Fixing a few j5create USB HDMI adaptor issues I've had


Ever since I started using it, the j5create USB to HDMI monitor adaptor has given me some form of grief. Don't get me wrong, having a 3rd screen on a Mac Mini is great, but it comes at a cost.

One of the first issues that I had was while logging in remotely. For some reason I was unable to type anything, or click. Previously I didn't have a problem so it had to be something to do with the new hardware. Turns out that it's either Spaces or a combination of Spaces and the j5create hardware that causes this issue. To fix it:

  • Open up System Preferences / Mission Control
  • Uncheck "When switching to an application, switch to a Space with open windows for the application".

Second was was more frustrating. Ever so often the screen would freeze. I was actually able to drag a window onto another screen from the frozen screen leaving a copy of the window. The only way to fix this to my knowledge was to reboot the machine (as unplugging the hardware won't initiate upon plugging it back in). I got sick of doing this so I decided to go hunting for the process associated and try to figure out if I could restart it somehow. After some searching I was able to make a crude bash alias (I could probably make something more accessible, but this will do for me) to reset the monitor:

alias monitorreset='sudo launchctl unload 
   sudo launchctl load -w 

I'm unsure if this has any negative effects to the system as I've only had to use it once since implementing it. If there's a better way please get in contact with me.