gadget_aussie_man

Q: Thunderbolt Display turns off randomly

I have a new Mac Mini 2011 i7 Quad CPU version.  I have a Thunderbolt 27 inch display.  I have found that the display randomly turns off and won't turn on when I use the keyboard or mouse.  This occurs when I am doing stuff on the machine, it is not a display sleep issue.  The first couple of times I had to use Remote Desktop to reboot the Mac Mini to fix the issue.  The last time it happened I removed the Thunderbolt plug from the Mac Mini and reinstalled it and this fixed the issue.  I have the latest software updates on the Mac Mini and the Thunderbolt Firmware update on the Display.

 

I am running Lion 10.7.1

Posted on Sep 21, 2011 9:35 PM

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Q: Thunderbolt Display turns off randomly

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  • by pablo.k,

    pablo.k pablo.k Mar 11, 2012 4:16 AM in response to Icp30
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Mar 11, 2012 4:16 AM in response to Icp30

    I also still have the same problem!

  • by Icp30,

    Icp30 Icp30 Mar 11, 2012 7:29 AM in response to pablo.k
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 11, 2012 7:29 AM in response to pablo.k

    I finally exchanged the monitor (I was within 30 days on Amazon- by one day) and it has not happened since. I have worked, viewed videos and movies, and it has not blacked out yet. So if you are within your exchange timeframe I would send it back!

  • by pablo.k,Solvedanswer

    pablo.k pablo.k Mar 12, 2012 3:29 AM in response to Icp30
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Mar 12, 2012 3:29 AM in response to Icp30

    Thanks for the info.

  • by delaney_kid,

    delaney_kid delaney_kid Mar 24, 2012 12:15 PM in response to pablo.k
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 24, 2012 12:15 PM in response to pablo.k

    When I first purchased the display, it would not work then randomly detected and was fine for sometime. I used it within both osx and windows 7 via bootcamp without issue. I went away for a few weeks and when i returned it would randomly detect within mac then shutoff after a minute or so, rinse and repeat. When i tired in bootcamp it would sometimes detect at boot then shutoff after a minute or so. I gave up after a nights trouble shooting and when i tried again in the morning the display would not detect at all.

     

    I've tried disabling auto adjust brightness, altered the power settings to disable the shutdown of hdd and displays, reseting the pram and vram numerous times, resetting the smc, installing and trying the different modes using gfx card status, updating firmware and all software, reinstalling osx.

     

    I am very frustated at this point and any assistance would be appreciated.

  • by Seb@Mac,

    Seb@Mac Seb@Mac Mar 27, 2012 2:59 AM in response to gadget_aussie_man
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 27, 2012 2:59 AM in response to gadget_aussie_man

    Hi, I have the same issue : thunderbolt display screen switches off (but netwotk, usb still work). I see that the screen is very hot : is there any sensor that would switch off the display if temperature is too high ?

  • by CDNHAM,

    CDNHAM CDNHAM Mar 27, 2012 5:59 AM in response to gadget_aussie_man
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 27, 2012 5:59 AM in response to gadget_aussie_man

    Well since I tried the "do not enable the powersave on the monitor" "Fix", it hasn't done it again. I still have the infrequent "go blank and come back", but I can live with that, annoying as it may be.

     

    I wish I could set the power settings independently for each monitor, then I could "save" my MBP screen and let the TBM one "rot".

     

    Yes, I have the latest updates etc. installed.

  • by benjaminfloris,

    benjaminfloris benjaminfloris Apr 3, 2012 3:59 PM in response to gadget_aussie_man
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 3, 2012 3:59 PM in response to gadget_aussie_man

    Hi everybody.

     

    For some reason the display wakes up again when detaching all the cables apart from The Thunderbolt. First detached USB cables, no waking up display. Then detached ethernet cable and hey after restart the display turns on again...

     

    Macbook pro, Thunderbolt display 27"

  • by indestruktibleone,

    indestruktibleone indestruktibleone Apr 4, 2012 9:53 PM in response to gadget_aussie_man
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 4, 2012 9:53 PM in response to gadget_aussie_man

    I am so dissappointed with Apple for the first time.  I purchased a 21" iMac 2 days ago, along with a 27" thunderbolt display.  Everything worked flawlessly until today, I turn the iMac on, and the thunderbolt display won't turn on.  Spoke with someone at Apple, did the unplug routine a few times (which I already did even before i called) and it was not fixed.

     

    I don't get why all of a sudden the thunderbolt display stopped working, and after 2 **** days.  I was using it the night before doing work and everything was fine, I did not do anything to it.  So now, I had to book an appt with the genius bar, lug the display to the store in a cab since I don't have a car, and it would probably be a good idea to bring the iMac too just to make sure it's not the thunderbolt port on the iMac, so that's 2 huge boxes that I now have to lug around with me.

     

    This, after spending close to $3000 2 days ago purchasing these products.  I understand that sometimes things happen, but to have a defective product only 2 days after purchase is ridiculous. 

  • by xjc73,

    xjc73 xjc73 Jun 27, 2012 12:30 PM in response to indestruktibleone
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 27, 2012 12:30 PM in response to indestruktibleone

    I'm getting this problem with my Thunderbolt display and Macbook Pro (13", early 2011 model) ... So far, the Apple Store has replaced the lcd panel within the display itself which didn't work. They then replaced the logic board in my Macbook Pro and that didn't solve the issue so I'm going back in to see what's next. (My guess is the logic board in the Display itself...) Anyone else get this resolved 100%?

  • by frankphx,

    frankphx frankphx Jun 27, 2012 2:54 PM in response to xjc73
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 27, 2012 2:54 PM in response to xjc73

    Was able to get this resolved 100%. Steps taken:

     

    1) Post here

    2) Create a ticket to go to the apple store.

    3) Go to the apple store and they took it in for testing

    3) Waited 2 days

    4) They gave me a NEW display

    5) Still had the same issues

    5.b) Minor breakdown

    6) Created another ticket to go to the apple store

    7) I tested a used cinema display at the apple store. It worked!

    8) Exchanged for a Cinema Display <-- The Fix

     

    The reason I knew the cinema display resolved it for me is because I also run windows on my Mac, Windows was only able to recognize the thunderbolt display with a full reboot. Cinema recognized without a full reboot. I'm a little sad I don't have thunderbolt and Ethernet on the display, but i'll take a working monitor any day! Good luck!!!

     

    Late 2011 13" MB Pro, 8GB Ram, SSD

  • by SkullOne,

    SkullOne SkullOne Jun 28, 2012 12:06 AM in response to xjc73
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 28, 2012 12:06 AM in response to xjc73

    Yeah, for me it got resolved by AppleCare Support in January. They swapped my old display with a new one. Since then I have had ZERO problems with it. My guess is the first batch of control boards of the TBD had some kind of problem that made them less than reliable.

     

    The problem I faced was my Apple dealer didn't do anything about it, although they are obliged to do so by Dutch law. They claimed they have no backup by Apple in this respect and while I do sympathise with them I think they didn't do enough. It was quite a bad experience actually and maybe Apple needs to support these dealers a bit more, but I'm not really able to determine if that really is the case.

     

    In the end it was AppleCare Support that contacted me themselves because they did read my posting(s) on this forum. After explaining the problem on the phone and some deliberation they swapped the display for a new one. I guess they rubbed me the right way and I'm pleased with the result.

  • by xjc73,

    xjc73 xjc73 Jun 28, 2012 1:48 PM in response to SkullOne
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 28, 2012 1:48 PM in response to SkullOne

    Well, I just brought it in for the 5-6th time this afternoon. They are now going to swap out the logic board on the actual display. Crossing my fingers on this. The display is beautiful when it is not switching off randomly!

  • by xjc73,

    xjc73 xjc73 Jun 28, 2012 1:53 PM in response to frankphx
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 28, 2012 1:53 PM in response to frankphx

    I love the thunderbolt features ... ethernet port, USB ports... Hopefully it doesn't come to this for me. Still holding out hope that the logic board on the displa swap out will work.

  • by xjc73,

    xjc73 xjc73 Jul 6, 2012 2:04 PM in response to xjc73
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 6, 2012 2:04 PM in response to xjc73

    Just got my Thunderbolt display back from Apple after they replaced the logic board...Still turning off. So after the lcd panel, logic board in display were replaced and the logic board in my MacBook Pro were replaced, still no resolution.

  • by frankphx,

    frankphx frankphx Jul 6, 2012 2:34 PM in response to xjc73
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 6, 2012 2:34 PM in response to xjc73

    Exchang for a Cinema Display. It would be nice if it had thunderbolt and eithernet, but i'll take a working monitor over those features anyday.

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