" account with no added software etc. As administrator I can get rid of the account later.
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:48 PM
Response to Reply #22 |
23. how do I ignore the install stuff? |
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it doesn't seem to allow me to do that.
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riona
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:55 PM
Response to Reply #23 |
24. Go to the File Menu at the top of the screen |
NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:57 PM
Response to Reply #24 |
26. yes, I'm not that computer-illiterate |
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There was no option for that under "File"
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riona
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:01 PM
Response to Reply #26 |
28. I don't know what you're seeing |
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do you want me to call you and run through it - I'll do mine at the same time. You probably know more than I do - maybe there's something different we are seeing.
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:07 PM
Response to Reply #28 |
30. I PM'd you my phone number |
NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:02 PM
Response to Reply #24 |
29. there was a repair option under "utilities" |
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When I ran that, it said no repairs were necessary.
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targetpractice
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Sat Apr-29-06 02:56 PM
Response to Original message |
25. When you booted with the CD... |
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...did the display look okay? If the display was messed up still, it could be a hardware problem.
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:00 PM
Response to Reply #25 |
27. the display initially looked fine |
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but, then as soon as the boot is done, it goes back to all crazy.
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targetpractice
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:07 PM
Response to Reply #27 |
31. Sounds like your display preferences for your user account are messed up.. |
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I suggest...
1) Go to the Apple Menu (upper left) 2) Choose "System Preferences..." 3) Choose "Displays" 4) Choose the "Color" tab at the top 5) Make sure the correct "Display Profile" is chosen on the left, in your case it should be something like "iMac Display"
Also, in your original post... you said things looked "warped." Can you clarify? Is it just that the colors are messed up? Or is the display distorted in some other way?
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:08 PM
Response to Reply #31 |
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when I select iMac display, nothing happens
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:09 PM
Response to Reply #31 |
33. yes, the display is distorted |
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I know how to fix that on a PC, but I don't seem to have the same options with a Mac.
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targetpractice
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:17 PM
Response to Reply #33 |
35. Distorted in what way? |
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I can't tell what problem you are having based on your description. LCD displays don't have the same types of distortion issues that CRT displays have... I'm assuming you are talking about a recent iMac with built in LCD.
It's definitely something with your account, though. Otherwise you wouldn't see a normal display during the boot process.
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 03:53 PM
Response to Reply #35 |
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I had to go into System Preferences Then Universal Access Then Seeing Then Display And, I adjusted the contrast from there.
It still doesn't look quite right, however.
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targetpractice
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Sat Apr-29-06 04:01 PM
Response to Reply #37 |
38. Universall Access options are often activated... |
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...by accidently pressing certain key combinations. A three year old at the keyboard will certainly find those key combinations. ;-)
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riona
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Sat Apr-29-06 04:32 PM
Response to Reply #37 |
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his whole thing has me curious - have you ever calibrated your display? Or have you ever used your color sync utility?
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NewJeffCT
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Sat Apr-29-06 05:13 PM
Response to Reply #39 |
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I used the color sync utility when trying to resolve the problem.
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riona
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Sat Apr-29-06 05:45 PM
Response to Reply #40 |
41. I've sometimes cleared up color problems |
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going into system preferences, clicking on Display, then choosing the color tab, then clicking on Calibrate, checking Expert Mode box, and following the instructions.
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