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Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter not working under Vista (Boot Camp).

Hi there,

I'm facing a very serious issue with MacBook Pro Unibody running MS Vista under Boot Camp: using the Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter to hook a projector is 95% impossible because the only resolution available is 640x480 or sometimes 800x600. No solution came from the adaptor firmware update, still same behavior: connecting the external projector/monitor toggles 640x480 resolution with no more choices available. Just 5% of attempts on selected projectors gave me access to the complete resolutions list.

This is having a serious impact on my job where I do need both Mac&Windows running natively and with external display capabilities, please I'm looking for some feedback from users facing the same problem or someone who had an official answer on this issue from Apple. Do avoid posting about using modded display drivers please: I know they exist but the adaptor should be working with original ones.

I can understand Apple does not support MS Vista issues but this seems to be a hardware/driver one.

I'd like to point out I'm using a clean Vista installation with Apple drivers (from the Leopard DVD) and I've run Vista (same version, same gfx drivers etc) under Boot Camp on my previous MPB (with integrated DVI output+adapter) on hundreds of different projectors with never a single problem.

Any feedback is really appreciated.
L.

MacBook Pro Unibody, Mac OS X (10.5.6), Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter

Posted on Apr 11, 2009 9:14 AM

144 replies

Jun 15, 2009 3:02 PM in response to heyjoeMN

Hm. Welcome aboard...

Jun 15, 2009 6:37 PM in response to heyjoeMN

Sorry to hear heyjoeMN and wish we had better news for you but unfortunately haven't gotten this to work reliably yet. We have the following projector that was only supposed to be used when traveling but has become our workaround for the folks with the new unibody MacBook Pro's:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8673214&type=product&id=1197074522 248

Hoping maybe you can pick one up while on your trip and it can help with your presentations.

heyjoeMN

Level 1

6 points

Jun 17, 2009 1:59 PM in response to unidesk_ch

Thanks for the info. Glad to know it works with something - at least. My problem is that my stuff is usually routed through a Folsom or some similar switcher and kicked out to a few 10K projectors. No dice with them. Thank god I've found some other laptops on the road to drive screens for the moment.

Jun 19, 2009 11:51 AM in response to heyjoeMN

Just to add another tile to the puzzle I'd like to report that the Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter seems to work without flaws.

I've just tested a projector with double input, VGA & DVI. With VGA same old problem, 640x480 and "generic display" name, with DVI all is OK.

And please, don't run happy saying you can add a DVI-VGA converter on top of the adapter.. Macbook uses a DVI-D port/adapter with ONLY digital signals, and not a DVI-I with both digital and analog ones... so no way to convert it.

Jun 22, 2009 5:08 PM in response to thelazydesigner

Bump...
Has anybody found a fix for this. I was all excited with my new MacBook Pro but this problem is a MAJOR Showstopper, not being able to use external displays in our company's conference rooms at higher than 640x480. This is my first Mac and while PC's have their share of problems this is severe!

Jun 22, 2009 5:32 PM in response to brent4321

Sorry wish we had better news for you but unfortunately to the best of my knowledge this thread is up-to-date with information regarding this issue. No good work around.

Jun 22, 2009 5:42 PM in response to thelazydesigner

I connected my minidisplay port - VGA adapter to my mbp and then to a samsung n920 and then to a dell external monitor (both of which work fine on windows machines). No image appears and the lap-top does not see the monitor. I searched for the firmware update for my adapter but found nothing. Any suggestions?

Jun 22, 2009 11:08 PM in response to atmadison

Hi atmadison,
you're probably facing a different issue. The monitor/projector is usually seen as "generic display" and driven to 640x480. Remember in this thread we're talking about using the unibody MacBook Pro running Vista under BootCamp, not MacOS.
The adapter firmware update is available on Apple.com downloads section but does not apply to Boot Camp issues.

Jun 26, 2009 12:16 AM in response to thelazydesigner

This is really a huge issue for designers and developers, who frequently need to demo for clients on both platforms. Animation performance is important, so emulation isn't really an option. Between this and the unresolved multi-touch trackpad driver issues, Apple has really crippled the Boot Camp experience. At this point, I've stopped recommending MacBooks for cross-platform designers and developers. The driver issues just require too many compromises.

It's frustrating, since they're so close to delivering on the Boot Camp vision. It almost seems like their falling short intentionally.

Jun 30, 2009 10:49 AM in response to thelazydesigner

SAME: Went to do a demo with a VGA projector with my brand new MBP 17 with Vista loaded. Guess what, only show's in 640x480... Demo was a bust....

Thinking of taking back the MBP now as it just cost me 50k in new business because it would not work.

Jun 30, 2009 11:46 PM in response to Binary Poet

From Apple Italy I got this confidential answer:
"Unfortunately we still don't have any official answer"

ticoneva

Level 1

0 points

Jul 3, 2009 1:09 AM in response to thelazydesigner

Has anyone tried blocking the EDID signal transmitted through pin 12 of all VGA cable? Should solve the problem,

http://forums.nvidia.com/lofiversion/index.php?t74874.html

tonaeggs

Level 1

0 points

Jul 3, 2009 10:02 PM in response to thelazydesigner

Well, I'm glad I'm not going crazy. Just got a new MBP unibody. This is my first Mac so I also wanted to transition in to the experience and so I have Win 7 RC (Build 7100) 64-bit installed with Bootcamp. Everything running great until the VGA issue that we have all been discussing - what a major deal breaker! I even had trouble getting OS X to see the projector. I am really disappointed, because this seems such a great solution for me. Going on the road to Europe in 4 days for conferences looks like the old Lenovo running XP-SP3 will have to come with me instead, too bad. Booo to Apple.

lowbow

Level 1

0 points

Jul 16, 2009 6:55 AM in response to tonaeggs

Hi everyone,

I'm very happy, that I found people having the same problem, since our support was not able to help me.
Is there any solution which helped and has not been posted here in the meanwhile? I will go to a conference, where I plan to give a 3D demo, thus the Parallels approach does not help.

Thanks in advance!

Jul 16, 2009 7:07 AM in response to lowbow

Unfortunately nothing that I know of has been found as a solution. I continue to look and try various things but nothing has solved our problem with Vista. I still haven't tried an XP system in Boot Camp and I believe others have in this post with success. Not sure if that is an option for you to try prior to your conference.

Each time I get an update on my RSS feed that this post has an update I am hoping that someone or Apple has released an update to solve this problem. Still shocked that it has taken them so long to address it. I may call into support again today just to see if there is any update. Again just not sure if I am ready to give up another hour of my life explaining the situation only to hear again that it is a known issue and is being worked on.

As always if I do hear any encouraging news I will post it. Seems there are enough of us throughout the world seeing this problem these days.

-Chad

Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter not working under Vista (Boot Camp).