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Thunderbolt firmware update issue

Hi guys,

I'm in critical trouble right now.

I'm using MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014) (macOS catalina 10.15.4)

My thunderbolt firmware version is (Firmware Version: 17.2) and  Link Controller Firmware Version: 0.11.0

I want to update it.

I downloaded it manually (version 2.1) but it says "The software is not supported on your system".

Can anyone guide me what should i do?


MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.15

Posted on May 13, 2020 9:42 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 13, 2020 11:03 AM

to get a Mac display to become active, you need the Mac to query the display, and the display to answer with its name and capabilities. Otherwise, the display will not be shown as present, and no data will be sent to the display.

 

This query is only sent at certain times:

• at startup

• at wake from sleep

• at insertion of the Mac-end of the display-cable, provided everything on that cable is ready-to-go

• on invoking Option-(Detect Display) button in Displays preferences

 

so try doing some of those things and see if the display comes alive.


Modern Displays with multiple ports are sometimes busy scanning the other ports, looking for an input, and miss the query from the Mac. They need to pay attention to the port you are actually using, or they will miss the query.


Some displays have On-Screen Display settings that can be used to tell the display a computer is attached on a certain port, or a certain port should be highest priority. Changing those may make your display more responsive.


Some displays include their own private "sleep" settings for the display alone. This can allow the display to enter its own sleep mode, on top of the Mac's not sending it data. A display that is sleeping on its own cannot respond to the Mac's query, and will stay dark.

13 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 13, 2020 11:03 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

to get a Mac display to become active, you need the Mac to query the display, and the display to answer with its name and capabilities. Otherwise, the display will not be shown as present, and no data will be sent to the display.

 

This query is only sent at certain times:

• at startup

• at wake from sleep

• at insertion of the Mac-end of the display-cable, provided everything on that cable is ready-to-go

• on invoking Option-(Detect Display) button in Displays preferences

 

so try doing some of those things and see if the display comes alive.


Modern Displays with multiple ports are sometimes busy scanning the other ports, looking for an input, and miss the query from the Mac. They need to pay attention to the port you are actually using, or they will miss the query.


Some displays have On-Screen Display settings that can be used to tell the display a computer is attached on a certain port, or a certain port should be highest priority. Changing those may make your display more responsive.


Some displays include their own private "sleep" settings for the display alone. This can allow the display to enter its own sleep mode, on top of the Mac's not sending it data. A display that is sleeping on its own cannot respond to the Mac's query, and will stay dark.

May 13, 2020 12:28 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Okay! I appreciate your efforts.

I will make few more points here

1- When i connect hdmi-to-hdmi. Display is working

2- When i connect from mini port to hdmi. The display is detecting in Displays preferences (Screen shot attached) but blank screen on monitor with no cable connected)

3- I checked the sleep settings. It seems fine.

4- I changed the display from BenQ to Philips LCD (in case of LCD, its not even detecting the screen. I have 2 mini DisplayPort. i tried both but nothing happened)

The result is same!

The cable is working because when i connect this cable to my friend's laptop. then display starts showing.

I tried to change the refresh rate, resolution but couldn't solve my problem

May 13, 2020 10:14 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I am confused as well.

I tried to connect the external monitor. Screen was black on external monitor. I googled stuff and check the thunderbolt version. I don't know why mine was not updated with OSX upgrade. My friend has mid 2012 13 inch and his version is updated!

Mine is way behind. I found solution on this forum that manually install the firmware of thunderbolt. I tried and it's giving me this error. "The software is not supported on your system"


May 13, 2020 10:42 AM in response to m-saad-bhatti

m-saad-bhatti wrote:

and the monitor is BenQ BL2405 Display (24-inch (1920 x 1080))
I'm using Thunderbolt cable by Belkin


that is not a complete description of any cable you could be using successfully.

That display says it has only Analog VGA, DVI and HDMI connectors.


Connectivity

D-sub D-sub x1

HDMI HDMI (v1.4) x1

DVI DVI-D x1


https://www.benq.eu/en-eu/monitor/business/bl2405ht/specifications.html


Perhaps you are using a Belkin USB-C to HDMI cable ??


.

May 13, 2020 12:40 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Finally my 1 monitor starts responding. Because of On-Screen display settings.

Thanks alot!

I have one more question. The question is when i connect this to LCD hdmi port. It does not even detect.

What can be the problem?

I tried On Screen settings and changed as same settings of my monitor but my mac not detecting it.

I tried another mac and it's working with other one

May 13, 2020 7:13 PM in response to m-saad-bhatti

HDMI was invented for HD TV sets at 1920 by 1080p. It has been stretched far beyond that, but cable-makers have been sloppy about labeling higher capabilities. So it is easy, almost 'expected' that at higher resolutions, most cables on hand will be inadequate for resolutions higher than 1920 by 1080.


Later versions of Macs and later versions of MacOS may have introduced features that fail to show a picture if the cabling is not appropriate for that resolution. Older Macs and older MacOS may be content, but produce a picture with tiny defects.

Thunderbolt firmware update issue

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