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Level 1

5 points

Mac Pro sometimes displays static after displays wake up from sleep

Twice already when waking my two displays from sleep, the primary display will show just colored static, not the login window. The external display seems fine and shows just a blank screen. If I type in my password, the static goes away and the primary display shows the desktop. I can't reproduce the problem... it just happens (so far, infrequently).

I recently upgraded from an older Intel Mac Pro to a stock Early 2009 Mac Pro with 2 x 2.26 Quad-Core Xeon using the same two displays (a 19" Samsung and a 24" Dell) I had before. The 19" Samsung is connected via a mini displayport to DVI adapter and the 24" Dell is connected via DVI and is the primary display. My Mac never sleeps; only the displays sleep and I have it configured to require a password when waking from sleep or screen saver. I also have the Flurry screen saver enabled.

I basically unplugged my old Mac Pro and plugged in my new Mac Pro to my existing setup (displays, network, keyboard, mouse). This never happened with my old Mac Pro so I doubt that it's a problem with the 24" Dell (unless it's a huge coincidence that it started happening after I upgraded).

I want to reiterate that the 24" display is NOT connected via the mini displayport to DVI adapter, but through the DVI port. This problem happened once yesterday and once today and I've had the new Mac since Monday. I'd say my displays go to sleep about 6 times a day since I go in and out of my office often. The problem has yet to happen when I wake up the display first thing in the morning.

Early 2009 Mac Pro 2 x 2.26 Quad-Core Xeon, Mac OS X (10.5.6), 24" Dell display via DVI, 19" Samsung display via mini displayport to DVI

Posted on Mar 19, 2009 12:58 PM

149 replies

Oct 4, 2009 9:08 PM in response to Dean M Smith

Dean M Smith wrote:
It always rectifies itself after a couple of seconds.

Yup - I've got the stock GeForce 120 card and a monitor plugged into the DVI port. The machine never sleeps, but I do let it sleep the display. Occasionally when waking it, I get a few seconds of static - but it always corrects itself after a couple of seconds. I have never had to power cycle the monitor.

Message was edited by: Eric Eskam

Oct 15, 2009 11:50 PM in response to chinhster

Same problem here. Samsung 2253BW through displayport with dvi adaptor.

MR17

Level 1

0 points

Oct 18, 2009 12:23 PM in response to Tim Madsen

Still no solution from Apple, but they've been very good about calling regularly to let me know they're concerned and still working on it. I'm told it's now been logged as a "known issue." Meanwhile, I've discovered that toggling the monitor to the HDMI port (on which I have no connection) and then back to DVI causes the display to correct.

From reading the posts in this thread, I gather people experiencing the problem have these three things in common (please correct me if I'm wrong or add anything I've missed):

- we're using the March, 2009 version of the Mac Pro with either Leopard or Snow Leopard.
- we're using the graphics adapter that computer ships with (Nvidia GT 120).
- we're only getting the problem on the adapter's DVI port.

Oct 18, 2009 1:18 PM in response to MR17

Pretty close:

1. March 2009 Mac Pro
2. ATI 4870 Video Card
3. Adapter or not, both monitors come up snowy most of the time
4. Leopard or Snow Leopard doesn't matter

MR17

Level 1

0 points

Oct 18, 2009 2:35 PM in response to oneguynick

oneguynick: are you using your monitors on DVI connections?

Question for all. Does anyone with this problem use Boot Camp? If so, have you ever had the same problem while running Windows (mine is XP SP3)? I tried this last week and I wasn't able to make the problem appear in about 15 minutes of repeatedly putting the machine to sleep and waking it up again. But it could have been just a fluke.

Oct 18, 2009 11:23 PM in response to MR17

The ATI card that came with the mac pro has a displayport and a DVI. I use the little converter to run displayport to DVI on both 24" panels.

marisco

Level 1

0 points

Oct 28, 2009 10:17 AM in response to MR17

I've had this issue since i got my Mac Pro back in March )one of the first buyers), I have been consistently told that it is to be addressed in the next update... that was 10.5.6 ... I still have this issue. Under windows 7 on bootcamp this issue does not present itself, not sure it it is windows vs. osx driver issue or what, but it is annoying.
I have a 2.26 octad w/ gt120 hooked up to acer h233 23" 1920*1080 display

reezer

Level 1

15 points

Nov 8, 2009 9:27 PM in response to Tim Madsen

Exactly the same setup including the 2253BW. Multicolored snow nearly every time I awake the display when connected via mini DisplayPort.

Dec 9, 2009 9:56 PM in response to chinhster

I've detailed my situation back in May of this year. Why hasn't Apple fixed this?

Dec 10, 2009 12:54 PM in response to MarkCutler

The 10.6.2 update clearly made a big difference for me. I did have the static after sleep on one of my 6 monitors on one occasion since the 10.6.2 update, which I installed whenever it came out - seems like weeks ago. I was getting it every couple days before 10.6.2. So, a vast improvement, but still not quite cured.

dfuerpo

Level 1

14 points

Jan 8, 2010 5:06 PM in response to MarkCutler

Came back to this thread after not having followed it for a while. I just realized that I haven't seen the problem ONCE since upgrading to SL 10.6.2. Anyone else experience this as a fix?

Jan 8, 2010 6:33 PM in response to dfuerpo

I reported a month ago that I had only experienced the static once after updating to OS X 10.6.2. In the past month, I would say I have seen it 3 or 4 more times. But that is still much better than before 10.6.2. Is anybody else still experiencing this occasionally?

maxijazz

Level 1

0 points

Jan 16, 2010 11:20 AM in response to MarkCutler

OSX 10.5.8 on stock Early MP 2.26 hooked up to Dell 2709W thru DVI out.
Static seems to come after monitor wakes from sleep. Sometimes takes 5 sec, mostly about 30 sec, few times minutes....
Workaround is to set sleeping after 1 hour, so it occurs rarely.

Jan 16, 2010 12:20 PM in response to MR17

I have a 1 month old mac pro, xeon 2.93 6gb. using dell 2407 through VGA port and I got my first staic screen. It looks like TV static, not a distorted picture of any kind.

The only recent changes I made were to reduce the screen sleep time from 15min. to 10min. I also clicked on the "play random" screensaver and background box. Nothing is different. It slept all the time and I have had NO problems until about 15 minutes ago. Hopefully this does not continue as it is alarming to see.

Also, I am getting the impression that Steve Jobs does not really care what mac owners think. we get what he wants us to have and thats that! A little dissapointed as i thought that was the whole point in giving up a blu-ray drive and vegas.

Oh well, i do love my new toy. Ya got me.

kvshah2

Level 1

0 points

Jan 21, 2010 7:16 PM in response to chinhster

Hi guys, I know this is a Mac Pro (early 2009) thread, but just thought it would be helpful for you guys to know that my brand new Mac Mini (running Snow Leopord 10.6.2) woke from sleep to snow like others have mentioned in thread. It actually happened twice in the last hour (whereas the first few days with the mini I never saw the problem).

I googled to see if others had the problem (that's how I found this thread, along with a couple of others) and it looks like this is happening across the board. Right now I'm hooked up MiniDV to DVI but will be adding another Monitor soon via the MiniDP port, i'm interested to see how the new monitor will wake up from sleep.

Anyways thought it may be useful info.

Mac Pro sometimes displays static after displays wake up from sleep