In restructuring and organizing my office, I am wanting to use my MacBook more as a desktop. Presently, I have our Windows PC sitting under my desk always running my weather station program and also hooked up to my NEC 24" display (DVI cable). If I'm not mistaken, the display also has a VGA connector. Is it possible to run my PC via the VGA connector and my MacBook via the DVI? I'm not talking simultaneously here, but is it possible to switch over while both a running? I've never disconnected a video cable when a PC is running. But, by leaving both connected, how might I get the display to switch over to the MacBook? Any problems?
If I'm not mistaken, the display also has a VGA connector. Is it possible to run my PC via the VGA connector and my MacBook via the DVI? I'm not talking simultaneously here, but is it possible to switch over while both a running?
Depends on the display. If the display has cables running to each input (VGA+DVI), then it will accept the connection which is sending the signal. Thus, if you were using the MacBook with the display, the PC must have its video cable physically disconnected on its end. Even if the PC is turned off, but the video cable connected on both ends, the display MAY become confused. One of the 2 ends must be disconnected as far as I know. I tried something similar at work.
__________________ ACMT Mac mini (Mid 2011) 2.7 GHz i7, 8GB RAM, Crucial M4 256GB SSD + 500GB + 1TB FW800 OWC Mercury Elite Pro mini iPhone 4S • iPod nano 8GB • Sound System Audio Engine A2 • Display UltraSharp U2412M 24"
I just read up on the KVM switch, which is a bit too big for me. The switch looks like it only does vga (?). There are also "minis" or "micros", all of which I am not familiar with at all. Anyone have any experience in running 1 display off of 2 (Apple and PC) computers?
Lars- do you know if you're supposed to shut down a PC before disconnecting the vga cable?
Even if the PC is turned off, but the video cable connected on both ends, the display MAY become confused. One of the 2 ends must be disconnected as far as I know. I tried something similar at work.
Now that would be a real drag if that's the case. It's a real pain to have to pull out the display, spin it around and remove a cable every time I want to switch. There must be a better solution. Or maybe I misunderstood. If I disconnect the cable on back of the PC, that would do. That would be easier, but still a pain.
I used a monitor for years this way -- one DVI and one VGA, using the Input Selector button on the front of the monitor to choose between machines.
No disconnections necessary. Just, if you reboot or start up a machine, make sure the monitor is selected to that machine and leave it there until it has fully loaded the operating system.
Took the DVI cable off of the PC, attached a VGA to the display but left it off of the PC, attached the DVI to the MacBook and am in business. I wonder what would happen if I now connected the VGA to the PC. It sure would be nice to somehow be able to switch back and forth with the display itself without leaving cables disconnected.
Hmm. I just disconnected on the MacBook side and reconnected with VGA on the PC side. Nothing comes up on the display. I'll have to restart the PC in order to get it up on the display. Shouldn't the connection of the VGA cable to the PC bring up the display?
Hmm. I just disconnected on the MacBook side and reconnected with VGA on the PC side. Nothing comes up on the display. I'll have to restart the PC in order to get it up on the display. Shouldn't the connection of the VGA cable to the PC bring up the display?
Depends on your monitor whether it auto-senses the inputs ... which it may not if you PC had gone to sleep and turned off the monitor output in the interim.
Time to look at the monitor's manual and see how to access the input select.
Linear Mode
