bryu27

Q: Mac Pro Freeze/Display glitch on start up

I've only been using my new Mac Pro (late 2013) for a few days now but am expereicing an issue on restart/start up. It seems the computer struggles to search for the two new 1920x1200 Dell displays that are hooked up to it through mini display-DVI converters.

 

Sometimes it only sees one display, but when it finally finds the second one (usually before the login screen,) the second display appears to look corrupted showing a grid of weird static blocks. This then makes the pinwheel appear and login screen become translucent and eventually freeze forcing me to perform a hard reset.

 

Usually after a few hard restarts and switching the display cables around, it eventually starts up.

 

I'm running 10.9.3 btw and also am plagued with the Adobe/GPU issue. Could this problem also be related to OS X?

 

Thanks.

Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.3)

Posted on Jun 10, 2014 8:06 PM

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Q: Mac Pro Freeze/Display glitch on start up

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  • by lllaass,

    lllaass lllaass Jun 11, 2014 2:33 AM in response to bryu27
    Level 10 (189,775 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 11, 2014 2:33 AM in response to bryu27

    Will it always startup OK with nly one monitor connected?

    Does it start in Safe Mode OK?

    OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?

     

    Do the monitors have display port inputs?

  • by vett93,

    vett93 vett93 Jun 11, 2014 9:19 PM in response to bryu27
    Level 1 (19 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 11, 2014 9:19 PM in response to bryu27

    My first Mac Pro (also late 2013) had the same exact problem. I contacted AppleCare and was told to bring it to an Apple Store. A specialist there examined it and suggested that I should return it to Apple.

     

    I am now on my 2nd week of the 2nd new Mac Pro. There was some bluetooth connectivity problem when I got this 2nd Mac Pro. After that, it has been good so far....

     

    I have had 6 Mac computers (2 Mac Pros, 3 MBAs, and 1MBP) in the last 12 months. *ALL* of them had some issues when I first got them. I had to return two of them back to Apple.

  • by bryu27,

    bryu27 bryu27 Jun 12, 2014 7:45 AM in response to bryu27
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 12, 2014 7:45 AM in response to bryu27

    It seems that can start up no problem with one monitor. After it boots up I plug in the 2nd monitor and it works fine.

     

    Still having issues with the second monitor though no matter which thunderbolt port I plug it into.

     

    Here's an image of what I see. Left monitor has weird blocks of static, the right one starts up fine but then it freezes. This also doesn't have anything to do with the actual monitors. This happened to a prevoius pair with different DVI cables.

     

    photo.JPG

  • by vett93,Helpful

    vett93 vett93 Jun 12, 2014 9:04 AM in response to bryu27
    Level 1 (19 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 12, 2014 9:04 AM in response to bryu27

    This looks just like my first Mac Pro. It would boot fine with just one monitor as well. I took it to Apple Store and a specialist there used two monitors for that Mac Pro. He found the same problem. He and his team lead both suggested that I should return it to Apple.

  • by bryu27,

    bryu27 bryu27 Jun 12, 2014 10:39 AM in response to bryu27
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 12, 2014 10:39 AM in response to bryu27

    Oye. NOT the answer I wanted to get but I suppose a trip to the Apple Store can't hurt. Thanks vett93!

  • by StephaneGfx,

    StephaneGfx StephaneGfx Jun 19, 2014 6:23 AM in response to bryu27
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 19, 2014 6:23 AM in response to bryu27

    I'm having the exact same issue and did the exact same things to resolved it.

    So far happen twice.

     

    Hoping that the 10.9.4 could fix that issue.

     

    Unknown.png

  • by lenw,

    lenw lenw Jun 19, 2014 11:57 AM in response to vett93
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 19, 2014 11:57 AM in response to vett93

    Were these both DVI monitors per chance?

    I have a Dell & Samsung connected, both DVI - display looks EXACTLY like StephaneGfx photo when it won't start.

  • by bryu27,

    bryu27 bryu27 Jun 19, 2014 12:31 PM in response to lenw
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 19, 2014 12:31 PM in response to lenw

    Wow that's like an identical image as to what I have StephaneGfx! Looks like this is a serious recurring issue. Both of my Dell monitors are connected via a DVI to mini display adapter into thunderbolt ports (different busses.)

     

    Has there been any comment from Apple about this? I'll wait until the 10.9.4 release to see if this gets cleared up. Otherwise I'll be forced to replace it like  vett93 had to do. This has to be a software issue though right?

  • by thisma,

    thisma thisma Jun 19, 2014 10:29 PM in response to bryu27
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iWork
    Jun 19, 2014 10:29 PM in response to bryu27

    Try using another keyboard; I know that may sound unrelated, but it's simple, and this is my reason for the advice:

     

    I've been having my computer shut itself off either during sleep or while trying to wake from sleep. Attempting to reset my pram, as directed by AppleCare, caused my mac pro to exhibit these symptoms exactly: one mostly black screen with peculiar rectangular patterns which occasionally contain bits of text, and an Apple logo covering login area of other screen.

     

    I found that these issues only occurred while I had the apple keyboard connected; it is the same keyboard as depicted in the two images above. After disconnecting that keyboard I was able to use another to reset the pram successfully.

     

    The sleep and shutdown issues I've been having are still occurring.

     

    Anyway, try removing your Apple Aluminum USB Keyboard and see if that helps. It may still just be a treatable symptom of a bigger hardware problem, but it might help some of you out.

  • by lenw,

    lenw lenw Jun 20, 2014 11:08 AM in response to thisma
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 20, 2014 11:08 AM in response to thisma

    I think the keyboard theory is not correct at all - I am using a Logitech bluetooth keyboard.

  • by thisma,

    thisma thisma Jun 20, 2014 2:52 PM in response to lenw
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iWork
    Jun 20, 2014 2:52 PM in response to lenw

    Yeah, I figured it's a long shot; but since it's such an easy thing to try I thought I might as well say something. It definitely does it for me.

  • by Pretorius,

    Pretorius Pretorius Jul 20, 2014 4:18 AM in response to bryu27
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 20, 2014 4:18 AM in response to bryu27

    Same problem with Mac Pro 2013  6-core D700 and unfortunately 10.9.4 !

    The freeze at start up need a hard reboot. Two monitors connect with DVI (with two apple mini-displays/DVI passive adaptors).

    My job (a art school) have 6 Mac Pro (6-core, some with D500 and some with D700, received in may) with one monitor in DVI and the other one in HDMI : same problem ! For the price it's a shame...

    Help ! Do I need to change the 6 machines of my job and my recently purchased MacPro 6-core ?? I think it's not a hardware question, but i gonna call the Apple Care but it's very strange that it comes with DVI & HDMI connection. (NB : I work recently on a student project with 5 screens in mini-display/VGA on a Mac Pro and D700 with no problem at all).

  • by thisma,

    thisma thisma Jul 20, 2014 12:45 PM in response to Pretorius
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iWork
    Jul 20, 2014 12:45 PM in response to Pretorius

    I too have continued to have the problem since 10.9.4.

     

    A work around I have found is this: after the glitches come up, disconnect all the displays wait a few seconds, plug the displays back in.

    This has worked most times. By the way the order they are plugged in seem to matter. The arrangement can be reversed accidentaly.

     

    I still haven't found a real complete solution, just this workaround.

  • by vett93,

    vett93 vett93 Jul 20, 2014 1:43 PM in response to thisma
    Level 1 (19 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 20, 2014 1:43 PM in response to thisma

    My 2nd Mac Pro (which is a replacement unit for the first one) started to develop the same problem as well. As I stated earlier in this thread, I took my first Mac Pro to an Apple Store for help. They strongly suggested I should return it. So I did.

     

    It is a shame that the replacement unit has the same problem. We need to get Apple to recall the product. It is half baked....

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