2011 Macbook Pro External Monitor Problems

Hi all,
Looking through some of the threads, it appears that getting macbook pros to work with an external monitors is a big issue.
I've just bought a phillips 27" monitor and I'm having no luck whatsoever getting my MBP to see it. I've tried both HDMI and DVI using Apple's own mini adapters, but no matter I do, the monitor fails to detect any kind of signal and goes into sleep mode.
I occassionally get the blue screen flicker on my MBP as though it's trying to connect, but the monitor does nothing!!
I've tried most of the suggestions in other threads, which relate to earlier OSX versions, but nothing has helped.
I'm running 10.8.4 on a 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7.
If I fire up my Apple TV, I can use mirroring and the monitor displays my desktop no problem, but the picture quality is poor. So I guess the monitor works. I want to use a bigger screen as I use Logic Pro, so clarity is pretty essential when it comes to picture quality.
Any help would be most appreciated.
Best Regards
Phil

Hello Phil,
The following article provides a number of troubleshooting steps that I'd recommend looking into, especially testing with another display if possible, and resetting the MacBook Pro's parameter RAM and SMC.
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1573
Cheers,
Allen

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Basic questions about macbook pro + external monitor

Hi,
I have some very basic questions about using a Macbook Pro + external display. I don't actually have them but need to know how things works.
So, here they are:
1) Can I use the external display as the main display?
2) Will the external display run with its resolution or with that of the mbook pro?
3) Somewhere I read that you cannot keep the macbook pro open and get the full resolution of the external display. Is that true ?
4) Is it dangerous to keep the mbook closed while using the external display?
5) Does the usage of the external display impact on mbook performance?
I know...a lot of questions , but would be nice if someone could help me.
Thanks.

Hi - I am presently using an external display.
To answer your questions in sequence:
1. Yes you can use the external display as your main display. The way to enable that mode is to put your MacBook Pro to sleep, attach the external display. Wake up your MBPro with the lid closed and you will see the external display as you main display. You can alternatively set the external to "Mirror" your notebook by using preferences/display.
2. The external display will run at its resolution although you can adjust and calibrate it using Preferences/Display.
3. Not true. You get max resolution on both displays. Of course you may have to tweak as mentioned above.
4. Not at all. I use this mode all the time. Just make sure you initially set up as mentioned above and your LCD on the MBPro will stay off.
5. I have not seen any performance degradation whatsoever.
Hope this helps.

AHH! Help!!! Dropped MacBook Pro! Monitor problem.

I just dropped my MacBook Pro from a coffee table on to tile.. About a 20 inch drop.. I feared the worst, and I was in so much shock I didn't even pick it up right away.. The monitor was shut when it fell.. I picked it up off the floor and looked for damage.. Aside from a small scrape on the top outside left hand side of the monitor nothing else was visibly wrong.. I opened the monitor, entered my password, everything seemed normal... It wasn't till I tried shutting the monitor I noticed that it wouldn't shut!! I think the entire monitor shift a centimeter or two.. The little hooks on each side of the camera don't line up with the holes under the mouse pad.. Can someone with knowledge of repairs let me know what kind of repairs I most likely need, where to go, and how much this will set me back? This really scks.

Man, my stomach sank when I saw this post. Oh the bad memories!
The same thing happened to my 17" PowerBook a couple of years ago. I knocked it off the shelf onto the carpeted (thank you) floor. It bent the hinges and still will not close all the way. It works flawlessly however, enough that my wife wanted it when I bought my 17" MBP. She has it on her desk and keeps the lid up all the time.
As others have stated, it'll cost a pretty penny to repair. You'll just need to decide if it's worth it. Good luck!

If I buy an external monitor (with a res of 2560x1440) will my early 2011 MacBook Pro work ok? And will it be utilising the monitors full res or not?

Hi,
I have an early 2011 MacBook Pro. I use Premiere Pro CS5 to video edit on. It's fine but when it comes to grading it's nearly impossible on such a small screen.
I'd like to buy a 27inch external monitor (Asus, Samsung, Dell, whatever - haven't decided yet) for when I'm editing at work (which is most days). My query is regarding the resolutions. Obviously my MacBook Pro displays a resolution of 1280x800, so if I buy a monitor with a resolution of 2560x1440 for example, what gets displayed?
And also does the connecting cable make any difference? For example, if I'm connecting by Thunderbolt out to HDMI, then an HDMI to HDMI cable to the external monitor, what happens then? Or should I be using a Mini Display Port to Display Port connecting lead?
I guess all I really want to know is, will it work? But also, am I wasting my money buying an external monitor with a 2560x1440 resolution? Should I just go for one that's the same res at my MacBook Pro?
I've never really understood how these things all work!
Thanks in advance for anyones help.
Regards,
Phil

I think it will work. You would need a mini displayport to (single link) DVI adapter to hook up that monitor.
Not sure what kind of problems you had with the ViewSonic but I'm guessing the Dell is probably a better monitor anyhow.

My 2011 MacBook Pro 13 stopped seeing my external monitor

My 2011 MacBook Pro 13 stopped seeing my external monitor. It is an Acer led monitor connected via hdmi cable
Running mountain lion

Kimapurado
Have you tried resetting the PRAM? shutdown the machine, hit the power button then hold down the option and command keys with your left hand, while holding them down with your right hand use your pinky to hold the 'P' key and index finger to hold down the 'R' key. hold them down until you hear the 'bong' sound twice then release the keys and let the machine bootup.
Also try resetting the SMC. Shut the machine down. Hold down the 'shiftctrloption' keys with your left hand, right hand hold down the power button for 10 seconds then release all. Power up the machine as normal.
Hope this helps. Pls update us and let us know if that helps!
Jaco

2011 Macbook Pro, running windows 7, two monitors?

I have a 2011 Macbook Pro 13inch, running windows 7 with thunderbolt to dvi cable, can I use a dvi splitter to get two monitors with seperate desktops?
I am currently using an external montior for one extra desktop, but I keep needing more room.

jazzdude9792 wrote:
It had beens sleeping running Windows 7 in my backpack while plugged in for a few hours, and you could literally cook an egg on it. It was that hot.
If it was plugged in and recharging IN your backpack you probably got the battery hot. I don't know if there is an overheat auto-shut down feature for the battery.
It may have woke Windows up to tell you it got hot and then crashed or tried to shutdown and couldn't.
As far as the heat for the processor or ram, it does have an auto shut down for overheat situations but if it crash's and stays in limbo land then that part of it won't see it and it could damage things inside. Depending on how you had your backpack stuffed last time and this time it could just be a coincident on getting extra hot. Depending on what year MacPro you have you can either use the Hardware Test DVD that came with your computer (or press and hold the D key when it restarts) to check to see if it can find anything wrong.
Or you may have a hardware problem that makes it wake up or restart by itself and Windows just happens to have the right combination to trigger it. If it's still under warranty you may want to have Apple look at it?
Not to mention, if it's happened before then maybe it's time to see WHY it does it before it does do some damage?
Try putting it to sleep and see if you can replicate the problem while at home.

I have a early 2011 Macbook pro 13 inch, I'm running Lion 10.7.4, and i want to upgrade to 10.8 Mountain Lion. Is it safe for my computer or are people experiencing problems with displays and Battery life?

I have a early 2011 Macbook pro 13 inch, I'm running Lion 10.7.4, and i want to upgrade to 10.8 Mountain Lion. Is it safe for my computer or are people experiencing problems with displays and Battery life?
Do Not post stuff about how Airplay doesnt work, because i dont have Apple TV and dont need to hear about it.

If you have an external drive equal to or larger than your internal HD, clone your internal to it with either Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper. Test the clone to make sure it's bootable. Then upgrade either one. Try it out first.

Having problems connecting a late 2011 Macbook Pro 2.2ghz i7 to a Sony KDL-32L5000 using a display miniport to DVI adapter (DVI to VGA cord). The TV is not detecting the macbook. Anyone have this problem?

Having problems connecting a late 2011 Macbook Pro 2.2ghz i7 to a Sony KDL-32L5000 using a display miniport to DVI adapter (DVI to VGA cord). The TV is not detecting the macbook. Anyone have this problem?

You really have to mess with the resoluton, espescially the refresh rate, as it varies from projector to projector, monitor to monitor. Even within the same brand! Because so many manufacturers are trying so many different things to become the next cool kid on the block, and the way the formats are being configured that's now part of the game.
That's why so many professionally produced corporate shows hire a dedicated projectionist for the video presentations. Too many bugs in the honey.
Refresh & sesolution are the first things to look at.
Just so you know that colors in PowerPoint PC, and PowerPoint Mac, don't exactly match... go figure.
I forgot to mention another thing, sometimes it's the projector that needs to be tweaked.

My 2007 Intel Macbook Pro had Tiger 10.4. Can I boot into that drive,now an external, with my 2011 Macbook Pro?

I have software that is no longer compatible with my 2011 MacBook Pro that I would like to continue to use.
When I upgraded my old 2007 MBP from Tiger to Leopard, I did a clean install on a new drive, and put the original internal in an external case.
This same software did not work with Leopard, but I could boot into the old drive when necessary, and use it that way.
But so far, I have not been able to do this with the new computer.
Since that MBP had an Intel processor, shouldn't I be able to boot into the old drive, or is the problem due to the i7's quad core?
BTW, I have Parallels 7 (and 8 available, but not installed yet) running WIndows Pro 7.
Can I use Parallels to install Mac 10.4 as a VM as a way around this?
Thanks.

You can upgrade from10.4 to 10.6 with no problems. Any program that runs under 10.4 will run under10.6 but you might have to upgrade some drivers for printers, etc.... I recently upgraded an 2006 MacBook (model 1,1) from 10.4 to 10.6.
You can order a Snow Leopard 10.6 install disk for $29 as long as you have at least1gb of RAM and 5gb offree space on your hard drive. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY You won't need the box set unless you want the full iLife '11 and iWork '09. If you only want iPhoto or other single apps you can get them from the App Store after you've upgraded to10.6.6. iPhoto, iMovie or Garage Band for $15 each and Pages, Keynote or Numbers for $20 each.
A 10.5 Leopard disk will run you over $100

13" late 2011 MacBook Pro has frozen after Yosemite installation. I can, however, boot from a clone of my MacBook Air that is on an external drive. Despite the fact that I can boot from the external, could it be the RAM that's the prob

My daughter's 13" late 2011 MacBook Pro has frozen (null sign displays) after Yosemite installation. I can, however, boot from a clone of my MacBook Air that is on an external drive. I reinstalled Yosemite on the MBP HD, but it still hangs in mid install. Despite the fact that I can boot from the external, could it be the RAM that's the problem? I'd happily put 8 GB in if it seems probable that would solve the problem. I've tried all the suggested procedures that I've seen posted here. Disk Utility, and my older version of DiskWarrior indicate the HD is OK. I have DiskWarrior 5 on order.

Boot the MBP with the OPTION key down. If successful, you should see two HDD icons, Select the recovery partition (on the right).
From the 4 option menu select Disk Utility.
Run Disk Utility>First Aid, Verify and Repair.
If the disk cannot be repaired, it will have to be replaced.
Ciao.

Having hard drive problems with 2011 macbook pro

Hey all,
I am having some hard drive issues with a 2011 Macbook Pro running OS X Mavericks.
How it happened: I was browsing the web when suddenly I got the spinny-wheel-of-death. The spinny wheel of death stuck around for much longer than usual, and eventually my computer wouldn't even respond to mouse input (the mouse wouldn't move). Nothing worked, so I did a hard reset of my computer. When I rebooted the machine, it took me into "Recovery Disk Mode".
Here are the diagnostics that I've done: In "Recovery Disk Mode", I have the option to use the Disk Utility, which I have done. My main volume, called "Macintosh HD" is grayed out - and not mountable. When I run "first aid" on it, it is not able to verify the disk because of an "Invalid B-tree node size". It then tells me to repair the disk. I have tried repairing the disk, but it fails - and that is not entirely unexpected because all of the forum posts that I have read up until now say that Disk Utility cannot repair this specific type of error.
3rd party software I have tried: Based on the forum posts that I have read, Disk Warrior is especially capable at fixing this kind of error, so I went to my local computer shop, purchased the software, and booted into it. Disk Warrior did not recognize my drive, and did not even show it in the list of available options.
Other things I have tried: I purchased a Seagate external drive, and I tried to use Disk Utility to copy the contents from my MBP's hard drive over to the external drive, but when I do so, "Disk Utility" tells me that "Recovery partition restores can only be done on GPT partition maps." I have also had it give me another error message where it says it "cannot verify source - error 254".
Additionally, I have seen around the internet that many people try using "fsck" to fix this issue, but I haven't been able to find a good explanation of the proper steps when using "fsck", nor how to specify to the "fsck" program that I want it to fix my "Macintosh HD" volume. I've opened up the terminal, and gone into the "/dev/" folder, but I don't know which item in that folder, or any other folder, would properly lead down the path to my "Macintosh HD" volume. Also, the man pages seem to be of little help here.
One option I would like to try, but I have not been able to, is to try putting my MBP into Target Disk Mode, and see if my desktop machine (a Dell) can see it. The problem here is that my Dell only has USB ports - no Firewire, and obviously no Thunderbolt ports. I would need to find a way to plug my MBP into my Dell while it is in Target Disk Mode, but from what I can tell, that's impossible if I don't have a Firewire or Thunderbolt port on my Dell.
So, now having explained everything I have tried, can y'all give me any advice on how I can recover my drive without completely repartitioning it? Although most of my important data and files are located on cloud services, there are definitely some files on the drive that I don't have backed up, and I would like to recover the drive without losing those files. What suggestions can you give me? Thanks!

Yes, BUT...
... there are many problems that are really easy to eliminate by replacing the Hard drive, including ones that have nothing to do with actual Drive Hardware failure. These include corrupted install of Mac OS X, its EFI partition, clobbered partition tables, or the appearance of Bad Blocks in a critical area.
Any of these problems can sometimes be eliminated by re-initializing the entire drive and writing Zeroes, and re-installing from scratch. The trouble is, this process takes hours to complete, and is not guaranteed to be successful -- you may still need a new drive after all that effort.
I learned from my Plumber that consumers have no appetite for solutions that might work, and detest return visits for any related problems whatsoever. You or your friend may have had your drive replaced, not because it actually failed, but because the situation was troublesome, and the provider thought you would not tolerate anything less than a crisp, complete fix on the first attempt. And based on the cost of technician time, it may have even been cheaper that way.

MacBook Pro + External Dual Monitors?

I have a late 2011 MacBook Pro and I want to connect to 2 external monitors (Dell/Asus). Is this possible? Don't want a mirror either, just an expanded visual. Please link any relevant connectors that might be good if its possible. I've looked at previous forums but some haven't been able to give the answers I needed.

The two monitors there have the same hook ups. HDMI, DVI, and VGA.
If you plan on watching videos or playing games on one of these monitors i would advise using the connection off of my first link.
The second link would before anything that would not be graphically intensive, whether Internet browsing or word processing.
You will also need either a dvi to dvi or dvi to hdmi.
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-MacBook-Mini-DisplayPort-Cable/dp/B008R39DZK/ref=sr _1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1378354457&sr=8-2&keywords=belkin+mini+displayport+to+hdmi+adap ter
http://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Multiple-2048x1152-1920x1080-DisplayLink/dp/B0038 P1TP4/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1378354812&sr=1-7&keywords=usb+to+hdmi

Problems with early 2011 MacBook Pro 13" 2.7 GHz / OWC Mercury Extreme Pro

*Has anyone else experienced issues getting their OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD working in the early 2011 MacBook Pros?*
I am having difficulties getting OS X installed on the new OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 240 GB. When I install the SSD in place of the factory HDD and boot from the 10.6.6 reinstallation DVD the SSD is not visible to the installation program. If I quit the 10.6.6 installer and run Disk Utility (from the 10.6.6 installation DVD) the SSD is not visible. If I quit Disk Utility and run System Profiler (from the 10.6.6. installation DVD) the drive is visible and firmware and serial numbers are displayed. So like the drive is visible to OS X but the installer / Disk Utility can not see it.
If I put the SSD in an external USB enclosure it is visible - I can format the drive and copy files to it.
I also tried installing the SSD in place of the factory HDD, putting the HDD in a USB enclosure, booting from the OS X installation on the HDD and running the OS X installer from the 10.6.6 DVD. I was able to select the SSD as the target for the installation and the initial file copy was OK, but when the laptop restarted during the installation the SSD would not boot. The grey folder icon with the flashing question mark was displayed instead. Holding down Option while booting only gave me the option to boot from the DVD.
I also tried resetting the NVRAM and SMC of the MacBook Pro - this did not resolve the issue.
I spoke to OWC support who said they did not know of any compatibility issues with the new MacBook Pros and suggested I request a replacement.
The firmware version of the SSD is 350a13f0

This is my exact problem. I have had 2 of these drives so far and both of them have had the same problem with installation internally. The first one I was able to get operational using the method you described, ie: put the OWC SSD in an external case (FW800 was my choice) and install it there. But I encountered the sleep issues, so I sent it back for a replacement.
The second drive I was finally able to install using the second method, but now the computer regularly locks up. So I'm going to call again and hopefully the third try will work.
Just to clarify. The first drive had sleep issues, but had the older firmware. The second drive had the newer firmware (360 I think it is) and didn't have the sleep issues, but locks up while running.
I'm so irritated on how many hours I've spent on this issue. And their support department, though very nice, wasn't helpful at all. It's as if they never heard of this problem.

2011 Macbook Pro won't detect my USB 3 external drive

I've got a late 2011 MacBook Pro, running OSX Yosemite with all available updates installed.
I recently purchased a 1TB USB 3.0 (USB 2.0 backwards compatible) external hard drive (Seagate) to use for Time Machine backups.
Quite often when I connect the drive to my Mac it doesn't get picked up - i.e. it doesn't appear in Finder or Disk Utility. The drive does get power each time (you can hear it if you put your ear close enough), however the small light on the drive doesn't come on when the problem occurs.
If I unplug it and then plug it back in it sometimes picks it up - often I have to restart a few times for it get picked up.
Other times it connects first time without any problems at all, which is strange!
It was doing this before upgrading from OSX Mavericks to OSX Yosemite.
My USB2.0 500GB external drive connects and appears in Finder without any problems at all.
I've performed the following troubleshooting steps:
- Connected the drive to different USB ports (no change)
- Tested the drive on various Windows workstations (works fine every time)
- Tested with different USB 3.0 cables (no change)
- Formatted the drive (no change)
- Tried different USB3.0 drives (same problem occurs)
I'm not really sure what else to try. You can't seem to get just USB2.0 drives any more in the UK (not 1TB or greater).
Has anyone else had problems?

USB Ports can sometimes be funny like that. If you haven't already, these are some little things you can try:
- First things first, unplug all your usb devices. Try plugging a device that you're sure works on your MBPR over EACH of the usb ports (just to check if they're both working correctly & supplying power on the mac itself).
- Check the USB cable's A plug (the end that connects to the mac) and make sure both the contacts are clean, and that the crevass is free from dirt/lint buildup, as it can interfere with a proper connection. (This can happen if you store cables in cases or bags).
- Sometimes easing the USB plug slightly out from the computer may help mount certain devices. If it DOES mount (abruptly) after this, then see item above on making sure your cable is clean, or swap out usb cable as it may not be working properly & try again with a new cable.
- Lastly, some devices may need a firmware update to even connect, as with the cases of the Lexar USB3.0 Card Readers and some Seagate USB HD's some folks here are experiencing with their Retinas.
Here's another thread that may also be useful concerning an external Toshiba Canvio HD.
It's not much, I know, but hope this helps, if a little.

What external drives work well with a late 2011 MacBook Pro? I ask because I just found out the hard way that a Samsung EVO 840 does not. Also should I avail myself of something that works with Thunderbolt or Firewire?

What external drives work well with a late 2011 MacBook Pro (I7, Lion OS) apart from my Kingston flash and USB drive, and the SD drives that I use in my cameras and recording devices? I ask because I just found out the hard way that a Samsung EVO 840 does not. Also, should I avail myself of something that works with the Thunderbolt or Firewire connections? I'm looking to back up music and video files created and/or processed in Logic Pro and the Adobe Production Premium software suite (Premier Pro, After Effects, Audition, etc).

Hmm, not sure what problems you had installing this drive. The review here gives it good marks for Mac:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-EVO-Series-2-5-Inch-MZ-7TE1T0BW/produc t-reviews/B00E3W16OU
There does seem to be a lot of prep to make it work:
"1. Preparation to install your new shiny SSD
1.a You will need a migration tool (I used the Sabrent kit USB 3.0 to Sata that was suggested in these review) see link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQJME7Y/ref=oh_details_o03_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&p sc=1
1.b You will need to download a trim enabler (mid 2012 macbooks only support native trim with apple brand ssd's) I recommend going to cindori.org and downloading trim enabler version 3.xx. You can do this step before or after the OS migration
1.c You cannot use the Samsung SSD migration software *don't worry Mac has its own imaging/migration utility*"
Also in those reviews:
" Only down side when using this product in a Mac Mini is you will be required to download and install Trim Enabler so that your drive performs optimally on your Mac device. This is an Apple issue, not Samsung, but it is an extra step you will have to take after you install the hard drive, and any time you perform an OS upgrade." He rant's on.
Personally I only deal with OWC:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/
They are very knowledgable and if there's a problem they will gladly take back the item. (Never happened to me yet - 8 years and counting).
Just upgraded my 13" MBP 2011 to 120 GB for $79. Adobe CS 6 opens in 3 seconds! Awesome!
When I was in Chicago I had a pro photographer for a client. She wound up with 4 internal drives in her Pro, 4 external drives and an dual array locked in a steel vault in the basement. All from OWC. OK she was a bit paranoid. Great client though.
As far as value for price:
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MES3FH7500G/
500 GB for $130.
However as far as reliability is concerned:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/01/30/are-ssds-reliable/
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/173887-ssd-stress-testing-finds-intel-might -be-the-only-reliable-drive-manufacturer
So sudden power loss is an issue with SSDs.
Personally I'd go with a moderate sized SSD internally and a conventional external for backup. An array would be the most reliable.

2011 Macbook Pro External Monitor Problems

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