External Monitor for macbook pro 2013

I have used the ASUS MB169B+ as an external monitor for years on my macbook pro. It uses a USB 3.0 cable that I plugged into my USB 3.0 for 2 years. Since updating to Sierra OS, and now Catalina, the monitor will flash on, but immediately go black. The monitor plugs in and works fine on my PC. It is not the monitor that is the issue. I assume I now need an adaptor, but am not finding one that connects the 3.0 cable to my thunderbolt 1 port. All the converters want to convert from usb 3.0 to thunderbolt 3, but that does not help me. Suggestions?

MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.15

Posted on Feb 9, 2020 10:38 AM

Reply

Similar questions

7 replies

Feb 10, 2020 11:34 AM in response to craymer50

according to EveryMan.com:


Connectivity includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.0 ports, two "Thunderbolt 2" ports, an HDMI port, an audio in/out port, and an SDXC card slot.


... in other words, a USB-A [shaped] connector wired for USB-3. Most of these cables have blue inserts to indicate they have the additional wiring, deep inside the connector [Apple did not follow that blue-color convention on their computers].


If you think your USB-3 display is still working correctly, and the cable still works correctly, then perhaps it is only the computer that is confused. Try an SMC reset. Then don't plug a lower-speed device into that port before you try the display, as this sometimes results in the port thinking it should be talking "only" USB-2 speeds.


How to reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support


Your battery is considered NOT removable, and you do Not have a T2 chip. Carefully follow the directions regarding which side of the keyboard these keys are on, as the ones with the same labels on the other side are not "wired in" and will Not do the job.

Feb 13, 2020 6:32 PM in response to craymer50

Not adapters, they don't go that way. If it worked before, but does not work now with a letter version of MacOS, -- it's the software that drives that display:


Increased productivity with ASUS EzLink technology 

The MB169B+ features ASUS EzLink technology that offloads graphics processing from the PC to dedicated hardware in the monitor. As a result, a PC can drive up to five MB169B+ monitors at the same time, regardless of its own graphics capability — it just needs sufficient USB ports. EzLink also automatically restores application window positions as a MB169B+ monitor is connected and disconnected, and automatically rotates the image between landscape and portrait modes, as required.


Look on this page for a new Driver (choose MacOS as the Operating System:

https://www.asus.com/Monitors/MB169BPlus/HelpDesk_Download/



.

Feb 9, 2020 2:33 PM in response to craymer50

Yes.. maybe... you’d need to know the exact model + year of manufacture of your Mac book pro. This you can get from ‘about this mac’ on the left side of your screen. Typing that in , in the search window of everymac.com should give you the exact capabilities of your Mac Pro.


-as you have found out thunderbolt 3 is the thing now.it is compatible with USB. If you did have TB3 and wanted to connect a thunderbolt 2 or 1 device, Apple would sell you a TB3>>Tb1 adapter. It only works 1 way though. You can’t go tb>>TB3.

here’s a tb adapter that adds a USB 3 port

https://www.amazon.com/Kanex-Thunderbolt-eSATA-plus-Adapter/dp/B00LOLBBQQ

i have also found an updated driverhttps://www.amazon.com/Kanex-Thunderbolt-eSATA-plus-Adapter/dp/B00LOLBBQQ


that is all

i am doing my best to reply to you, but becuz I’m doing this on my iPhone it’s tough but possible


john b

https://www.amazon.com/Kanex-Thunderbolt-eSATA-plus-Adapter/dp/B00LOLBBQQ


other than that try doing a reset smc/pmu and zap pram on your MacBook pro

Feb 13, 2020 6:24 PM in response to craymer50

Yeah... it’s starting to look that way to me. Hopefully you can return the Kanex adapter I mentioned. I didn’t know if it would do video and data, too..I hoped it would...


nope... wrong...so, my bad...


try this... I don’t know if it’ll work in reverse .

https://www.displaylink.com/products/usb-adapters


otherwise...


there’s this


https://avatron.com/applications/air-display/


and I found this from asus...it mentions Catalina so is important

https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1041769



and here’s a link to the Catalina displayLink software you will need

https://www.displaylink.com/downloads/macos


i dunno..,,..


john b



Feb 9, 2020 3:57 PM in response to Johnb-one

Here are the full specs of my macbook pro:


MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012) - Technical Specifications

Display

§  Retina display: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology

§  2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors

§  Scaled resolutions: 1680 by 1050, 1440 by 900, and 1024 by 640 pixels

Processor

2.5GHz

2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache

§  Configurable to 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz) with 4MB shared L3 cache.

Memory

§  8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory

Storage

§  128GB

Configurable to 256GB, 512GB, or 768GB flash storage.

§  256GB

Configurable to 512GB or 768GB flash storage.

Size and Weight

§  Height: 0.75 inch (1.9 cm)

§  Width: 12.35 inches (31.4 cm)

§  Depth: 8.62 inches (21.9 cm)

§  Weight: 3.57 pounds (1.62 kg)2

Graphics and Video Support

§  Intel HD Graphics 4000

§  Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on up to two external displays, at millions of colors

Thunderbolt digital video output

§  Native Mini DisplayPort output

§  DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

§  VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately)

§  Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (sold separately)

Camera

§  720p FaceTime HD camera

Connections and Expansion

  MagSafe 2 power port

§  Two Thunderbolt ports (up to 10 Gbps)

§  Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)

§  HDMI port

§  Headphone port

§  SDXC card slot

§  Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter (sold separately)

§  Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (sold separately)

Wireless

§  Wi-Fi

802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking;3 IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible

§  Bluetooth

Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology

Audio

§  Stereo speakers

§  Dual microphones

§  Headphone port

o    Headphone/optical digital audio output (minijack)

o    Support for Apple iPhone headset with microphone

Keyboard and Trackpad

§  Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement) with ambient light sensor

§  Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control; supports inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities

Battery and Power

§  Up to 7 hours wireless web

§  Up to 30 days standby time

§  Built-in 74-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery

§  60W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port

Electrical and Operating Requirements

§  Line voltage: 100V to 240V AC

§  Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz

§  Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)

§  Storage temperature: –13° to 113° F (–24° to 45° C)

§  Relative humidity: 0% to 90% noncondensing

§  Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet

§  Maximum storage altitude: 15,000 feet

§  Maximum shipping altitude: 35,000 feet

Feb 10, 2020 10:22 AM in response to craymer50

Thx for that info, craymer50. Yes, You have Thunderbolt 1. which does support minidisplayPort. and various other video outputs via adapter. I think I sent you the link for the updated tablet driver (catalina) and the Thunderbolt 1 adapter which adds a usb 3 port. really, that's all I have....apart from this thing from Startech.

(link)


https://fleetnetwork.ca/products/startech-com-thunderbolt-to-gigabit-ethernet-plus-usb-3-0-thunderbolt-adapter-thunderbolt-1-port-s-1-twisted-pair-tb2usb3ge.html?variant=274124&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_6vl5czH5wIVsxx9Ch37CA0zEAYYBSABEgKtofD_BwE


jb

Feb 13, 2020 2:34 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Okay, so I reset the SMC and bought https://www.amazon.com/Kanex-Thunderbolt-eSATA-plus-Adapter/dp/B00LOLBBQQ but no luck. When I use the adapter, the screen does not flash. When I use the USB port and connect the cable directly, I at least get the Asus name flash on my 2nd monitor for about 3 seconds before the screen goes black. Just want to re-mention that the 2nd monitor works fine on my PC. Is it possible I need an adaptor to go from the HDMI port on my macbook to the USB3 cable for the 2nd monitor?

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

External Monitor for macbook pro 2013

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.