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Level 1

0 points

ThunderBolt + External Monitor = Mounds of Woe

I posted this issue in another thread but since I'm seeing more issues I thought it best to create my own post.

I use an external monitor, connected using either HDMI or DVI. This monitor (an Ausus) works fine & has been working correctly attached to my old macbook.

With the new 2011 MBP, I can get the external monitor to work, but it exhibits strange behavior. It's difficult to make it the primary monitor using the normal macbook methods, and so I have resorted to just dimming my MBP display to zero (which I don't like having to do).

Once the external is running (either mirrored or as extended) it functions normally. However if the MBP display goes to sleep (or the MBP itself goes to sleep), the external will go black but remain on. When this happens I can no longer turn the external on/off or use any of the buttons on the display. It's frozen in this black "on" state. I have to remove the mini display adapter from the Thunderbolt port which makes the MBP screen primary again & I can then enter pass and wake the MBP up.

At first I thought I could turn the external off and access the controls once the mini display adapter was removed but this is no longer the case. Once it's in this "frozen" state the external won't do ANYTHING until I actually unplug the power cord.

This renders an external monitor on the new MBP's unusable. I reported this to Apple directly along with this post. I may call apple tech support when i have the time. Hopefully I won't have to return this lappie because overall I really like it, but no external monitor is not cool.

I would love to hear if anyone else is having this issue or has any ideas for a fix.

13" macbook pro (early 2011), Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Mar 7, 2011 5:42 PM

164 replies

May 19, 2011 7:49 AM in response to paul258

hi everyone

sadly the displaything is not over. i discovered, that the sleepmode works well if there is nothing attached to the usb-ports. but as soon as there is something (like a HDD or something) it stops working and the external display stays on again.

so lets hope for a firmware here...

entropic23 Author

Level 1

0 points

May 19, 2011 8:13 AM in response to paul258

@ paul258… interesting perspective.

I'm glad you were finally able to get your setup to work, albeit in landscape mode, but your case, just like every TB case, is idiosyncratic. It has nothing to do with portrait/landscape mode in general. I have numerous monitors & use them all in landscape. Some exhibited the issue from the get go with DVI, some not. The ones I need are working with MDP -> HDMI now. This is clearly an issue with the TB port and how it "talks" to individual monitors. Some monitors will work some won't. Some, as in your case, won't work in portrait, yet will in landscape. Again it has to do with TB and the specific monitor.

TB is brand new tech. While this problem is a (huge in some cases) hassle, in my opinion it will be worthwhile in the end. A high throughput single port that can be daisy-chained for nearly all perifs will be killer… once all the kinks are worked out and the perifs start showing up 😉 (what I'm really looking forward to are single cable laptop docks). My suggestion for you is to avoid 1.0 tech if you aren't willing to deal with hiccups. TB is clearly offering up problems, but if it really bothers you, return the laptop & wait 'till they're ironed out. If you're the guy that was "unfortunate" enough to have work buy them a shiny MBP, then either complain to the purchasing dept, or wipe it, install windows and simply use it as a gorgeous windows lappie. You didn't pay for it so who cares if it cost more… problem solved!

Anyway, sorry for the digression. As far as the math soft goes, I'm pretty sure both are available for mac… but remember, Google is your friend. As far as the equation problems with Word go, you may want to instead look into using a text editor like TextMate or Ulysses (which I use daily) in combo with LaTeX.

As far as going "all technical with these Apple thingeys" I get pretty "technical" with mine and have never had issues with them "fall[ing] flat on their pretty little faces." They've always performed better for me overall than any PC I've owned (which is why I've been using them for well over a decade). To each their own.

Finally, if I get a chance, I will hook up the monitor I have that has a portrait mode to see if it bugs out. I will report back here if I have the time to do this.

3-S-E

Level 1

0 points

May 23, 2011 6:04 AM in response to entropic23

I've a macbook pro 13 2011 with i5 for about one week now and I'm really happy with it so far. What bothers me is the external monitor issue that I have with the macbook pro and the DELL 2007FPb connected via a "KanaaN" branded Thunderbolt-MDP to DVI Adapter. No singnal at the monitor, no recognized monitor at the MBP. I've tried a Deloc adapter as wall, which works great on an 2009 MBP. Same result.

My macos is up to date according to the software-updater app.

dkmi

Level 1

15 points

May 23, 2011 6:25 AM in response to 3-S-E

Same problem 🙂

In my case, it works with mini display port to VGA, but not with mini display port to DVI.

We just can wait for an update...

spekkie

Level 1

20 points

Jun 3, 2011 5:56 AM in response to jmulnix

Today i found that connecting my samsung syncmaster 2053BW to my macbookpro 13 inch 2011 did not work.

I tried to connect it via mini-display port -> DVI the macbook would simply not detect it's external display. However on the screen it would stop showing no cable connected as soon as i just connected de DVI adapter which was not connected to to laptop. i tried all the above methods pram zap etc. Then i took an older samsung syncmaster 710T connected that (with the exact smae cables and it worked straight away no problems or whatsoever. So there seems to be a problem in the screen detectection maybe the hotplug detect (HPD) signal is not strong enough for the macbook to detect which causes only some monitors to work.

3-S-E

Level 1

0 points

Jun 3, 2011 9:24 AM in response to entropic23

Another strange behavior I figured out is, that if I connect my LG LCD TV via a "mini-dp -> dvi adapter" and then "dvi -> hdmi cable" the tv-device thinks there is also an audio-stream comming. So the result is, that my tv turns off the 3,5 audio-jack. I'm using that dvi -> hdmi cable for two years now and is worked perfectly with several notebooks and other devices. Not so with my MBP 13'' and thunderbold.

I've tried three different mini-dp -> dvi adapters, the original one from apple, a kanaan- and a delock-branded. Same result.

Finally I've decided to buy me a mini-dp -> hdmi adapter from kanaan.

I hope this is not that much off-topic and shows that there are a bunch of problems with the mini-dp.

Jun 7, 2011 10:52 AM in response to entropic23

I am having the same problem as many of you with my brand new macbook pro 15 2 GHz. I used both a third party and apple dvi to thunderbolt adapter, and neither of them work with my external monitor (a 24" westinghouse that worked perfect on my old macbook pro 2.2 17"). I also have a usb display adapter for an additional 23" hanspree monitor, which works fine. I am wondering if Lion OS will fix this problem? Stranger yet, I got both external monitors to work in windows 7 x64 and even in mac os ONCE after resetting the PMU and PRAM. I am not sure of how to proceed?

jkirker

Level 1

0 points

Jun 10, 2011 12:10 PM in response to entropic23

Does anyones external monitor do anything like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TXolf19wGw

jkirker

Level 1

0 points

Jun 15, 2011 9:24 AM in response to jkirker

OK, so I broke down and got a mini-displayport to DVI adapter and new DVI cable and it's no longer doing it. Just thought I'd put that out there to my frustrated bretheren.

leap4rog

Level 1

0 points

Jun 28, 2011 6:28 AM in response to entropic23

Hi,

Solution found for me!

I too had a problem similar/same to this post. It seems to be fixed now.

I originally hooked my early 2011 MacBook Pro (2.53 GHz Intel Core i5) 17", NVDIA GeForce GT 330M up to a HP Compaq LA2205wg 22" monitor with a MiniDisplayPort to VGA Adapter. I bought a cheap adapter (instead of the apple branded adapter) and it worked fine the first time.

If I recall correctly, my MacBook went to sleep and I unplugged the adapter from it to use it elsewhere. Then, when I plugged it back in, I couldn't get a signal to my monitor. I tried all the tips I found-- zap PRAM, reboot and plug/unplug in certain orders, reboot and close clamshell, install software to force my video card to be in control on boot up, etc. etc. etc.

I then found this thread and bought a Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Mini-DisplayPort-Adapter-MB570Z/dp/B001IF5YLQ) and used the DVI to DVI cable (http://www.amazon.com/Dynex-DX-DVI2M-cable-single-DVI-D/dp/B000H35G1S) and port instead of the VGA.

I've been testing it and trying to break the signal between the MacBook Pro and the monitor again-- unplugging, sleep, powering off/on, switching source-- and haven't been able to. Hopefully, this is a permanent fix. I'll post again if it isn't.

BTW-- I have two monitors and am going to test out the Matrox DualHead2Go. If anyone has experience with this (for 2+ external monitor to MacBook Pro connection) or another solution, please post. Thanks!

MaxHedrm

Level 1

48 points

Jun 28, 2011 7:26 AM in response to entropic23

I tried the firmware update last night, but still no love. No reaction at all when using a MDP to DVI adapter. Even tried MDP to HDMI to DVI. So, it looks like my monitor is worthless with this computer. 😐

hlovatt

Level 1

8 points

Jun 28, 2011 4:27 PM in response to entropic23

I saw this problem, but the EFI update just released fixed it for me 🙂

Jun 30, 2011 8:43 AM in response to MaxHedrm

Same problem here. Can't use my Samsung 2235 with the new MBP. MDP to DVI and MDP to HDMI doesn't work... New thunderbolt firmware not working as well. 😠 2009 MBP works fine...

Jul 7, 2011 1:08 AM in response to entropic23

strange thing just happened, My HDMI thunderbolt cable dose not work with my samsung since the firmware update but it still works on other macs so it could not be the cable ETC...

WELL just borrowed a friends cable and it now works perfectly, very strange and i can not explain it but try a new mini display to HDMI cable and it might just work for you too. :-)

Shaluda

Level 1

14 points

Jul 12, 2011 9:49 AM in response to robin lewis

Interesting article -

http://www.cepro.com/article/report_mini_displayport_to_hdmi_cables_are_illegal/ #When:13:58:42Z

😕

ThunderBolt + External Monitor = Mounds of Woe