Thunderbolt display problems

Dear Apple,
I am the proud owner of a 17" MacBook Pro late 2011 edition that functions marvelously well. It is hooked up to a Promise HDD Raid Unit and not one, but two Thunderbolt 27" displays.
I am having issues like many users with the TB displays. Here are the main problems:
1- The displays are either not recognized or only one of them is recognized upon hard reboot. (Sometimes the left screen is gets turned on, sometimes, it's the right screen
2- The Detect Displays button in Diplay Preferences does nothing
3- The Brightness cursor sometimes does not appear in the Display Preferences
Basically, I have no control over how the Displays will react. Would it be possible to give me insight as to how to fix those problems? Are there firmware or OS updates being written to fix those common issues? Thanks for your help
David
Note:
1- The TB firmware is up todate
2- I tried all wiring combination with the Thunderbolt cables
3- I am running Mac OS X 10.7.3

Hello MurrayElliott,
If you having an issue with your Apple Thunderbolt Display, check out the following article that will guide you though troubleshooting the issue. If it cannot be solved there are links of what to do next in the article.
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1573
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Regards,
-Norm G.

Similar Messages

Intermittent thunderbolt display problems

Sometimes USB works, sometimes nothing works. Power cycle MBP seems to work. When MBP goes to sleep and comes back on, USB sometimes doesn't work, putting it back to sleep and waking it up seems to work.
Out of all the apple hardware I've used, this product has the worst problem so far. Anyone else experiencing it?

My Thunderbolt Display:
Vendor Name:          Apple, Inc.
Device Name:          Thunderbolt Display
Vendor ID:          0x1
Device ID:          0x8002
Device Revision:          0x1
UID:          0x0001000100129380
Firmware Version:          22.2
Port:
Status:          Connected
Link Status:          2
Port Micro Firmware Version:          0.0.21
Cable Micro Firmware Version:          0.1.18
Port:
Status:          No devices connected
Link Status:          7
Super Port Micro Firmware Version:          0.0.21

Thunderbolt display problems using MBP with lid closed

I am experiencing a very reproducible problem since purchasing aThunderbolt display to use with a recent (1 month old) Macbook Pro 13"2.7GHz i7.
I use my MBP with lid closed with myThunderbolt display. If Ithen allow the MBP to sleep and power down, on restarting it the WiFi hasstopped working- the menu bar says I am connected by WiFi but Safari will notconnect to the internet and Time Machine cannot connect to the Airport/TimeCapsule to backup. Nothing I do will fix it (shutting down all programs, turingWiFi off then on) and so I have to shutdown/reboot BUT THEN the MBP freezesduring shutdown (waiting 15, 20, 30 minutes!) and I have to hold down the powerbutton (hard reboot). Once I reboot everything works fine UNTIL I take a breakand the computer goes to sleep again.
Doesn't seem to be a problem with the MBP lid open, but I needto test this a bit more to be sure...
On top of this the Bluetooth trackpad now keeps going on andoff; connected, not connected despite being near or the computer. Veryirritating at best, unusable at worst. This only started to be a major problem(every 10-15 minutes or so) when I started to use the Thunderbolt display.
These problems seems to be in some ways similar to anotherthread:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16205098#16205098
("Major problemswith Thunderbolt display & MBAir")
I have applied the recent Thunderbolt Firmware update, and SMC& PRAM/NVRAM resets. Interestingly these seemed to work initially but thenafter a prolonged power-down period the problem has recurred. Back to square 1.
Any ideas out there?

Just to be clear, have you installed everything that you find on this page?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4644
I just talked to Apple Care about Thunderbolt issues in general and even though I already had the Thunderbolt Software Update installed, he had me reinstall it. If you go to this page:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16889000#16889000
you can read in detail about the issues I was having which have for the most part been remedied (for now at least!)
The Thunderbolt cable definitely transfers heat for some reason even when there isn't a high CPU utilization. The process 'kernel_task' seems to be where the API for thunderbolt is running. But for some reason, the behavior of CPU Utilization to Fan Speed is amplified when connected to the TBD.
Apple Care is researching it.

MBP thunderbolt display problem

I have MBP 13" retina display running 10.10.2 (14C109). I use both the thunderbolt port for external monitor, when i lock display and wake it up, one or both external monitors go grainy(like this tv with out cable). I have to re-connect thunderbolt ports to get the display back. I have replaced cables and mac to rule out hardware problem.

Me too. mine just stopped working this morning and I have tried plugging in to serveral different apple computors in the office.
I upgraded to OS X Yosemite (10.10.1) last week.
It has been flickering and going black for a second or two ever since I got it.

Problem with two thunderbolt display's daisychained

hey,
i'm having problems with my mac setup. i've got two thunderbolt displays, hooked to a 15" mbp retina laptop.
i've got my iphone hooked to one of the usb ports of the display then i've got a keyboard, a superdrive and a charger for my magic mouse hooked to the displays as well as a firewire hd. two usb 3 hard drives are hooked directly to the mbp.
i also changed the audio midi setup to let the audio pla through both of the displays to get a better sound. the mbp is closed so only those two displays get a video signal.
i have issues when data is transfered along the lines. f.eg my keyboard doesn't work from time to time, my iphone wont be recognized when connected to the dock. not really sure what the problems is a the transfercapacity shouldn't be to it's limit.
could it be a energy problem? that the displays don't get enough power, my power strip has a voltag controller in it, might that be a problem?
greets.

I think Apple should extend the warranty if they have a known manufacturing issue. I won't be investing another $1000 on a display from Apple ever again. I can't afford it. I can by an LG, Viewsonic, Dell, or "fill in the blank" for a fraction of the cost.
I expect a $1000 display to last me more than 20 months.
-md

Thunderbolt display image flickering problem

Hi Sir,
I bought thunderbolt display yesterday. I think there can be problem that added. Sometimes i see image flickering. I havent see before display.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/692wjw2zfnhss26/IMG_0733.MOV
Can I learn your ideas.
Thanks.
Deniz

Hello Deniz YILMAZ,
The following article can help resolve many issues that you may encounter with your display.
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1573
Cheers,
Allen

Thunderbolt display video died-Cable problem??

My TD (paired with a Retina) video seems to have lost its video. Audio working fine. Could this be a cable problem?

I can confirm that the Thunderbolt Display will work when plugged in to the 2011 MacBook Pro 15" and a 2011 Mac Mini Server connected via Apple's Thunderbolt cable. When both systems are connected to the monitor, the display will always prefer the system connected to its display port, when it sleeps or is powered down, the other system detects the available display and connects to it automatically. I can't imagine a more ideal sinerio!
Thank you Apple!
Jason
Nerds Limited

Macbook, Thunderbolt display, Bootcamp problem.

I have a Macbook Pro connected with Thunderbolt display. The Macbook has Bootcamp 5.5 and Windows 7 Prof 64-bit. When working in Windows the screen gets blank, but network and USB are still working. Sometime the screen of the Macbook goes blasnk also, not always. After that Macbook does not turn on when disconnecting the Thunderbolt display. This issue is also in OS X Mountain Lion.
2 weeks worked without any problems, but this started yesterday and today the issue was too time consuming.

Don't use CAPS it is
SHOUT
Harder to read
'Netiquette -
If you read the tips in Boot Camp Assistant, you would know that only Windows 7 is supported with Lion.
The DVD if it was sold as physical media and your computer is listed as supported, but if you burned an ISO image and did not reduce burn speed to slowest, it will not be accepted or work (even if it appears to install).
BCA sets the default boot OS volume to the Windows FAT "BOOTCAMP" so that Wndows can restart multiple times to install and update on its own. YOU have to format to NTFS during install.
And you need to go to OS X control panel (system preferences) and use Startup Disk to make OS X the default again.
http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp
has all the articles FAQ HOW TO and manual guides

MacMini (2011) problem with Thunderbolt display if 2nd monitor is connected via HDMI/DVI adapter

Hi,
iam running a MacMini (2011) 2.3GHz i5 with Mac OS X 10.7.4 16 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 256 GB Samsung SSD.
If i connect a Thunderbolt display only - all is fine.
But if i connect a 2nd monitor ( Samsung S23A700) via HDMI / DVI adapter (original Apple) the major screen (Thunderbolt Display) sometimes
is going black and immidiately back to normal. It looks like that it happens very often if i scroll down with the Apple Magic Mouse.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
Thomas

I have exactly the same problem. MacMini Server i7 (mid 2011) Macmini5.3.16Gb ram.
Mini and Thunderbolt no blink-outs.
Mini and Thunderbolt and Dell 23" connected to HDMI-DVI connector, the Thunderbolt display blinks out when system is under stress as in the Develop module of Lightroom 4.
I thought it was a problem with my Thunderbolt display, and since its on a VESA mount, I didn't really want to haul in in to the Apple Store. I decided to be sure it was the dosplay...
I borrowed a MacbookPro i7 and ran it from a clone of my Mini. No problems aster hours of use. (But with only ONE monitor.) That suggested that there was no problem with the Thunderbolt Display.
I decided to run the Mini with only one display. Again no problems. I plugged in the Second monitor to the HDMI port and within 2 minutes I had my first "Blink-Out".
I ran the rest of the day without the second monitor with no problems.
I conclude the mini will not work reliably with two monitors if one is a Thunderbolt.
I was using two Dell Monitors before I got the Thunderbolt Diskplay (for 3 months) without incident.

IMac 27" with Thunderbolt Display connected, Boot Camp Problem

Hi everyone.
Let me start off by saying that I'm using a late 2012 iMac 27", 3.4 GHz i7, 680MX, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB Fusion, with a Thunderbolt Display connected.
I installed Windows 8 via Boot Camp, and it works just fine. Here comes my problem:
I have dual screens and I play Minecraft. Minecraft's full screen is basically crap, and therefore I disabled the iMac display. I used Windows-button+P to use only the secondary display. This turns the iMac display off entirely, and leaves the Thunderbolt Display on. Note: This is not possible in Mac OS X. Then I played a little Minecraft. When I was done, i wanted the main iMac display to come on again. I then used Windows-button+P again, to turn both displays on. Then bam, totally looked like the iMac display was broken. See the images below, to see how it looks:
1) http://cl.ly/image/1p2e3c1Z1z1C
2) http://cl.ly/image/2g0n1M1Y0t0g
3) http://cl.ly/image/2Q2P1c1J220d
4) http://cl.ly/image/113b3K2O1Z43
5) http://cl.ly/image/1q2v1s1n3w1f
This image-retention-like stuff stays there, even if I reboot into Mac OS X, and then it eventually disappears. I can reproduce this, by doing the same thing again, (windows-button+p) but only in Windows, because that you cannot turn of the main display in Mac OS X. Maybe this is the reason why you can't?
Anyone can tell me what I can do? I guess I could try reinstalling, but it seems more like a hardware issue, than a software issue.
Thank you for your time, and thanks in advance.
Another note: I'll try doing the opposite, and see if it happens on the Thunderbolt Display as well. (Windows-button+P, and then only using the main display)
//ifraaank

Ok, I am marking this as "answered", as I have solved it myself, while I still have no clue what lead to the problem in the first place.
I've been on the phone with Apple Care today, and they were as clueless as I was and had never heard of this before.
After we tried the usual stuff (unplugging all wires, PRAM Reset, SMC Reset), to no avail, I was told it could well be a hardware problem and that I should have the iMac examined at the Genius Bar, so an appointment was made.
I'll cancel that one though, as I was able to cure it by myself for now (and carrying around a 27" iMac in Munich's busy downtown pedestrian zone is not really fun).
This is what I did (and I'm so happy I tried):
In Display Settings, I switched the external display back to landscape mode and selected "mirror displays".
Then I rebooted, and voilà, the problem was gone (Apple logo on white background was showing).
I switched it back to 90 degrees rotation and no mirroring, and it's still all ok.
I booted Windows 7 in Bootcamp, then back to Snow Leopard, and it's all still fine.
I can still only wonder what messed this up in the first place, but for now I'm happy.

Thunderbolt display: devices not discovered after using Mini DisplayPort–to–VGA adapter

I have an interested problem related to using my MacBook Air in clamshell (closed) mode, connected to a Thunderbolt display. The problem appears to be related to moving my MacBook air between my office and my home.
At the office, I use the MacBook Air with an external VGA display, connected via the Mini DisplayPort–to–VGA adapter. At home, I use the MacBook Air together with a Thunderbolt display. An Apple USB keyboard is also connected to the display.
Mini DisplayPort–to–VGA adapter implicated
The following sequence of events causes the problem to occur:
Use the MacBook air (open) together with a VGA display, connected via a Mini DisplayPort–to–VGA adapter (depicted at right);
Put the MacBook Air to sleep by closing the lid, and disconnect the Mini DisplayPort–to–VGA adapter (I am not sure if the order of these two steps is significant—I usually perform them almost simultaneously when packing up my MacBook Air and getting ready to leave the office); and
With the MacBook Air still closed, connect it to a Thunderbolt display with a connected USB keyboard.
At this point, I would expect to be able to wake up the MacBook Air by tapping on the space bar of the keyboard. However, what I have observed is that this does not wake the MacBook Air.
I can wake the MacBook however by moving or clicking a Bluetooth mouse that is paired with the MacBook Air.
At this point, although the MacBook Air is awake, and the display is working, the USB keyboard connected to the display still does not work. This is the problem, in a nutshell.
Unplugging the USB keyboard from the display, and plugging it back in causes the MacBook Air properly to identify the keyboard.
I used Apple System Profiler to save a list of identified devices at two points in time:
Immediately after waking the MacBook Air by moving the Bluetooth mouse (at which point the USB keyboard was not working); and
After unplugging and plugging in again the USB keyboard (at which point the USB keyboard worked fine).
Many devices are enumerated in the second list that are missing from the first. For example:
Keyboard Hub@fe110000 <class IOUSBHubDevice, id 0x1000378ef, !registered, !matched, inactive, busy 3 (37993 ms), retain 6>
AppleUSBHub <class AppleUSBHub, id 0x1000378f2, !registered, !matched, inactive, busy 1 (37987 ms), retain 6>
IOUSBInterface@0 <class IOUSBInterface, id 0x1000378f4, !registered, !matched, inactive, busy 1 (37986 ms), retain 6>
Keyboard Hub@fe110000 <class IOUSBHubDevice, id 0x1000378f6, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (7 ms), retain 10>
AppleUSBHub <class AppleUSBHub, id 0x1000378f9, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (1 ms), retain 9>
IOUSBInterface@0 <class IOUSBInterface, id 0x1000378fb, !registered, !matched, active, busy 0, retain 7>
Apple Keyboard@fe112000 <class IOUSBDevice, id 0x1000378fd, registered, matched, active, busy 0 (112 ms), retain 11>
and many child devices…
Using the Mini DisplayPort–to–VGA adapter appears to be a necessary step to causing this problem to occur. If I merely disconnect the MacBook Air from the display, let it go to sleep, and then reconnect it again, the USB keyboard will work immediately and can be used to wake the computer from sleep.
Some devices are discovered even when the computer is in sleep mode. This is how it should work.
The problem appears to be that when a Mini DisplayPort–to–VGA adapter has been used since the last time the computer was connected to a Thunderbolt display, the MacBook air does not discover devices completely when it is again connected to the Thunderbolt display while in sleep mode.
Can anyone else reproduce this problem?

Hi glraczon.support,
It sounds like the external display you are using (projector) operates at a smaller resolution than your MacBook Pro. You may want to configure the display preferences in System Preferences for the external projector.
Here is an article that may help you with that process:
OS X Mountain Lion: About the Display pane of System Preferences
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5369
Thanks,
Matt M.

My MacBook Pro appears to run sluggish when connecting to a Thunderbolt Display

Here are my specs
Hardware Overview:
Model Name:          MacBook Pro
Model Identifier:          MacBookPro8,2
Processor Name:          Intel Core i7
Processor Speed:          2.2 GHz
Number of Processors:          1
Total Number of Cores:          4
L2 Cache (per Core):          256 KB
L3 Cache:          6 MB
Memory:          16 GB
Boot ROM Version:          MBP81.0047.B27
SMC Version (system):          1.69f3
Serial Number (system):          [REMOVED]
Hardware UUID:          [REMOVED]
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State:          Enabled
AMD Radeon HD 6750M:
Chipset Model:          AMD Radeon HD 6750M
Type:          GPU
Bus:          PCIe
PCIe Lane Width:          x8
VRAM (Total):          1024 MB
Vendor:          ATI (0x1002)
Device ID:          0x6741
Revision ID:          0x0000
ROM Revision:          113-C0170L-573
gMux Version:          1.9.23
EFI Driver Version:          01.00.573
Displays:
Thunderbolt Display:
Display Type:          LCD
Resolution:          2560 x 1440
Pixel Depth:          32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Display Serial Number:          [REMOVED]
Main Display:          Yes
Mirror:          Off
Online:          Yes
Rotation:          Supported
Connection Type:          DisplayPort
When I play games like StarCraft 2 on my MacBook Pro (without my Thunderbolt Display connected), the game runs GREAT
When I play games like StarCraft 2 on my MacBook Pro (with my Thunderbolt Display connected), you notice the mouse responding slower (I even lowered the graphics settings to it's lowest and still get the same results)
When I play games like Safari on my MacBook Pro (without my Thunderbolt Display connected), the game runs GREAT
When I play games like Safari on my MacBook Pro (with my Thunderbolt Display connected), you notice the mouse responding slower
The above happens with any application. This even occurs after a fresh reboot. i unplugged all my periphals from my MacBook Pro and Thunderbolt Display
I updated my OS and applications.
I monitor Activity Monitor and notice nothing unsual about runaway processes.
Just so everyone knows. This is a 2011 MacBook Pro.

I have the same exact model as you, as well as an Apple Thunderbolt Display. I don't play any games, so I wouldn't notice any degradation there but I do run a lot of GPU/CPU/RAM intensive apps and have experienced no problems with the TB display connected.
We have the same configuration, OS, everything. We may just be running different apps. I do have 16GB of RAM and a SSD so that may mean that I'm just not able to notice any slowdown at all.
I'm not sure what your problem might be - I would suggest contacting AppleCare to see if they've documented problems such as the one you're having.
Clinton

Mac Mini (Jan 2013) with OSX 10.9.2 fails to start thunderbolt display

This is getting very annoying and is costing me valuable working hours!
I sit down to work, but have to spend hours getting my Mac Mini turn on and connect to my thunderbolt display again after having been in sleep mode or shut down. The only way I can make sure that the Mac Mini can wake the display again, is to physically remove the power from both devices and leave them off for many hours.
The problems began at some point after installing Maverick. Before that, everything was working without a hitch.
It is not the thunderbolt screen that is to blame. If I plug it into my MB 17'' with OSX 10.9.2, it turns on and works like a charm.
I've tried everything. Resetting PRAM, Resetting SMC, new cables, you name it. The only thing that works is to pull the plug on the devices and continue to work on my trusty Mac Book.
I can see that others are having similar issues and has had them for years.
Perhaps NOW is a good time to fix this mess Apple! Don't you think?

vooid,
You are not speaking directly to Apple on these forums, Apple does not read or participate in them in any fashion. We are all end-user volunteers just like you . Den.thed has offered valid advice, if you have AppleCare (highly recommended) you can call AppleCare for telephone support. If you don't know that number you can begin locating it by clicking http://support.apple.com/kb/he57. If you don't have AppleCare you are still eligible as long as your machine is 1 year old (purchase date) or less. If you go 366 days, you cannot get AppleCare. In addition to the telephone support it extends the warranty from 1 to 3 years.
Good luck.

Macbook pro looses login settings with thunderbolt display

I've noticed that on occasion my MacBook Pro looses its desktop settings when connected to a Thunderbolt display. Why Thunderbolt display discards my MacBook Pro window environment settings upon boot-up is unknown to me. I can tell when this happens when my desktop loads different backgrounds from those on my MacBook Pro. Furthermore, the option in the System Preferences for changing my desktop background will cease to function. I even notice system wide speed degradation.
In order to correct this and reload my MacBook Pro settings I must identify a specific file named “com.apple.loginwindow.plist” and delete it. Doing so resolves whatever existing conflict so that Thunderbolt displays the correct background and enables System Preferrences to work properly.
I would appreciate very much if anyone has a resolution for this problem.
Respectfully,
TomBoltz

I think you need to do a search of the of these forums to see if there is an answer. I saw a lot of suggestions, but the #1 solution is buying a brand new cable. I have personal experience with that. My son recently switched from an HP to a MacBook Pro. The HDMI cable worked perfectly with the HP. It didn't with the Mac. He got a new cable for the Mac, everything resolved itself.
I have heard all kinds of speculation on it, but it happens frequently enough that there must be something going on. I'd spend $30 on a new MiniDisplayPort to DVI connector or whatever you use.

27 inch thunderbolt display blacks out after Thunderbolt Firmware Update 1.2

Bought 2 new 27 inch TB displays for two different machines and after a couple of days the Thunderbolt Firmware Update 1.2 appears on my Mac Pro with one of the displays installed. So I install the firmware update. Now my display blacks out periodically and I keep getting Graphic Display Errors with a request to sent the errors to Apple. Running a 32 GB Mac Pro (late 2013 circular style) I have three monitors connected (two 20 inch cinema displays and the new 27 inch display). This machine is supposed to be able to handle three 4k monitors or 6 standard TB displays. I've seen the posts about the blacking out with this monitor but I didn't have any problems before the firmware update and now I've got them pretty regularly. I had the blacking out problem on an earlier monitor and took one of the monitors back and Apple gave me another one and this is the replacement. Same problem, but this one only started after the update. I'm hoping someone from Apple reads these messages and can let me know what's up.
BTW, I also have an older 27 inch Apple monitor that ran perfectly on this machine so I'm disappointed that I spent all this money and now get the blacking out issue.
Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Processor 3.7 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5
Memory 32 BG
Graphics AMD FirePro D300 2048 MB

I have my Thunderbolt display connected to my MacBook Pro and have been experiencing the same issue, getting worse over time. The folks at my local Apple store did not know what to do about it. So, I looked around and tried different thing.
The one thing that seems to be working is to System Preferences > Build-in Display > uncheck “Automatically adjust brightness.”
I hope this helps.

Thunderbolt display problems

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