MBP 13 2020 won't recognize USB devices from TB dock after sleeping and connecting to the dock. After unplugging the dock MBP crashes and does SMC reset

i have exactly the same problem described in post #1 My machine is a mbpro2020 i5 16gb 1tb. OS 10.15.7

The most annoying part is that my machine crashing with AN ORIGINAL APPLE THUNDERBOLT ADAPATER!!!

This is madness for a 3000€ machine! I am a sound engineer and I use my mb travelling around day by day. THE RELIABILITY is the FIRST things for machines used in Live events...and my BRAND NEW MacBook is absolutely unrelaiable !!!!

Please FIX this ridiculous problem. This is a PRO machine as the name suggest...plugging and unplugging devices is the basic use for a computer !

Don’t tell me that the solution is Big Sur. There’s a problem with Catalina? Fix it !

My secondary machine is a 2010 mbpro core2 and it still works like a charm.

I can only conclude that a 10 years old macbook is more relaiable than a brand new one. Pure madness.

thank you.

Main question is:

accidentally or intentionally?

it worked for me with the first few Catalina versions and suddenly it happened with an update.

And as long as it is not confirmed by Apple, there is still a risk that it will occur again in future.

I mean, we are not talking about a minor issue. We spent thousands of Dollar/Euro for a machine which is crashing. I do not understand why officially Apple does not state out: okay, there was an issue, sorry, but we fixed it.

This is professional and not to hide it silently. A pity.

I have to chip in here. MBP 13" 2020 model. eGPU causes unexpected stuff to happen many times during a week. Force logouts primarily followed by "Intel CrashLog recorded due to unexpected reset" or CPU Panics when the MBP is idle. Had the issue as well on my prior MBP 13" from 2017. Some apps even triggers the force logouts when launching. Tried to see if this was a problem with WindowServer but I haven't been able to confirm this properly. It is a hassle. Especially when we as professionals want to have the flexibility of having a portable powerhouse but need the extra oomph by using an eGPU of own choice and external monitors to match your workflow. Please, Apple - get this fixed.

I installed Big Sur over the weekend - MBP 13 i7 2020.

Tried 10 times unplugging display, plugging back in and no restart. Before in Catalina I think I would have already had at least 3 restarts in that many tries so for now it looks like the issue has been solved with Big Sur!

Upgraded to Big Sur as well. Still having issues with the MacBook Pro being idle overnight plugged into the eGPU and then I find it with a kernel panic (https://i.redd.it/dfxzqoshjkc41.jpg) in the morning... Other smaller issues - too early to tell, but I have noticed that apps that I could easily force a force logout on by launching have no problems now...

I have the exact same issue with my new MBP2020 and the CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock. When I unplug the dock or even when I close the lid (putting the MBP in sleep mode) with dock still connected and then when I open the lid, I get the Intel crash error message.

MacOS Catalina 10.15.17

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)

2.3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7

Intel Iris Plus Graphics 1536 MB

Such a disappointment...

@Donrad, I also have the MacBook Pro (2020), only with a CalDigit TS3 dock. A lot of issues with Catalina, but since the update to Big Sur my issues seem to be resolved. I have tested it two days now, in both cases no issues. I think you should consider an upgrade.

I run a MBP2020 with 2x CalDigit TS3+ docks in different locations. Each dock has two external Dell monitors plus external webcam and other bits.

Since upgrading to Big Sur I've not had a single problem - I've been able to successfully sleep the machine, wake at the other location and plug in etc. The CalDigit dock utility is aware of the dock and the external screens and external camera etc. all work fine. I'm in the habit of unplugging from the dock first, then sleeping the machine - not sure if that makes a difference?

So for me, Big Sur has fixed the headache problem of Intel crash reboots etc. which is a massive relief. I'm sorry to hear people are still having issues, even after Big Sur? I like some of the improvements in Big Sur too.

The only problem I have left is the atrocious battery life which seems to be related to Microsoft OneDrive constantly enumerating files.

It's disappointing that Apple have been so silent on the issue :(

The Apple Support Hotline told me that they did not know about any of these problems. They proposed me to install a clean system on another volume in order to find out if the problem occurs there as well.

As the system usually crashes after sometime, I cannot and do not want to spend time sitting in front of an empty system with which I cannot work. The second "alternative" of the Apple support was to bring the Macbook into their store.

Both alternatives do not seem to be very promising as long as Apple neglect any knowledge of the problem.

Has anybody an idea how to force the error on a clean system? How can I find out if it will work or not?

Kind regards

Just an update from my end. I spoke with an Apple "senior advisor" last week about this. During our phone call I did a data capture and sent results to Apple engineers. I also sent links to this discussion thread and made it clear that this wasn't an issue just with my computer. The rep was responsive and great and said he would be back in touch as soon as he heard from engineers. This is what I got from him yesterday:

"I actually got a response from our engineers! They actually stated that this particular issue should be resolved in Big Sur. They advised me to have you update after reviewing your logs. Going forward I would recommend verifying the compatibility of the programs that you need to use, prior to updating. If the Issue continues, let me know. We’ll have to gather new logs at that point and update our engineers."

I responded that Big Sur is definitely not the cure-all for this situation as there are tons of comments on this thread making it clear that it is not a fix for at least some users. I also said I have no interest in upgrading to a system that is almost certainly full of bugs that will not be compatible with some of my apps. I asked why this issue in Catalina hadn't already been resolved -- it's been over a year -- and asked for a refund for my MacBook Pro.

This is the nuclear option but it might get Apple's attention more quickly if a number of people are making the same request. The last thing I want to do is have to start over with another computer, but at least this offers some degree of leverage, particularly if a lot of customers are making same demand...

I can confirm that Big Sur has resolved my kernel panic and USB bus issues. Unplugging / sleeping / etc all caused issues with the USB bus becoming unresponsive and eventually the system rebooting with a kernel panic. This behavior was consistent regardless of which thunderbolt 3 dock I used. Previous to upgrading I had daily kernel panics based on moving my laptop to/from my desk and dock. Now with Big Sur, I have not had a single thunderbolt or USB based issue.

Mac Configuration:

13" 2020 MacBook Pro

i5

16 Gigs Ram

1TB HDD

This issue occurred on both these docks:

CalDigit TS3 Plus

Stone Pro Dock

Since upgrading to Big Sur I have had zero lockups or USB bus failures. I am running the same MacBook Pro through a CalDigit TS3 Plus hub. Connected accessories include:

Monitors:

1x BenQ SW2700PT running at 2560x1440 (DP to DP Cable)

1x BenQ SW270C running at 2560x1440 (UNI USB-C to HDMI adapter)

USB:

Logitech universal wireless receiver for MX Master 3 mouse

Samson Q2U USB microphone

Cheap Amazon HDMI to USB input device

I've been running the release version of Big Sur since launch day.

I'm very frustrated that Apple took so long to resolve this issue, and that it's not been clearly communicated by the company. That being said, I'm glad that upgrading has resolved the issues with my setup.

I'm on Catalina 10.15.7 and have been experiencing exactly the same behaviour. I'm using a Lenovo ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 Dock (I know!) and would experience the problem at least once a day. My set-up had the Macbook being powered by via the dock (135W coming into that which should be plenty with the official Macbook power adapter being rated at 61W).

Anyway, I have not experienced any problems since connecting the official Macbook power adapter directly to my Macbook as well as my Dock. No more Intel Crashlog related restarts, no more USB devices not being connected until reboot, and no more long logins. It's a pain I'm having to use 2x power adapters, one to the dock and one to the Macbook but hey at least the reboots have gone and I can actually use my dock.

I appreciate it would be ideal for Apple to fix this as it never happened on Mojave, but this has worked for me and I'm stuck on Catalina for other reasons.. Hope it helps others.