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Level 1

0 points

MacBook Pro Late 2008 External Display Issues

Hi there,

I registered here to hopefully get some information and help with my problem. It's my first Mac, but in general I've a good knowledge of computers, sice I've used Debian for about three years (and ongoing). I bought the MacBook Pro (Late 2008) with 9400/9600M (512MB) to visit conferences and therefore, showing my presentations or demos.

So it's a big issue that I've horrible problems with an external display attached. During startup and the first use everything works fine. If I put the macbook to sleep and wake it up later the display sometimes stay black or doen't get a signal. In some cases there is a kind of gray noise on the screen. I tried to open up the Macbook (it's usually in clamshell mode) to use the internal screen - without success. It doesn't have a signal. Reconnecting cables doesn't change anything. This happens with both graphic cards. In some cases the external screen wake up correctly. Following a variaty of pictures taken trying to solve the problem restarting the MacBook Pro sometimes...

http://www.benjaminpoppinga.de/mbp/pic1.jpg
http://www.benjaminpoppinga.de/mbp/pic2.jpg
http://www.benjaminpoppinga.de/mbp/pic3.jpg
http://www.benjaminpoppinga.de/mbp/screenshot.png

I use a Dell 2709WFP (1920x1600@60Hz) connected via Mini-Displayport to DVI Adaptor. I already read about some display issues, which hopefully get adressed by Apple soon. Do you think it's another difficult problem or could it be fixed with a software update. I just bought my MBP and don't want to exchange it, since I really need it the next few weeks.

Thank you for any help!

Best Regards,
Benjamin

Message was edited by: BePo

Message was edited by: BePo

MBP Late 2008 with 2,53GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.5), 9400M/9600M 512MB, 4GB RAM

Posted on Nov 17, 2008 9:45 AM

122 replies

robyung

Level 1

0 points

Nov 24, 2008 11:57 PM in response to cptklutz

I tried something someone else recommended, which is to uncheck "automatically reduce the brightness of the display before sleep" in the "Energy Saver" tab of the System Preferences. This works just fine, and I can use it in either Video Card mode now.

kidxrude

Level 1

4 points

Nov 27, 2008 4:29 AM in response to kidxrude

My static has vanished in thin air just the other day. Without an update or any change at all.

Just don't know what I did this time that made it different, except for maybe once putting the MBP to sleep by closing the cover and plugging in the external display and waking up again. Which hadn't any effect at that moment. But I think the other day it was resolved...

kidxrude

Level 1

4 points

Nov 28, 2008 1:19 AM in response to BePo

And yet today the static returned, magically! sigh....

julianz

Level 1

7 points

Nov 29, 2008 11:01 PM in response to BePo

I'm having the same problem on a new MacBook Pro (Late 2008). I have a Dell 2407WFP which has never had any issues with my G5. I use the MacBook Pro screen also so I keep it open and after waking up from sleep sometimes but not every time one of the monitors (not always the external) will be black. I have also gotten the gray snow on occasion also. Unplugging the Mini-Display Port and plugging it back in usually will clear it. Sometimes a reboot was required. There is definitely a problem here and it isn't with the external displays.

BocaBoy

Level 1

88 points

Nov 30, 2008 4:33 AM in response to julianz

Try unchecking "*automatically reduce the brightness of the display before sleep*" in the "Energy Saver" on both the battery and power adapter tabs of System Preferences. I assume this is some type of bug or conflict with the new MPB that Apple hasn't addressed yet. I agree that it is inconvenient, but at least for me, the solution I'm suggesting above worked.

One last note on something I've discovered. If you're using Fusion 2.0 to run Windows, it really doesn't like to be put to sleep while it's running, e.g., closing the lid. That too has caused me problems. This problem occurs for me when I'm using Fusion to run a Boot Camp partition in a virtual machine.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Nov 30, 2008 5:26 PM in response to BePo

I'm having the same static/snow problem on my external Apple Cinema display (23 inch).

When I wake the monitors from sleep the external one is all fuzzy and I have to unplug it and plug it back in to get things back to normal.

Apple Reps, would someone please respond to this and escalate this issue internally?

parry_pb

Level 2

290 points

Nov 30, 2008 8:09 PM in response to BePo

Hopefully you have reported this Windowserver crash at http://bugreport.apple.com. If not, please consider.

Nov 30, 2008 8:36 PM in response to BePo

15" MacBook, 22" widescreen ViewSonic display, Mini DisplayPort->DVI: no recognition of my display whatsoever. I've tried all of the recommended fixes (energy saver prefs, restarts, display sleeps, etc.) and nothing works.

Why did I just spend $2,500 for a machine that can't power my cheap but dependable display?

Dec 1, 2008 1:58 AM in response to BePo

Add me to the list of sufferers - using a 19" LCD that worked just fine with my late 2007 MacBook; with my new late 2008 MacBook Pro I get black screen / static too.

More detail:
I have my MBP hooked up to the external display in a dual-monitor configuration - I don't close the lid, I use both displays at the same time. I have it set to turn off the displays after a few minutes of inactivity (not sleeping, just turning off the displays). Usually, if I wiggle the mouse of touch it to turn the screens on again, the external one stays black (or has the flash of static others have described).

I have found a way around it, though. I'd enabled "Hot Corners" previously and set the top left corner of the top screen to immediately sleep the displays; I've noticed that if the external screen hasn't come on properly, I can force the screens off again using the Hot Corner, and then when I wake them again the external screen will now work. In other words: External screen won't come on, so I move the mouse to the Hot Corner; the screens go off; I move the mouse; both screens come back on.

I will try unchecking the "dimming" option, as soon as I've got the system working again - but that's a whole other story...

Message was edited by: Steamrunner TTT

Zembla

Level 1

8 points

Dec 1, 2008 12:23 PM in response to Kardou

The only issue I am experiencing is more annoying than a problem. My MBP LCD turns to a blue tone when I come back from screen saver....

I hope Apple will resolve this soon.

Using a Samsung 2493HM.

Dec 1, 2008 6:16 PM in response to BePo

I too have some of the problems described here. I just bought my new MBP to replace a first generation MBP. My older MBP had no problems at all with my el-cheapo Soyo monitor. However, the new MBP has problems when waking the display from display sleep. Blacks out, snow, flickers, etc.

Fortunately for me the hot-corner to sleep the display and then waking the display again seems to temporarily fix the problem.

I'll be calling Apple tomorrow to report the problem.

Greg

anoncow

Level 1

0 points

Dec 1, 2008 11:02 PM in response to BePo

Like others, I'm seeing this as well (albeit the static on my display is more like that you would see on an analog TV on a empty channel) and am going to open a support request with Apple about this. I'm glad to find out it isn't just me on this one. It is frustrating to pay 2,000 dollars for a machine and it not work correctly on something like this - you think Apple would have QAed this better and not just said "it is your external hardware's fault". Hard to convince people to switch to something like a Mac when dual displays do not work.

anoncow

Level 1

0 points

Dec 2, 2008 6:54 PM in response to anoncow

Spoke with Apple support today - this is a known & logged issue and they are evidentially working on a patch. The support person said my case would stay open & to call back in a week/week and a half if a fix isn't out via Software Update by then.

robyung

Level 1

0 points

Dec 2, 2008 7:02 PM in response to anoncow

I've posted several times before, and I'm not getting snow (only got that once), just a screen blackout (on a 20" Apple Display). The solutions that have worked for me are: unchecking the "automatically reduce the brightness before display sleep" and this worked for the past several weeks. However, I usually keep my MBP plugged in to the A/C adapter. Running on batteries this morning, it blacked out again. I managed to rescue the black screen for the first time by trying something someone else suggested - I made a hot corner for "Sleep Display" and then I put it to sleep. After waiting a few seconds for it to really sleep, I woke it up, and voila! An awful lot of work, but I think that it's because I had the battery running and not the A/C adapter. I'm keeping it plugged in from now on...

Dec 3, 2008 7:03 AM in response to BePo

I'm in the same boat here except none of the temp fixes are working for me anymore.

I've tried everything and my display will not be recognized.

I called apple a few days ago and reported the problem, I told them that at one point inserting the re-install disc and following the steps up until 'choose language' had caused my external display to be recognized. The apple tech said to try this again and it worked, but only for a day or two.

After repeated reboots to get my display to be detected I got the flashing folder with a question mark on indicating that my start up had not been found.
Great.
I called Apple again this morning and I was told to do a full re-install to eliminate hardware failure.

AFter the re-install, So far no flashing folders with question marks on start up but I have had a rather nasty lock up a few moments ago, the screen locked as did the trackpad.

So far my external display (Samsung Syncmaster 2493HM) has worked once today and then after a restart couldn't be detected.

Nothing is working. These are the temp fixes I have tried.

Unticking 'Automatically adjust brightness in ambient light'
in both display preferences and in the energy saver preferences.

Using the 'higher performance' option in energy saver preferences.

Creating a hot corner that sends display to sleep.

Rebooting.

Unplugging the mini display port adaptor.

Shutdown.

All now ineffective.

Message was edited by: Tyke Tyler

MacBook Pro Late 2008 External Display Issues