Photoshop CC window is solid black on 2nd monitor

[IntrinsikMedia]

• What version of Photoshop? Photoshop CC 14.0 x64
• Have you installed the recent updates? Yes
• What operating system? Mac OS X 10.8.4
• What kind(s) of image file(s)? Affecting PSDs and JPGs. Not PNGs, those are working
• If you are getting error message(s), what is the full text of the error message(s)? No error message
• What were you doing when the problem occurred? Setting up new monitor.
• Has this ever worked before? No and yes, monitor is new but, I still have Photoshop CS6 and that works fine.
• What other software are you running? At the moment: Chrome, AI, Calendar, Textedit, and System Preferences.
• Tell us about your computer hardware. MacBook Pro with 15" Retina display (set to the "More Space" setting), 8GB RAM, 2.4 GHz i7, 172GB free space on the SSD. Monitor is Hanns.G HE225DPB 1920x1080 at 60Hz
• Has this ever worked before? This question worked when it was asked the first time.

As I drag the window back and forth between the external display and my laptop display, the previous state briefly shows. When I drag it to the external monitor it looks ok for a split second in vertical bands that refresh to solid black. Same when I'm dragging the window back, the window remains black on my main laptop monitor until it refreshes back to normal, in the same vertical-band fashion. The frame of the window, including rulers looks ok, but the image area, including the canvas color turns black. This blackness can be captured in a screenshot.

On the PNG that is working, I do get some black as the image resizes between displays (stays at 100% but on the lower res monitor it doubles in size). In CS6 the image does not resize, the % changes (16.67 on external, 33.33% on laptop) and remains approximately the same size.

Perhaps this is more of a bug than something I can do anything about, but I am unable to login to Photoshop.com (someone else has already posted about this issue there, 5 days ago, not responses yet), I get an "it is no longer possible to create an account" message, even though I already have an account.

Thanks.

[Guest]

What video card are you using?  It may not have enough horsepower to run 2 monitors.

[IntrinsikMedia]

Graphics card is NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024 MB

[Guest]

This should be plenty good.  Do you have both monitors plugged into the card?

[IntrinsikMedia]

Yup.

The built in display (2880 X 1800) is connected to it via internal DisplayPort

The external monitor is connected via Apple Mini DisplayPort To VGA Adapter

[Guest]

IM_Katie wrote:

The external monitor is connected via Apple Mini DisplayPort To VGA Adapter

Does this mean the nVidia display card or an onboard GPU?  Not a Mac person, but would expect card to be same with 2 connectors coming out of same card.

[IntrinsikMedia]

It's a laptop, even knowing what the inside looks like doesn't help me know what's connected to the GPU.

But clearly, both displays are connected to the card:

[IntrinsikMedia]

See also:

[IntrinsikMedia]

Today it is working fine. How strange.

[liluc]

I have exactly the same problem, but mine keeps on coming back. So i can only use one monitor when i use photoshop. It is really annoying!

[rekersting]

It appears to be a known issue. http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/image-second-monitor-goes-black.html

The link says it happens with Retina Display MacBook Pros, but I have seen it happen on at least two different models of non-Retina MacBook Pros.

Has anyone had any success in solving this problem?

[Tom_Voller-Berdan]

I've had the same issue. I wonder if it is only happening when you have Photoshop open and THEN plug in the other monitor. I've just started testing that, but think that might be the case for me. I am on a non-Retinal MacBook Pro.

[swieder227]

I had photoshop open in the background, and when I switch from home/work I use plug and unplug different monitors. In my case, I simply restarted Photoshop CC and PSDs opened fine.

This may support Tom Voller-Berdan's theory that the it blacks out of Photoshop is already open you plug in the monitor. But more testing would be needed to prove that. If it happens again, I'll see if I can reproduce the issue.

[RainDropWorld]

This worked for me!

I have an HP Envy Laptop.

My document window was pure white. Only on the second monitor.

I closed down Photoshop and after reopening it with the the monitor already plugged in

Now images are displaying properly.

Thanks

[Chris Cox]

You also need to update your video card driver from the GPU maker's website (to pick up bug fixes to the driver).

[kylewetton]

@Chris Cox unfortunately everyone here is actually having a Yosemite issue. Also, it's important to note that you can't update MAC drivers from Nvidias website like you're suggested. They support all operating systems but the one every person here is using.

"

Supported operating systems: Microsoft Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, 2003, Media Center, Vista and Windows 7

"

[srlake314]

Not working at all! 

[AdamTolley · Accepted solution]

There is an option under preferences-performance to use the graphics processor ( in my MBP 13, an Intel HD 3000 GPU ). 

If switched it of, hit ok, then switched it back on.  Everything seems to work now. 

[cwoods54]

That solved the issue for me – thanks Adam!

[cindymarketing]

I did this trick and it seemed to work for me - thank you! I am also on a non-retina macbook as well.

[jnanthakumar]

I'm working on a retina mbpro with a thunderbolt display attached, what i've found is that if i unplug the external dispaly and replug it, everything is fine. Also you need to have a photoshop window or canvas on both monitors, when you do this.

I'm not sure this is the solution but it's a quick fix for the time being

hope this helps

[akaFire]

I know this post is old, but i've been having the same problems myself. The only thing I managed to do to get it working is the following:

Goto Photoshop Preferences > Performance > and then Uncheck "Use Graphics Processor"

May not be the best solution but its works (well for me it has)

Hope this helps

[Chris Cox]

That avoids the bugs in the video card drivers - but Apple still needs to fix the bugs in the video card drivers.

(and unfortunately, their fixes will probably only happen in 10.9.x)

[telepastor]

I unchecked the 'Use Grpahics Processor" and it worked so far.  Then I saw that akaFIre had recommended the same thing.  Thanks for the insight.  This was annoying to say the least.

[EyezOfAChild]

The "uncheck Use Graphics Processor" tip worked for me too.  Thanks guys.