BeamSyncDropper – Tool to disable BeamSync permanently.

Hello all,

after a lot of time trying to hack my Acer Notebook with OS X higher then 10.7.1, i noticed that disabling BeamSync with QuartzDebug is a solution for me.

It's like pressing a 'magic-button' . All …
glitches,
system lags,
hangs,
unusable mission control,
main-ring-hangs in kernel.log
…disappeared.
OK... little tearing effect is there while moving windows very fast but it's because i disabled BeamSync . I have nothing else on the con side.

I can't explain in detail why it has this effect for me but i think it skips now some not proper working 'alignment job' between display and display-driver. I guess that my laptop screen isn't compatible with the newer osx HD3000 drivers (external hdmi monitors worked fine). I also tried a lot of solutions for my Laptop before. Like GraphicGlitchFix, connector patching, creating display edid and so on.

At first i used a applescript to open QuartzDebug, disable BeamSync and kill it so that the effect stays permanently - But it's ugly as hell…

I found no program on the net to do it invisible. After googling a bit i found a code snippet for osx tiger opened Xcode and damned myself being such a objective-c/Xcode novice.

So if you just like to try it for your machine or you need more fps in you favorite game
(I read some guys have performance boost with disabled beamsync - dunno)
here it is:

#### BeamSyncDropper ####

--- Just trying: ---
1. Go to the extracted directory with Terminal
(example: 'cd /Users/Name/Desktop/BeamSyncDropper2/LionBuild')
2. chmod 775 BeamSyncDropper2
3. run with './BeamSyncDropper2'

Just log off and log in to turn BeamSync on again.

--- Installation: ---
1. Copy the file BeamSyncDropper2 to a location (i use '/Extra') and set permissions ('chmod 775 BeamSyncDropper2').
2. edit the 1 row of the applescript BeamSyncDropper2Starter to your
path.
3. Save the script as program (use 'save as' option).
4. Open system settings, go to user menu and add the script in the start items section.
5. Logout and login again.

(If you see a apple script icon in the taskbar for <= 5 sec then it's alive!)

Note: I only tested the tool on 10.7.5 and 10.8.2

enjoy!

[Upd 14.03] WARNING: Tool will add key Compositor to com.apple.windowserver.plist. I can confirm this on 10.7.5 and 10.8.2.
If you have trouble after using my tool please run the following command in terminal:
"sudo defaults delete /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist Compositor"
Many thanks to nyolc8!

[Upd 20.09.13] v2 version released! Now with -stop -start and -force parameter to turn Beam Sync on and off directly. Post #12 !!!

 

Do you plan to publish the source code? Might be a bit more educational if you did...

 

Hello RehabMan,

did not plan to publish the code. But there is no reason to not do So here it is.

You have to link the code with GraphicsCore library to compile it with SDK 10.8 (or Cocoa library for SDK 10.7).

 

Thanks, I was just kind of curious what it did. Seems like it is manipulating the same stuff Quartz Debug...

 

Tried, it removed some stuttering, but for example at launchpad, I get the same effect as when I play a game with v-sync off. So the screen getting glitchy when many thing moving on the screen.
Anyway, thanks for sharing, it's interesting.

edit.: so I just tried it (just ran throught terminal) and this thing f.cked up my beamsync or something because now every animation sucks even after restart... So... how to make it good again? Is this thing make some change in a plist or something? Maybe some cache file? Please help because now my system fcked up.

edit2.: so tried to create a new user, but the problem is the same with that... EVERY (windows opening, mission control, notification center opening, scrolling, etc..) animation stuttering now... really badly. How to fix this? It was nice before trying this thing....

edit3.: FIXED! Needed to delete "Compositor" key from "com.apple.windowserver.plist" file. Your tool makes this key in that file and messes up the animations. But it can be fixed with this Terminal command:

Code (Text):

sudo defaults delete /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist Compositor

 

I'm really sorry for the trouble you ran into. Did'nt noticed such effects with my Desktop @ 10.8.2

Thanks for testing and reporting your experience. I will add the fix to the first post.

 

Hello There... Thank you for your effort, since i have been waiting this tool for a very very long time...

The thing I want to ask is :

How to revert this back? everything? Because after deleting the starter from the login items and performing the "sudo compositor" trick, it does not revert back, in other words, with the Force Beam enabled, it is slower than ever before...

Again, and agin, thank you for this wonderful tool...

 

Try to run Quartz Debug. It will enable BeamSync everytime you run and close it. There is also a little gui to switch between BeamSync on and off.
You can get it from the probook installer:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/hp-probook/78407-hp-probook-installer-6-a.html

Normally these steps shall uninstall the tool:
1.) delete Starter from the start up items
2.) the sudo compositor command
3.) a restart

What osx version do you use?

 

It's 10.8.3 and nope, the steps you are telling is not the solution, it think, i tried everything only the Quartz Debug option is bringing the Beam Sync optin to automatic, so problem solved Thank You

 

Good to know

I think i will provide a update soon where you can switch between enabled an disabled with a parameter.
So that it will be more comfortable to use.

Thank you for your feedback!