MacBook Pro doesn't detect external display after Lion upgrade

This is from my own experience, I have macbook pro with lion and a dell monitor, I connect via mini displayport to VGA connector, if I connect displayport first to my macbook and then monitor's vga to displayport to VGA, it won't work, I don't know why but maybe some internal implementation detail, just go in this order

  1. switch on both devices
  2. connect monitor's VGA cable to your mini displayport cable,
  3. connect mini mini displayport to you macbook.
  4. wait for a few seconds, it works every time.

Mine did this because I had Air Display installed (yes, Air Display). I uninstalled that app and everything works now.


Shut down the MacBook. Start it up with the external monitor connected. It should recognise it. Had same problem on Mountain Lion with a projector I had used many times before. Was supposed to be showing a film to a bunch of kids in the Youth Club and had to give up. My wife discovered the next day that restarting with it connected fixed it.