MacOS – What happened to detect displays

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I'm running Mountain Lion with a retina MacBook Pro with three external monitors attached. Quite often, one or more of the monitors blacks out. Normally, I would choose "detect displays" in the displays menu or system preference, but I just found that that button is no longer there. Furthermore, the displays menu is gone as well! I found it in /System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras, but when I double clicked it, it didn't open.

So I guess I really have two questions:

  • Is the displays menu dead? Or did I break my computer somehow? I don't terribly miss it, other than the detect displays command (I never change the resolution from the default).

  • More importantly, how can I execute a "detect displays"? A terminal command would be fine.

Best Answer

From Apple KB Article HT5369:

If the detect displays option is not available, hold down the ⌥ alt/option key while you are in the Display pane.

It should morph the "Gather Windows" button into the "Detect Displays" button.

Stupid change, isn't it?