Connecting your mac

This article describes how to connect your Apple mac laptop to the lecture theatre or classroom projector

Mac Laptops with a VGA connection
  • Connect your power supply to your Mac laptop
  • Connect your Mac laptop adaptor to the VGA cable in the venue.
  • Turn on your laptop. After your Mac has started up, your laptop image  should project. If it does not, please follow the instructions below :
Mac Laptop using HDMI

How to connect your Mac

  • Connect your power supply to your MAC Laptop
  • Connect adaptor to the HDMI cable

If image does NOT automatically appear

  • Open System Preferences, then Displays and choose Detect Displays.
  • Under the Arrangement tab select the Mirror Display box if you wish to have the image from the Projector match the one on your Mac laptop

Some of the newer laptops, particularly Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro don’t have VGA or HDMI ports. You will need your own adaptor to convert  port to HDMI.

In these cases, your Mac laptop will either have a Thunderbolt port, Mini Display Port or a USB-C port.

If you are unsure you can check on the below link to see which port you have on your machine.  You will need to purchase the correct adaptor in order to connect  through HDMI or VGA.  (HDMI would be the preferred option).

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201736

Setting up your Mac for video mirroring

Video mirroring projects the image that appears on your laptop monitor.

  1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Displays, then click Display.
  2. Ensure both monitors are set to the same resolution.
  3. Click Arrangement, then select Mirror Displays.

Setting up your Mac display as an extended desktop

  1. On your Mac, choose Applemenu >System Preferences, click Displays, then click Arrangement.
  2. Follow the onscreen instructions.

If your Mac doesn't detect a connected display

  1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu >System Preferences, click Displays, then click Display.
  2. Click the Detect Displays button. (You may need to press the Option key to see the Detect Displays button.)

Note: If this does not work, you may need to reset the adapter connection to the laptop or restart the laptop.