Mini-display port will not work (poor contact?)

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Level 1

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Mini-display port will not work (poor contact?)

Hello!

I have my macbook pro for around 3 months now. I have a mini-display port to HDMI, and a mini-display port do VGA cables. Both of them worked fine until about a month ago, and from then up to now, my cables will no work at all.

Sometimes it works, depending very much on the position my cables are left. Therefore, I am sure my mini-display port has poor contact, as it does not work with more than a cable, and both of them stopped working at the same time. I am going to take my macbook somewhere to get it fixed, but my concern is about how long it will take. I am absolutely dependent on it for work, and I cannot tolerate more than 1 day without it lately. Has anyone there had the same problem?

Thanks very much.
Fernando.

Macbook Pro6,2, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Feb 21, 2011 5:50 AM

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Answer 1

Munas

Level 4

1,270 points

Feb 22, 2011 5:43 AM in response to fgielow

Welcome on board fgielow,

not necessary your MBP mini display port is causing the problem. It might be that some cable contacts or a wire inside Mini display -> HDMI cable are broken or purely soldered.
You might bring the cable to some electronic repair shop and ask to check the cable or to borrow a cable to make sure your cable is not causing the problem.

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Answer 2

fgielow Author

Level 1

0 points

Feb 23, 2011 8:29 AM in response to Munas

Hi.

I don't think it is a problem on the HDMI cable, because I had two cables and both of them worked perfectly for a month. Then, both of them suddenly stopped working. I am suspicious of poor contact on the mini-display port because both of them will work again if I spend some minutes (from 5 to 10) switching cable positions.

I will take the MBP to be analysed, but I cannot right now because I am in the end of some university projects :/ haha If the problem is really with the mini-display port, do you know if that takes time to be fixed?

Thanks very much!
Fernando.

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Answer 3

eww

Level 9

53,028 points

Feb 23, 2011 8:56 AM in response to fgielow

"Repairing" the port requires replacing the whole logic board to which the port is soldered. A technician will need a chance to diagnose the problem before concluding that that's the solution. You may or may not be able to have the problem diagnosed, then take your machine back and continue using it until the repair work can actually be done.

Replacing the board is probably no more than an hour's work for a trained technician, but how long it will take from the time you drop your machine off until the work is done will depend on whether the replacement board is on hand or needs to be ordered (and where it needs to be ordered from), and how busy the shop is with other repairs.

Talk your situation over with the repair manager wherever you're going to take the machine for service to see how you can arrange things for the least possible disruption of your work.

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Answer 4

Feb 25, 2011 7:43 PM in response to fgielow

This is probably not your problem. Some users have reported their Mini DisplayPort adapters NEVER worked. Sometimes this is because they plug was not inserted far enough into the jack to make a solid connection. In general, you should press it in until all of the metal part disappears, leaving only the plastic.

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