Since teaming up my Mac mini with a different monitor (Dell E27q G4), when I power up the computer the desktop picture initially is in focus but when the desktop icons and dock come up the image goes fuzzy. I've tried changing the screen resolution without success - any ideas on what to try next?
David,
That's an HP monitor not a Dell (not that helps with the problem). As to how to solve it…
How are you connecting it? If you have another cable (HDMI, DisplayPort or both), I'd try that, and also whichever interface you're not using right now. Worth trying AN Other system with it as well. I think the cable is the most likely culprit- if you're using the bundled ones, they should be the right standard, but....There are a lot of variations on HDMI in particular, and of course they all look the same but don't work the same.
Manual here, btw, in case you haven't got it. http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c06647056.pdf Worth working through the troubleshooting ideas.
Can you describe the fuzziness in any more detail? Also, is it one of your images or a built-in one?
The first thing that came to mind was aspect ratio: are the two display modes (initial and desktop) the same shape (like 4:3 or 16:9) so could the image be being unevenly stretched? Is the desktop mode much higher resolution such that the image is simply too small?
Apologies for delay in replying but I have managed to find the culprit! Also apologies for stating the wrong monitor model - the Dell bit is correct but I mixed it up with the previous HP monitor model - sorry Stuart!
Following Stuart's advice I changed the HDMI cable and whilst doing this and taking off a USB hub, did not resolve the issue, I noticed that the fuzziness now only started when an application (Clock Desk) loaded. Switching off this application resolved the issue. Obviously there is some incompatibility with the Dell monitor somewhere but I can live without Clock Desk if needs be.
Thanks Stuart and Tony for pointing me in the right direction.
If this is the same ClockDesk app that's in the Mac App Store, one 'Finano' described the same problem in a review a year ago. He/she offers a workaround but it doesn't sound too practical to me.
I suggest you contact the author/support and describe the problem. Just leaving a review isn't really the right approach. There is some evidence that the author is responsive to enquiries.
David Fleetwood 