2018 Mac Mini - monitor problems

They told me to do the same thing and it’s an hour process... Deleting the 2 windowserver.plist files allowed me to restore display (but I would still lose it after any change) in 2 mins.

It’s disappointing that connecting the 4K screen to the USB C port didn’t help in your case. The brand might be a factor, in any case it’s a clear bug...

I think you can try deleting the 2 plists but in theory if the issue was resolved they would update properly... you can still try and reboot but make sure you can restore them just in case.

In my case it was weird, both deleting them and restoring them would restore the display, and they didn’t update. They regenerating correctly once I switch to USB C.

I have a similar problem. New mini 2018 with external OWC 6 tb3. For the first week or so of daily usage, the external drives work fine and a 30 cinema 2560x1600 plus Samsung 27 2560x1440 screens work fine, one via hdmi the other by usbc.

I normally put the mini to sleep at the end of the day.

Then I shut down for 3 weeks with a full shutdown.

Then I start up and only one monitor works, often flipping between the two, and the six drives in the external OWC 6 thunderbolt 3 disappear entirely. The drives and both monitors are seen via system report, but the drives to not appear in the finder and I cannot read write to them.

After many restarts and cable juggling, the OWC drives reappear and work, the usbc monitor works, and rather hdmi monitor flickers once every few minutes to either go into tiny resolution, turn off altogether for a few seconds, etc.

the drives are encrypted.

Owc reports no no known issues with their tb3 external box.

something is seriously wrong within the 14.2 and communications to monitors and external hard drives.

apple needs to fix this... or perhaps they will take back the Mac mini?

I don't think Apple is aware there is even a problem. It's our fault...

The monitor makers are not likely to help. I went through a long support conversation with both Apple and LG. LG agreed to send me new cables in case that's the issue, because some people have made their monitor work through an adapter (though not at the original resolution, as far as I can tell).

Apple essentially came up with the idea that the problem is on my end, in software. They asked me to wipe my drive clean and start over. Apple is really starting to sound like Microsoft...

As far as I can tell, the issue occurs with encrypted FileVault drives, during the boot phase, at that initial screen where no software has been loaded other than Apple’s “decrypt the drive or boot into Recovery” system. Thus, wiping my hard drive would do nothing but aggravate me and waste my time.

My own machine will happily boot into Recovery mode, and then reboot into the normal system and let me log in. Likewise, if I reset PRAM, it will give me a screen and let me log in. The solution is to spend nearly all my time in sleep mode, and not let the computer be off for any length of time. Both Recovery mode and PRAM seem to reset the 32-bit warning system, too.

Definitely a bug. Hopefully will be fixed in OS 14, because I don't plan on moving to 15 any time soon; I'd lose Dreamweaver, for one thing.

I also had several (very long) calls with Apple and LG, none of them was able to help me. I never used Filevault and did several clean installs of 10.14, all with the same result.

When I connect my monitor to my BlackMagic eGPU there is no screen at all. I can see my screen waking up when I switch on my Mini, then after a few seconds "no signal" and then "entering power saving mode". Pulling out the TB3 cable from the eGPU and reconnecting it again wakes up the monitor presenting my log in screen. Until macOS goes in to sleep mode. Waking it up gives me a distorted screen, out of sync and scaling etc.

So there is definitely something wrong with the (moment of loading) of the graphics drivers?

It is a shame that both Apple and LG are unable to solve this, as there are so many users having more or less similar issues and not only in this forum. Googling for this issue gives many hits, but no solution.

Doesn't help that the DisplayPort subsystem seems deeply flawed. HDMI seems to get around that if you get a high-speed cable. HDMI 2.0 is probably needed; my monitor's only got HDMI 1.2, which I think is turning into a problem.

The problems I've been having occur with either HDMI or DisplayPort, but don't affect my old monitor.

I posted above already and had the same issue where I couldn’t get my 4K TV to display over HDMI from the Mac Mini. With a second monitor plugged in all was fine.

I spent hours with the Apple support and they could only recommend their basic resets and then a full factory one... They really couldn’t help and claimed they had never heard about the issue. They were supposed to call me back and never did.

I figured out that the display plists config files (windowserver.plist in preferences) we’re not updating either.

I switched from HDMI to USB C using an adapter and that solved the issue. The config files now update.

However the display now wakes up on a delay which is annoying!

Agreed that Apple should look into this as there is a clear problem but they don’t seem interested....

I agree with "toto654".

I am a very old Apple's customer from the '90 and I must say that I am quite disappointed:

When I switch on my old MacLC (sistem7!), it wants to work again romantically.

When I switch on my new Mac Mini (sistem 10.14.3!) one or two of my double monitors 4K want to sleep and I am forced in long time of random solutions to arrive at my files.

Now my personal survival strategy is <don't let it go into automatic stop>, but I don't think that is a rightful solution.

I hope Apple will look into it, otherwise we will have to return ours mac mini while its still on warranty.

I have the same issue.

LG 24UD58 via USB-C -> DisplayPort doesn't work.

LG 24UD58 via HDMI works well.

I've connected LG 24UD58 to mac mini via DisplayPort and HDMI at same time and it works both DP and HDMI!

When i use (switch monitor settings) DP input - macos see only one monitor.

When i use HDMI input - macos see two monitors.

If i connect mac mini's HDMI to another monitor (1080p) - LG 24UD58 via DisplayPort doesn't work.

I think problem is LG 24UD58. I'm going to test if this monitor work's with mac mini via DisplayPort if connected via HDMI to another source (and not to use mac mini's hdmi).

Update

I've connect mac mini to TV via HDMI + LG 24UD58 via USB-C -> DP and it works!

If i change TV to my old 1080p display (hdmi->dvi) - LG 24UD58 via USB-C -> DP do not work.

So, i suggest, mac mini needs any correct hdmi connection to work with DP.

I had problems with three LG 27UK650-W monitors attached to a Mac Mini (2018). When resuming from sleep it would usually lose the HDMI connected one, but could lose other monitors as well. I had boot up problems with totally blank screens as well. Disabling FileVault fixed these issues.

Yes, at this point everyone but Apple knows FileVault is the issue. The window that appears when FileVault asks to unlock the disk does not wake up some modern monitors.

Everyone but Apple seems to know this now.

For some of us, disabling FileVault is not an option.

I, for one, am hoping Apple ever-so-slowly fixes this, but I'm starting to lose hope that they are competent enough to care.

Actually, I jumped too fast on a conclusion. Disabling FileVault made the situation a lot better – but just few hours after I posted the comment above, my Mac mini lost one HDMI connected display when resuming from sleep. It worked for few days perfectly. Weirdest thing with these problems are that they aren't happening every time and there's no obvious pattern.

I really too hope Apple will fix this, because it is a quite fundamental problem and it makes it seem like the Mac mini is just broken.

I concur. I bought new monitors, new usbc to display port plugs... all to no use.

most of the times when Mac mini 10.14.3 512 gb, external thunder bay box with jbod, wakes up from sleep, one or the second monitors is blank. Juggling between usBC and hdmi ports does not name a difference. Option command p r restarts does not make a difference,

only cure seems to work... remove the usBC to dp plug, then replug.... then 2 monitors work fine until the next sleep or restart.

monitors: 4K lg 32 inch, Samsung, apple cinema, etc. swapping monitors does not make a difference.

apple... pleas fix this!

Your story is the same as mine. I have tried all your ways: - with or without <file voult>; - change position to the cable in the back of mac mini; - change the cables from HDMI to thunder; - PRAM rebuilt; - revision preference monitor setting. In summary I tried all that was possible for a generic macuser, but usual 1 or 2 monitors do not wake up from stop and in this case Apple, plese, we are waiting for a solution to this problem.

I have it whenever the mac sleeps for a long time.

My workaround was to stop sleeping the mac, period.

New Mini *****. I've had problems since day 1 (literally). They won't do a mail in replacement, and since I'm disabled and have no car, and the Apple store is 20 miles away...