Monterey 12.0.1. Second Monitor Issue

Hello, this is happening to me right now. I upgraded to Monterey this week and now my Apple Thunderbolt Display Monitor (2013) won't stop flickering. I cannot work like this and I feel like I need to throw my monitor away at this point. Can someone from Apple please acknowledge this bug and / or can someone with the same issue advise me how to resolve this as I cannot work with my second screen since upgrading to Monterey.

Hi @decibuild

Thank you so much for posting this. I have some questions. I currently am using Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MQ26QIY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).

Are you advising for me to instead get this (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S8MKJ6Q/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_dl_68Q38D22TS2Q84WKJN7A?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) and in addition, an HDMI cable that plugs into the adapter mentioned? I am assuming you are mentioning 2 because you have 2 monitors in your case?

Thanks so much in advance!!

It’s been happening again lately. I figured out that if I have my external monitor set to another input (other than the one connected to my CalDigit hub) while connecting the hub to my Mac, wait a few seconds, and then switch the monitor’s input to that of the hub, everything works fine. Still a nuisance, but it’s much better than before macOS 12.2.1.

I'll start by acknowledging my comments will not lower frustration levels (if it is any consolation, I have the same issue. The OS detects my external display (ED)... I can see it and change display settings... just no signal is being sent to the ED). Please don't cancel (shoot, as it were) the messenger.

However, this is what we in the industry refer to as engineered obsolescence. Apple does not acknowledge the issue simply because it is design intent. For that reason, Apple will not correct the issue without severe backlash. It has been 9 months since Monterey was introduced; engineers at Apple are smart people. If they intended to fix a valid bug, it would have been done by now. I hope Apple proves me wrong, or that there is enough user backlash... but I am not holding my breath.

it's now been a week and a half since getting the second monitor up and running. I have a 3rd monitor running off of my Avid Media Composer through thunderbolt to a BMD UltraStudio mini monitor box with HDMI output and after a restart, it's running perfectly also. Both outboard monitors are solid and for me the upgrade to Monterey was a very good move.

I found a solution to a similar problem with my external displays after upgrading to Monterey. Hopefully this helps you too.

go to System Preferences >> Battery >> Battery and uncheck or recheck the “automatic graphics switching” option. Then restart your computer. Once I logged back in after restart, both of my external displays came back up again.

Hope this helps!

FIXED!!! While everything is plugged in and on! Simply unplug just the power from your external and then plug it back in. Do not put in standby by or unplug anything else. It worked for me and hundreds of others after literarily trying all this other mumbo jumbo.

The folks at CalDigit made me think macOS 12.3 would fix this problem. It didn't.

MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)

macOS 12.3

CalDigit TS3 Plus hub

LG 27" 4K monitor, connected via USB-C

This is ridiculous, Apple. What is it going to take to get this bug fixed?

I opened a case with them and they had me install "Capture_Data.dmg" which allows me to reproduce this issue and gather all the necessary logging.

Being the curious person that I am I started to review the logs that I captured from the Apple "Console" app built into the OS.

One of the things that I saw over and over again was this message:

[ERROR] - Attempting to get capabilities from capabilities with no devices

Here's a sample from my logs:

default	2022-03-14 16:57:02.478312 -0400	USBCAccessoryUpdaterService	com.apple.mau.plugin.usbcupdater.USBCBillboard-VGA with S/N REDACTED is up to date.  Installed firmware version is 2.35.0
default	2022-03-14 16:57:02.478390 -0400	USBCAccessoryUpdaterService	validateUSBCBillboard gave: Error Domain=USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater Domain Code=8704 "(null)" UserInfo={Previous Error Response=Error Domain=USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater Domain Code=9728 "(null)" UserInfo={Notes=Firmware not new enough}}
default	2022-03-14 16:57:02.478470 -0400	USBCAccessoryUpdaterService	validateDevice has an error: Error Domain=USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater Domain Code=8704 "(null)" UserInfo={Previous Error Response=Error Domain=USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater Domain Code=9728 "(null)" UserInfo={Notes=Firmware not new enough}}
default	2022-03-14 16:57:02.478674 -0400	USBCAccessoryUpdaterService	-[USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater initWithDeviceClass:delegate:info:options:] - returned error: Error Domain=USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater Domain Code=13568 "(null)" UserInfo={Previous Error Response=Error Domain=USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater Domain Code=13568 "(null)" UserInfo={Previous Error Response=Error Domain=USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater Domain Code=8448 "(null)" UserInfo={Previous Error Response=Error Domain=USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater Domain Code=8704 "(null)" UserInfo={Previous Error Response=Error Domain=USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater Domain Code=9728 "(null)" UserInfo={Notes=Firmware not new enough}}}, Notes=Failed to validate connected device: com.apple.mau.plugin.usbcupdater.USBCBillboard-VGA}}
default	2022-03-14 16:57:02.478792 -0400	USBCAccessoryUpdaterService	Entering: -[USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater attemptErrorRecovery:delegate:]:440
default	2022-03-14 16:57:02.478902 -0400	USBCAccessoryUpdaterService	Disabling lock (does nothing)
default	2022-03-14 16:57:02.479017 -0400	USBCAccessoryUpdaterService	-[USBCAccessoryFirmwareUpdater attemptErrorRecovery:delegate:] - VerifyEmptyPortAndReset gave: (null)
default	2022-03-14 16:57:02.479125 -0400	USBCAccessoryUpdaterService	Device of type com.apple.mau.plugin.usbcupdater.USBCBillboard-VGA did not meet requirements for update
default	2022-03-14 16:57:03.564440 -0400	WindowServer	[WARN] - IOFBSetDisplayModeAndDepth: Setting mode 0x80004000 with depth 0x2 on displayID: 0x0 fbRegID: 0x100000767
default	2022-03-14 16:57:03.564443 -0400	WindowServer	[WARN] - IOFBSetDisplayModeAndDepth: IOService:/AppleACPIPlatformExpert/PCI0@0/AppleACPIPCI/PEG0@1/IOPP/EGP0@0/IOPP/EGP1@0/IOPP/GFX0@0-4c2d-a00-144a1f77d977c55
default	2022-03-14 16:57:03.831429 -0400	WindowServer	[WARN] - IOFBSetDisplayModeAndDepth: Mode has dimensions 1920x1080
default	2022-03-14 16:57:04.144445 -0400	WindowServer	[WARN] - IOFBSetDisplayModeAndDepth: Setting mode 0x80004000 with depth 0x1 on displayID: 0x0 fbRegID: 0x100000769
default	2022-03-14 16:57:04.144448 -0400	WindowServer	[WARN] - IOFBSetDisplayModeAndDepth: IOService:/AppleACPIPlatformExpert/PCI0@0/AppleACPIPCI/PEG0@1/IOPP/EGP0@0/IOPP/EGP1@0/IOPP/GFX0@0-4c2d-9ce-86fa915750445fad
default	2022-03-14 16:57:04.147804 -0400	WindowServer	[WARN] - IOFBSetDisplayModeAndDepth: Mode has dimensions 1920x1200
info	2022-03-14 16:57:06.748636 -0400	WindowServer	Warning: Unable to acquire capabilities for 0x10000076b:0x1000008c0:0x100000764, return code: 0x2006
error	2022-03-14 16:57:06.748641 -0400	WindowServer	[ERROR] - Attempting to get capabilities from capabilities with no devices
info	2022-03-14 16:57:06.748711 -0400	WindowServer	Warning: Unable to acquire capabilities for 0x100000774:0x1000008c0:0x100000764, return code: 0x2006
error	2022-03-14 16:57:06.748714 -0400	WindowServer	[ERROR] - Attempting to get capabilities from capabilities with no devices
info	2022-03-14 16:57:06.748819 -0400	WindowServer	Warning: Unable to acquire capabilities for 0x100000705:0x100000740:0x100000700, return code: 0x2006
error	2022-03-14 16:57:06.748822 -0400	WindowServer	[ERROR] - Attempting to get capabilities from capabilities with no devices
info	2022-03-14 16:57:06.757074 -0400	WindowServer	[INFO] - Found 430 modes for display 0x04281106 [430, 0]
info	2022-03-14 16:57:06.758641 -0400	WindowServer	[INFO] - Found 430 modes for display 0x04281106 [430, 0]

Does anyone know if apple stores will do complimentary downgrades for this? My device is a couple years out of service, but this is ridiculous. How this is not a more visible issue they are trying to correct, is beyond me

What is going on with this Monterey OS 12.3 update? After upgrading, my MacBook Pro will not detect my external monitor, and after being on the phone with Apple Care for an hour, Apple has no idea how to fix it. What a mess! Anyone else out there have any ideas?

Updated to Monterey with my Mac Book Pro. The connected Cinema Display worked for one day, now has a blur on the screen and I've restarted, re-connected. Hope there is a fizx soon. I am giving a webinar in a few days and need this screen to be in living color not washed out and faded.

Similar problem since upgrading to 12.2.2 or the increment before that: I have two identical Samsung monitors on a Mac Mini M1. that I use in extended display mode. When the computer goes to sleep or shut down it intermittently swaps the monitors as if I had picked them up and moved them. I go to Preferences/Display, swap the graphic of the monitors and go into display settings to swap the Main Display/Extended Display settings and all is well until I have to rinse and repeat.

Part II is possibly a separate hardware problem but it's triggered by the same event. One of the monitors loses sync intermittently when coming back from black and I have to power it off and on to get it back.

I own a Mac Mini 2020 (Monterey 12.0.1) but the same monitor setup (1. HDMI, 2. DVI to USB-C adapter) that worked on my old Mac Mini doesn't work on the new one: The second monitor just says "No Signal". According to the display settings MacOS sees the monitor but it thinks that it's a 46" (it's not). I tried both USB-C ports but no success.

Any tips? I'm currently downloading 12.3 but after reading the posts here I'm not sure I want to install it anymore. Not being able to use a second monitor is really annoying!

I just updated to 12.3: Now the second monitor is detected correctly in the "Display" settings (model, resolution) and I can even move the mouse cursor to it but it still says "No Signal".

I tried the trick mentioned somewhere else: Unplug the USB-C cable, restart the Mac, log in, then plug the cable back in and turn on the monitor - didn't work.