Two Thunderbolt Displays not working under Windows 7

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Level 1

1 points

Two Thunderbolt Displays not working under Windows 7

I just got the two Thunderbolt Displays I had preordered delivered and I was shocked to find out that both of them can not work together under Win 7 on my MBP.

My Set up :

Macbook Pro - 15" i7 - 2011 - with Thunderbolt Port

Two brand new Thunderbolt Displays - One (Display 1) connected directly to the MBP and the other (Display 2) daisy-chained to Display 1.

Mac OS X fully updated, Windows 7 running on BootCamp, also fully updated.

With this set up ... all three screens work with Os X ... Under Windows 7, MBP Display works and Display 1 works, but Display 2 shows a blank black screen.

Surprisingly All three FaceTime HD cameras are deteceted and working. All ports on both displays work and Speakers on Display 1 and Display 2 work ... but no image on Display 2.

Any help appriciated ... I'll be returning these beauties 😟 if they can't work on Win 7 because I work on Windows most of the time 😟

I've tried a bunch of stuff already ... Including trying to get windows device manager to detect the displays etc. and to scan for hardware changes. 😟

Apple states on the product page that dual thunderbolt displays are supported on all 15" and 17" MBPs - they don't say anything about dual dusplays not working on Windows 7 and working on OsX ? 😟😮

http://www.apple.com/displays/

http://images.apple.com/displays/images/overview_hero2.jpg

I would like to add that I when I updated OsX it installed the following as well:

- Thunderbolt firmware update

- Thunderbolt Display Software

- Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update

... and now when I try and update OsX says that software is up to date, which means all latest firmware updates made available by apple have been installed.

Apple Thunderbolt Display-OTHER

Posted on Sep 21, 2011 2:29 AM

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Answer 1

Noman84 Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 21, 2011 3:10 AM in response to Noman84

For Reference, these images are taken from the Thunderbolt Display product page at Apple.com:

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Answer 2

Smudge

Level 1

131 points

Sep 21, 2011 9:08 PM in response to Noman84

Call support and see if they can help (although since these are brand new, support isn't very educated in these problems yet). The only KB article that I could find regarding TB displays and Windows is this one which only mentions that the F8 key doesn't work when the keyboard is connected to the display.

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Answer 3

Noman84 Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 22, 2011 2:48 AM in response to Smudge

I have called support, and as I expected, they were not aware of the issue. They told me to update OsX and that could potentially solve the problem, they identified that there was a new firmware update available and I told them that I had installed that.

Initially he was not sure if two displays should work at all with an MBP ... I tried and clarified that the new Thunderbolt ones are supposed to. Then he sorta' indicated that they cannot provide support for windows and they can only provide support for all stuff Mac. 😟

I've been through that KB article and nothing about not being able to connect two displays on Windows, I've seen another article about windows and Thunderbolt related issues and that does'nt cover dual thunderbolt displays under windows as well.

These are the two articles:

F8 Key issue Article

Using Thunderbolt with Boot Camp and Windows 7 Article

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Answer 4

Smudge

Level 1

131 points

Sep 22, 2011 10:16 AM in response to Noman84

Sorry to say but you might be stuck for now. You will probably just have to return them (and re-buy later) or just wait for updated BootCamp drivers. Previously it has taken Apple a few months to release Windows/BootCamp drivers for new hardware support.

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Answer 5

Noman84 Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 22, 2011 10:37 AM in response to Smudge

Only if they'd let the consumers know earlier ... I waited like a month for these 😟 ... The surprise is that they still don't mention anything about these not working on Windows. Even when all requirements are met (2011 MBP i7 15" with Thunderbolt and the required Graphics Card)

At this point, all I'm interested in knowing is if dual Thunderbolt display will ever work within bootcamped windows. Its just the zipped lips that's frustrating. If I know that they plan on doing drivers for Windows in a few days / weeks / months or if they think it'll never be supported ... I can atleast make a decision. 😟 ...

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Answer 6

Noman84 Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 22, 2011 10:57 AM in response to Smudge

BTW ... do you think its a "Thunderbolt port" Driver issue, a "Display Driver" issue or a "Video / Display card" driver issue ?

Is there any chance of a third party driver working in this case ?

The Thunderbolt port daisy chaining seems to work because I can use the USBs, FaceTime Camera, Speakers and Mic on the 2nd Display. Its just not displaying anything.

I've also tried connecting the displays the other way round just to make sure that the issue is not display related and in that case also the Display connected directly to the MBP works, the one daisy chained does not.

Thanks.

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Answer 7

Smudge

Level 1

131 points

Sep 22, 2011 11:12 AM in response to Noman84

I really have no idea but if I were to guess, it would be a an issue with the display driver not being able to see the 2nd display down the same video channel. It sees the first display and it just stop there. A 3rd party driver might work but since Apple is the only one making ThunderBolt displays right now, there isn't going to be a 3rd party driver yet.

The other features on the 2nd display are working because those run over the data channel of the ThunderBolt chain. Similar to a USB connection going to a hub. Inside the display is a data channel hub which is connecting those devices and the ports on the back.

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Answer 8

Noman84 Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 25, 2011 4:32 PM in response to Noman84

Anyone else tested a dual TBD set up with windows yet ? ... Please let me know if you found a solution or haven't yet !

Anyone else disappointed because of this ... (or am I the only person expecting the dual TBDs to work on bootcamped Win 7) ?? 😟

--- Accidently made this the correct answer ... is there any way to unmark it ?

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Answer 9

dwagner

Level 1

5 points

Sep 26, 2011 10:57 PM in response to Noman84

I too was very disappointed by the fact that Windows 7 in BootCamp did not work on the two TBD I bought - BUT - what I did to work around this issue was install Parallels Desktop 7. Point it to load Windows from Bootcamp (from within Parallels>>file..new...Bootcamp) And...it Works great. I also have Display Fusion in my BootCamp and that works across both TB screens. So I keep the OSX on my 2011 MacBook Pro and Windows via Parallels on TB display 1 & 2.

This should work until Apple updates BootCamp.

Whoever said Apple does not support Windows should have been told...who created BootCamp?

Let us see what they do.

Let me know if this works for other users.

..dw

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Answer 10

Sep 26, 2011 11:12 PM in response to dwagner

its normal u went to fast windows 7 hasnt mentioned thunderbolt on there intel motherboards.If u loved windows so much it was better going in for an HQ pc.Anyway I understand u wanting the mac to have the power to run both but windows 8 is coming out and macs will cry for it.

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Answer 11

dwagner

Level 1

5 points

Sep 26, 2011 11:29 PM in response to Hackarchive

Hack Archive - I need Windows for work. I had a 17" HP laptop two years ago. I got the Blue screen of Death one too many times. Then one nght when the BSOD appeared, I threw the laptop against my concrete wall. After that, I went to Mac. Again, Windows is only for work - but hey - Windows does run better on a Mac.

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Answer 12

Sep 27, 2011 5:47 AM in response to dwagner

u got it friend Apple is fancy,stylish and expensive.Good but windows offers so much more to a computer by the way it is versatile and has so many software to do anything I noticed that after using Mac OSX.And as u said for work u can see many offices got programs working mostly with windows.So u said it right.

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Answer 13

JosiahS

Level 1

0 points

Sep 28, 2011 2:15 PM in response to Noman84

I have Dual Thunderbolt 27" Displays and a MBP 17 (2011), Bootcamp Win7x64 Pro... I'm at the same place everyone else is with all features of both monitors working Except the secondary display is black. I've been manually going through all the bootcamp drivers as well and ATI drivers trying to see what options could be available.

Catalyst Control Center 2011.0908.1355.23115 (I believe latest) installs and loads properly but under Displays -> Detect Displays it still only shows 1 Thunderbolt display...

I am really looking for someone with better results that I have so I can start making use of this monitor...

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Answer 14

mickey3

Level 1

0 points

Oct 13, 2011 7:21 AM in response to Noman84

When I put a 2nd thunderbolt display on my iMac it works find in OSX but does not turn on when I boot directly to windows. But, when I booted first to OSX it stays on and when I reboot into Windows 7 x64 it does detect and use the 2nd monitor.

When I put two thunderbolt displays on my Mac Mini it boots in OSX and both display work fine. But when I boot to windows 7 x64 the 2nd display does not turn on and windows 7 will not use it. I supposed if there was some way to turn it on windows 7 might detect it properly. There is no on/off switch on the thunderbolt monitor to turn it on and I suspect that is the problem with getting windows to use the 2nd thuderbolt monitor.

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Answer 15

microrad

Level 1

8 points

Nov 27, 2011 2:46 AM in response to Noman84

YES~ I have the same problem... one 17 new macbook pro + 2 thunderbolt display, the second display is black blank, if some one use windows 7, please notify don't buy the second external thunderbolt display now, now it is my stock, black just like mirror, I am try mac os and parellel program now.

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