Clamshell mode on MBP + Thunderbolt Display is broken with latest updates

Actually, I ended up ditching my /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist file and that seemed to fix things for now. Note I found I had to do this under single-user mode, deleting via a normal boot didn't work.

- John

So i finallly give up . the only short term solution for me is to use my MB air in dual screen mode instead of clamshell. in this way i don't need to reboot. Before connecting thunderbolt display i open my macbook air, then connect the display.

I guess the issue happen when the thunderbolt display try to wake up the macbook from sleep mode and then freeze everything. Let Hope it will be fix in next firmware update

To add a short info , the funny thing is the problem happen only with the thunderbolt display. if i do plug a simple standard display i mean with a simple mini displayport adapter it never happen. alway wake up in clamshell mode.

Hi guys,

Good news! I have access to the developer preview 1 of Mountain Lion, and guess what? It solves the issue! Well, at least the sleep issue with the macbook pro 2011. With Lion, I'm unable to wake up using my usb keyboard pluged in to my Thunderbolt Display and with Mountain Lion it works. Also, the thunderbolt display does wake up, so I don't have to unplug-replug the thunderbolt cable to get the display to work again.

I will test the clamshell more let you know what it gives! My first test was with both displays open (macbook pro and thunderbolt)

EDIT:

I did the same test in clamshell mode and it's working! It means that I can correctly wake from sleep when I am either in clamshell mode or in "normal" dual screen mode. (Both are not working properly for me in Lion)

I don't recommend using Mountain Lion for every day work since it's not very stable but at least, we know that a fix is coming! If you want me to run some other test on Mountain Lion, just leave a reply and I'll see what I can do. Also, if somebody else could try that with Mountain Lion it would be interesting...

Oh how I hope.

SHADES OF Micro$oft Blue Screen of nothingness

MBP 15* late 2011 + Mac OS X 10.7.3 (11D50b) + Thunderbold 27* display

I have Ethernet, USB keyboard, 1 USB harddisk, 2 Firewire 400 harddisk drives plugged in the Display ports.

I am not able to boot up this computer with the lid closed and display output to Thunderbolt. It shows the login but no input is possible. If I open the MBP lid then both screens turn solid blue. No luck closing and reopening or even disconnecting the Thunderbolt display.

I have searched and installed all available updates. This is very frustrating. On top of this I've had an issue where the Finder stops responding and I have to open a terminal and issue reboot. I have now had issues with the latest Apple Computer products that have cost me hours of time troubleshooting.

If this issue with the blue screen Thunderbolt is not fixed within Lion (I do NOT want to update to Mountain Lion in order to fix this) I will be returning all Apple hardware and stick with the known evil, or give Linux another go. It really peaves me to suspect that developers are busy working on Mountain Lion in stead of concentrating on patching Lion and Snow Leopard. This is exactly the kind of bs you'd expect from M$.

If anyone reading this has an official bug report which is registered with support and can be monitored I would greatly appreciate replying with a link. My patience is running thin and I need to make some decisions fast.

mjoiner wrote:

MBP 15* late 2011 + Mac OS X 10.7.3 (11D50b) + Thunderbold 27* display

I have Ethernet, USB keyboard, 1 USB harddisk, 2 Firewire 400 harddisk drives plugged in the Display ports.

I am not able to boot up this computer with the lid closed and display output to Thunderbolt. It shows the login but no input is possible. If I open the MBP lid then both screens turn solid blue. No luck closing and reopening or even disconnecting the Thunderbolt display.

I had the same symptoms.

Which peripherals have you connected to what? For instance you mention you have a USB keyboard, do you also have anything (such as your USB harddisk) plugged into the keyboard? If so unplug all devices from the keyboard and see if it helps.

In my case I was inadvertantly trying to draw too much power from the USB port on my keyboard (and indirectly the display). Moving my Wacom tablet from one of the USB ports on the keyboard to a seperate port on the Thunderbolt display has resolved the problems I was experiencing. For fuller details see:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3524526?answerId=17541133022#17541133022

Andrew

Andrew

I thought I was being explicit:

"MBP 15* late 2011 + Mac OS X 10.7.3 (11D50b) + Thunderbold 27* display

I have Ethernet, USB keyboard, 1 USB harddisk, 2 Firewire 400 harddisk drives plugged in the Display ports. "

I do have a Bluetooth Magic Mouse but nothing is plugged into the USB keyboard or MBP.

I'd already read through your reply as well as hundreds of others.

I've tried all permutations of attempting to start the system and nothing works.

This is REPEATABLE REPEATABLE REPEATABLE.

Also I have the problem where the USB keyboard just stops working when being woken from sleep. In that case I have to revert to the BT keyboard and go through the whole process of booting without the TB display plugged in and reboot.

mjoiner wrote:

Andrew

I thought I was being explicit:

"MBP 15* late 2011 + Mac OS X 10.7.3 (11D50b) + Thunderbold 27* display

I have Ethernet, USB keyboard, 1 USB harddisk, 2 Firewire 400 harddisk drives plugged in the Display ports. "

I do have a Bluetooth Magic Mouse but nothing is plugged into the USB keyboard or MBP.

I'd already read through your reply as well as hundreds of others.

Sorry I thought it worth asking as your symptoms seemed very close to mine and it can be easy to miss one or two posts in a number of long discussion threads. I'm not an Apple employee just a user like yourself and I totally agree these Thunderbolt issues are frustrating and deserve an official knowledge base article to deal with them.

Like yourselft I have a MacBook Pro 15", Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3 and all updates with Thunderbolt display firmware 1.0.8 as my display claims it doesn't need nor want the 1.1 update). For me sorting out the USB power problem fixed all my issues with inoperative keyboard after boot and after sleep.

Have you tried using the Console application to look at the system and kernel logs for a successful boot versus an unsuccessful one? Does anything pop out as being coincident with the boots where the keyboard doesn't work?

Andrew

Oh I wish I read your post before reinstalling the system... Which - so far - solved the problem, though I still need to activate or install a few system-deep things like FileVault, Firmware password or VMWare...

OK my latest update I hope. After system reinstall, everything works as it should. Eg I come from outside, plug a power and TB, and the system appears at TBD. Then I open the lid, short wait, blue screens - and both displays are on, arranged as they were before. I close the lid, again wait, blue - and I have system at the TBD again.

So far I enabled FileVault, and installed VMWare. I guess my

/Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist

was messed up by moving from old laptop, and I wish I found this advice by John May before I reinstalled.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3524526?answerId=17546300022#17546300022

BTW I did have one single occurance of USB/FW/Ethernet problem. I came to my set up when the lid was closed and hit spacebar to wake it up. It didn't so I used mouse, and it did but no devices (keyboard, Ethernet, FW disk) were connected, although the display was recognised correctly. So I unplugged and plugged the display and everything went to normal.

I don't know that will help anyone, but I'll throw out there what little I know. First, I am brand new to Apple so I'm learning on the fly. I have a MBP with the Thunderbolt port that I have hooked up to the 27" Thunderbolt display. I had the clamshell working fine last night (first night with the new external display). For the life of me I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work today. As soon as I close the lid the external display would flash once then go black. I had to external devices hooked up to the monitor (hard drive and color calibration device). I tried disconnecting both of those to no avail. In trying to recreate exactly how I had things last night I remembered that I had the power cord of the display plugged into the laptop. I didn't when it wasn't working. Low and behold that was it. I had to plug the Thunderbolt's power supply to the laptop. Works perfect now.

How do you plug the TB monitor into the MBP? My TB monitor has a three pronged power connector built into it. I have a MBA but even with a MBP I don't get it.

I probably didn't word my Reply well. I'm talking about the Magsafe power supply that comes with the 27" thunderbolt display. initially I didn't have that plugged inas I had just hooked up the thunderbolt connector and tried to get everything going.

I have updated all firmware of my Macbook Pro 15" Early 2011 and 27" Thunderbolt display. On a cold boot the Thunderbolt display comes ups Black and will not display anything. The only way to get the display back on is to dump the power several times until it comes back on. This ***** big time because I have two hard drives hanging off the ThunderBolt interface.

In clam shell sleep mode the same thing happens. The only way it actually works is to leave the power attached in sleep mode, which defeats the purpose of having a portable laptop.

The support help files for this issues are worthless. No work arounds, suggested causes, etc. How about airing out some of the dirty laundry on this problem?

I have wasted 2 - 3 days trying to find a solution. How about a response to this problem from technical support.