mini display port to DVI not working?

Question

mini display port to DVI not working?

Hi all,

A few hours ago I bought myself a mini displayport to DVI connector, however, I'm not getting it to work. My screen stays black and does not receive any signal My macbook also doesn't seem to find the screen. I've already returned to the store where I bought this and exchanged it for a new one, but it just doesn't work.

When I plug in my displayport to VGA connector and connect a VGA-cable to my external monitor, it does work. I'm bought this convertor to DVI because I need it everywhere except at home, so I can't leave it on VGA unfortunately

Does anyone here have a solution to this problem?

I am sure that my cable is working fine since it does work on a PC.
I've already tried resetting the PRAM (option + cmd + P + R at startup) but this didn't have any influence.
Also when I to the "detect displays" in the system preferences, the macbook doesn't find the screen.

I hope anyone here has a solution.

greetz

Macbook pro (2008), Mac OS X (10.6.4), new mini displayport to DVI convertor

Posted on Oct 20, 2010 9:47 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 20, 2010 10:23 AM in response to DaddyPaycheck

Hi daddyPaycheck,

Thank you for your answer.

The external screen is indeed set up to use this input. It will also autodetect any input if there would be any.

I've also been searching the forum here, but no luck so far

greetz

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Answer 2

soopaman

Level 1

1 points

Jan 7, 2011 6:08 PM in response to 607NBIWf4f1yvfe4AdDE

I too am having the same issue. I just bought a Samsung XL2370HD monitor/tv and can't get the mini display port to DVI connection working - from my MBP or my new MBA.
It's strange because it would work when connected to a friend's Dell monitor/tv the same way (via DVI).
Also, it works perfectly well when I use my mini display port to HDMI connector, with the HDMI adapter and cable.

It's frustrating! I chose this Samsung because it had both DVI and HDMI interfaces - I want to use the DVI for my laptop and the one HDMI connection for my Apple TV.

Do I need a driver? I didn't need one for the Dell AND I can't see one for Mac OS.

Any more thoughts anyone??

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Answer 3

Jan 10, 2011 2:51 PM in response to soopaman

Which Mini Displayport to DVI adapter are you using? Typically these are compatible with all monitors, I am surprised it is not working. I have never had anyone return our adapter due to incompatibility Are you using something like this?

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Answer 4

soopaman

Level 1

1 points

Jan 11, 2011 6:47 AM in response to AndrewLang

It's the Apple mini display to DVI adapter bought from the Apple store. The same laptop, cable and adapter worked fine with a friend's Dell monitor/tv - so I don't think it's a hardware issue with the adapter or cables. I even used DVI to HDMI cable I have, to successfully work with this Samsung monitor/tv, via it's DVI (I used my mini display to HDMI adapter into my laptop), so I know the DVI connector on the monitor is also working fine. Very strange. Certainly seems to point to a problem with the driver or lack of, but no driver for the Mac came with it, nor seems to be available online. Hmmm!

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Answer 5

Jan 13, 2011 7:56 AM in response to soopaman

I have the same monitor, a Samsung XL2370HD and the same problem: can't connect my MBP with the miniDisplay Port to DVI to the Samsung monitor trough a DVI cable.
I have called to Samsung and they said that maybe the monitor could be incompatible with the MBP using the DVI cable, and they are going to take my monitor and trying to repair it (the warranty cover it), but they didn't assure me that this is going to work.

I have tried using other cables, and all of them work perfectly:
- DVI to HDMI
- HDMI to HDMI (using a miniDisplay Port to HDMI)

I hope this information help you, I'm still waiting for a driver or something that solve this problem with the DVI cable.

PD.: Sorry for my English!

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Answer 6

Jan 21, 2011 1:01 PM in response to 607NBIWf4f1yvfe4AdDE

I just had 2 mini displayport adapters fail today. Both being used on new MacBook Pros for about 6 months. I don't get it. I swapped them out with the G5 Tower to double check. It's just a freakin' adapter, how can 2 fail - the are not even moved around, just left on the desks connect to the Dell U2410 monitors.

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Answer 7

ArtDiggy

Level 1

0 points

Feb 3, 2011 5:41 PM in response to 607NBIWf4f1yvfe4AdDE

I'm having the same issue...for the most part and it's got me stumped. I've got a DVI to HDMI hookup to my Vizio 47" from my iMac running 10.6.6. Worked perfectly the first time I connected it. Beautiful picture. I left it connected about 20 minutes, then disconnected. The next time I tried...nothing. Thought the Dynex adapter I bought went bad...took it back to Best Buy and got the Apple miniDVI to DVI adapter. Once again, worked flawlessly at first. Problem solved, right? Shut down for the night. Tried the next day...nothing. Reinstalled entire OS on iMac thinking that was it since it works perfectly on my Macbook running 10.5.8. Obviously the cable and adapter are both fine since it works on the laptop. The screen's gone blue momentarily as if to work but then nothing again. Bad port on the iMac? Possibly. Answers please!

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Answer 8

Feb 5, 2011 10:37 AM in response to 607NBIWf4f1yvfe4AdDE

I am having the same problem. It first appeared with my Macbook. When I upgraded from OS X 10.6.2 to 10.6.3, I could no longer get an image on my Viewsonic monitor. I get a solid blue screen and that's it. Once I rolled it back to OSX 10.6.2, my minidisplayport to DVI worked again and has worked ever since. I have just not updated the opsys as 10.6.3, 4, 5 and 6 have the same problem.

I have the same problem with my 2010 Macbook Pro. It came with 10.6.3 preinstalled and i have never been able to use the Viewsonic monitor with this machine.

This problem clearly started when Apple upgraded from OS X 10.6.2 to OS X 10.6.3 and beyond. For the life of me I cannot understand why they do not address this obvious video driver issue.

I gotta say, I NEVER had this type of an issue with my Windows machines and am seriously considering giving my Macs away and going back to Windows.

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Answer 9

soopaman

Level 1

1 points

Apr 13, 2011 12:52 PM in response to ArtDiggy

Mini DVI is not the same thing as Mini DisplayPort - that's the slightly older technology. I'm guessing your iMac and Macbook are older than 3 years, are they?

Sorry I haven't got any suggestions to help you, but I think you might get better answers if you post under a thread on Mini DVI, rather than Mini DisplayPort - which this one is.

Hope that helps. 🙂

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Answer 10

soopaman

Level 1

1 points

Apr 13, 2011 2:07 PM in response to fernando_0989

Hi fernando_0989,
thanks for your note.
I have done more investigating too. I realise that I missed an important piece of information, which may or may not make a difference.

My DVI-D to HDMI cable which works both ways round is a single link DVI (at the DVI end).
My DVI-D to DVI-D cable which is NOT working is a dual link DVI-D. All 24 pins are there.

Both single link and dual link fit the slots perfectly, that's why I thought it should work fine. But maybe that's the problem! I'm not going to buy a single link DVI-D cable to find out, as it's not worth spending the money on that when I have a work around with the other cable.

It is worth me mentioning it, however. What DVI type cable are you using?

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Answer 11

OptimaX

Level 1

4 points

Sep 6, 2012 9:56 AM in response to 607NBIWf4f1yvfe4AdDE

I Have the same issue. My macbook does see the screen in the settings, but the screen stays black. Different brand of monitor, however, I replaced the monitor for a new one (Same model and brand) and as it is unlikely to have two 'broken' monitors (i bought it from a different store than the first one) I suspect it has to do with the cable. I use a DUAL link DVI-D cable too just like reported here. However, I already anticipated the problem being causes by a DUAL link cable and ordered a SINGLE link cable. This cable should arrive shortly and hopefully this will solve the problem. If it does I will report back here.

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Answer 12

Feb 1, 2013 3:00 AM in response to OptimaX

Thank goodness I stumbled across your post OptimaX! I was beginning to worry either my brand new adapter or brand new cable was faulty.

I went to purchase a DVI-D Single-Link cable and can also confirm that that did the trick. I had no joy whatsoever with the Dual-Link cable and kept getting a "No Signal" error on my monitor (Samsung SyncMaster SA300). I understand the logic of backwards compatibility, but I have been interacting with computers for way too long to know that logical machines do not always operate in the logical manner. For the less tech-savvy, this simply means computers do not always do what they are supposed to - even when they should.

I have not done any extensive testing, but do be sure to know what kind of mDP to DVI adapter you have purchased (i.e. Single-Link or Dual-Link) as it does make a difference. Then you should match the cable with the adapter (i.e. Single-Link adapter with a Single-Link cable, and likewise for Dual-Links) accordingly.

Also, interesting to note that some customers have given feedback on the Apple store websites that the mDP to DVI adapter is strictly a Single-Link type connection.

For those of you who have got Dual-Link connections working, do note that it is probably because you are using much higher screen resolutions which require more "juice", if you will, to operate. A simple Google on DVI cables will turn up many articles on this.

Hope this helps and confirms anyone else encountering similar issues. By the way, I am using a MacBook Air late 2010 laptop.

Cheers!

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Answer 13

May 22, 2013 7:38 PM in response to 607NBIWf4f1yvfe4AdDE

I have had this mini displayport issue as well. The thing that did the trick for me is when I read that "the minidisplay port male has to be fully pushed into the graphics card, so there is no metal showing." I noticed that I wasnt pushing the mini display port male in all the way, because I thought I am forcing it, but then I tried it, and to my surprise, nothing broke, and the monitor started working right away. Try it.

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Answer 14

Hankyu

Level 1

0 points

Nov 20, 2013 10:34 AM in response to enzymedetox

This fixed it for me on a 2012 Macbook Air, with a Dual-Link mDP to DVI cable (not adapter), saving me to return the cable without finding the solution (apart from buying the expensive apple adaopter)

This is the single most amazing fix ever that i would never have thought of.

There may be a 'click' noise when you fully insect the cable (need to give it a big strong push) into the minidisplay port, although the exposed metal part was only about 0.5mm in lenth, it made a whole world of difference!

Thank you so much for the finding and sharing 🙂

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Answer 15

mperfit

Level 1

0 points

Jan 10, 2015 1:47 PM in response to ArtDiggy

0 down vote

Too add to the discussion in hopes that it might help some people. Within the past 6 months I have had 5 (yes 5) mini display port - dvi and VGA connectors fail on my MacBook Pro circa 2012. They all seem to work fine for a while but inexplicably stop working (can't connect with any additional monitor - and yes all the monitors work). Apple service reps tried to figure out the problem with no luck so they kept giving me new adapters. The situation is that they do/did work as long as the MacBook does not go to sleep so that the hard drive shuts down. In other words, the Mac display can sleep but if the computer goes to sleep say after a few hours of no use (as you might set it in the preferences) - then for some odd reason the display port fails. Even if the external monitor was working fine a few hours ago, it will no longer see the Mac. It took a while to figure this out unfortunately, but after I did, as long as I unplug the adapter from the mini-port when not using it OR set preferences to NEVER SLEEP , it does not fail. I don't see a great number of people complaining about this but then I do see some people that think (as I did) that there is a problem with the display or the Mac.... nope it appears to be failing adapters. So far Apple has no answer for this that I am aware of. Just thought others might have had the same problem and this might help.

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