11.5.2 broken multi monitor support

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Level 1

4 points

11.5.2 broken multi monitor support

I use my 2016 Macbook Pro with two external monitors via a Plugable USB C triple display docking station which uses DisplayLink software to drive the third monitor so I can use my laptop screen and the two external screens at the same time.

Everything worked just fine on MacOS 11.5.1. I applied the 11.5.2 update yesterday and now my third monitor does not activate. I can't even get the operating system to detect the extra monitor when I connect it directly via a different adapter.

I also can't seem to find a way to rollback to 11.5.1.

When I try, using my Time Machine backup, I get a message saying I will need to use migration assistant to get the data from the last 11.5.1 backup. This is not what I want! I just want to be running 11.5.1 again so all my monitors work!

I've also noticed general display management is bad since the update. My screens won't go to sleep, despite the settings showing that they should, if I try closing the lid on the laptop the external screen keeps coming on and going off, rendering it completely useless.

Can anyone help? I'm quite happy to go back to 11.5.1 for now if necessary.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted on Aug 15, 2021 10:34 AM

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Answer 1

leewoc Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 18, 2021 7:04 AM in response to James Brickley

Believe it or not, I got the system installed with 11.5.2 and then recovered my data with migration assistant and then my multi monitor support worked!

The only oddity was that it created an extra volume in disk utility called `Macintosh HD - Data` which caused Time Machine to fail because there were two volumes with the same name.

The entire process has been a real rollercoaster journey!

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Answer 2

Aug 15, 2021 1:31 PM in response to leewoc

You should be able to download the 11.5.1 installer using Terminal:

sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 11.5.1

Then you likely will need to ensure your backup is good and you'll need to create a bootable USB flash drive 16GB+ in size. You'll also need to boot into recovery mode and the Startup / Security options to allow USB Booting on the 16" MBP with T2 Security Chip.

Then you can format the USB flash drive to be named MyVolume via Disk Utility then burn the USB flash drive using the following command in Terminal.

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Big\ Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume

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Answer 3

Owl-53

Level 10

103,147 points

Aug 16, 2021 2:38 AM in response to leewoc

Since the release of Big Sur 11.5.2 - be prepared for disappointment. Normally, once a newer version is released - 11.5.2 - the previous version - 11.5.1 - is removed from Apple Servers.

A sure way of going back to 11.5.1 is if you kept a copy of the full installer on external drive. Or Revert to a time before the 11.5.2 was installed via TM Backup - maybe.

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Answer 4

Aug 16, 2021 5:10 AM in response to Owl-53

On Big Sur, if you use the --list-full-installers switch you can see that 11.5.1 is still listed as are earlier ones. This list generated on an M1 so there will be more for Intel.

softwareupdate --list-full-installers

Finding available software
Software Update found the following full installers:
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.5.2, Size: 12440916552K
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.5.1, Size: 12440158909K
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.5, Size: 12443337213K
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.4, Size: 12395342506K
* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.3.1, Size: 12411305377K

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Answer 5

leewoc Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 16, 2021 1:02 AM in response to James Brickley

Thank you.

What format do I need my USB stick to be? ExFAT or MacOS extended?

Actually, I think I found detailed instructions here https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

Thanks again for your help.

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Answer 6

Aug 16, 2021 5:11 AM in response to leewoc

It doesn't really matter, when you issue the next command macOS will reformat the flash drive. The most important thing is the volume be named MyVolume so the next command works.

You don't have to name it MyVolume but you do need to use the same name in the second command as the first command.

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Answer 7

leewoc Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 16, 2021 9:58 AM in response to James Brickley

Thanks all,

I managed to download the installer and create the USB drive with James's instructions, sadly it refuses to install on my mac at all.

When I tried an install over I got a message saying my disk couldn't be downgraded.

I decided to 'go nuclear' and wipe my disk, do a clean install with the 11.5.1 installer, and then recover from my Time Machine backup, but the installation failed half way through (multiple attempts!).

Finally I tried to get back to where I started this morning, I booted into recovery mode, then did a fresh install of 11.5.2 direct from Apple and tried to recover my backup. This failed too!

Recovering from the Time Machine backup had to be done via the migration assistant and, half way through the recovery, it told me there wasn't enough space (how can there not be enough space to recover the files that were on my machine in the first place?).

I am reduced to doing a clean install, recovering my user account documents only, and then manually installing and configuring all my missing software again by hand, which doesn't bode well for my productivity this week :-(

Oh yes, and by the end of this long, torturous process, I will be back where I was this morning with broken multi monitor support, USB C 'brokeness' and my mac refusing to sleep properly.

It just works is not a phrase I would use right now.

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Answer 8

Aug 16, 2021 10:07 AM in response to leewoc

How is it failing? You might have a hardware problem...

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Answer 9

Owl-53

Level 10

103,147 points

Aug 18, 2021 7:08 AM in response to leewoc

Can you provide a screen shot of Disk Utilities. It appears from description there is a left-over Volume using space and needs to be identified for removal.

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Answer 10

Aug 16, 2021 10:41 AM in response to leewoc

As usual, using displaylink may fail with an OS update. I personally stay away from this. There are plenty of USB-C adapters that do not require this, just plug and play.

If you use these, you should turn off automatic OS updates, and check the displaylink site for updated drivers, before you update the OS.

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11.5.2 broken multi monitor support

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