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

Question

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

Hi,

I have an early 2011 13" Macbook Pro running Lion with all the latest updates, hooked to a Thunderbolt Display with a USB Apple Keyboard and Ethernet cable plugged in. I'm also using a Bluetooth Magic Mouse with the Macbook.

Everything is working fine in clamshell mode when the computer is on : the problems occur when it's sleeping with the lid closed.

I'm expecting that pressing a key on the external keyboard should wake it up.

This actually used to work at some point between September (when I got the display) and October (when, I think, the latest Thunderbolt/SMC updates were released which broke this again)

It doesn't work anymore : pressing a key does nothing. I have to open the Macbook for it to wake up, and here's the real problem : the Thunderbolt display doesn't turn on even then, and the external keyboard is still unresponsive.

I have to either plug/unplug the Thunderbolt Display, or power cycle it for things to work again.

This is extremely annoying, especially since I'm using a vertical "BookArc" stand and need to remove the MBP from it every time to open it and wake it up.

And also because it actually worked at some point between the numerous Thunderbolt updates, and it's the last one that broke it.

Has anyone seen this ?

Posted on Nov 26, 2011 5:45 AM

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Answer 1

cerb

Level 1

10 points

Dec 15, 2011 12:10 PM in response to renaud Guérin

i'm having similar problems. i have the thunderbolt display at work and take my air with me in the evening. when i come back in the morning and plug the sleeping air to the display it will wake and switch to the thunderbolt display every now and then. most of the times it will just recognise it as second screen and turn the airs screen on, too - in clamshell mode. sometimes the thunderbolt display doesn't even come on. rebooting with the display attached and closiing the lid just befor the powercycle helps, the mba starts with thunderbolt display as primary display. very annoying.

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Answer 2

pstadler

Level 1

0 points

Dec 21, 2011 1:42 AM in response to renaud Guérin

I have the exact same problem as cerb. Sleeping MBA with lid closed won't turn on. This is very annoying.

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Answer 3

Dec 22, 2011 5:04 AM in response to renaud Guérin

Same for me, exactly same issue on Macbook air 13" i5 1,7Mhz running lion 10.7.2. with Apple Wired Aluminium keyboard ( last version with launchpad key ) logitech unifier receiver for MX mousse and Magic trackpad.

i did try all recommandation SMC and PRAM reset nothing work. only reboot. Please APPLE FOLK FIX IT.

1000$US for a none properly working screen is kind of big pain.

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Answer 4

pstadler

Level 1

0 points

Dec 22, 2011 5:50 AM in response to renaud Guérin

I have no problems when the MBA is connected to the display while booting it. When I then put it to sleep, it takes some time but it wakes up flawlessly.

But when I connect it to the display while sleeping, the screen stays black and I have to make a hard reboot because the whole system is unresponsive after that.

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Answer 5

Dec 22, 2011 7:06 AM in response to Drjones2006

I've called Apple support about this.

They had me try the SMC and PRAM reset, and suggested reinstalling Lion as the next step (which I refused, this makes no sense).

The guy did tell me he could report the problem higher up at Apple, but I'm not sure if he would have done that after I had tried reinstalling Lion or right now.

So here we are waiting ...

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Answer 6

Rmignano

Level 1

0 points

Dec 22, 2011 8:16 PM in response to renaud Guérin

Thsi is about the 3rd or 4th time a firmware update, particularly teh Thunderbolt has made it impossible to seemlessly connect a detached MBP or MBA to a monitor and have it turn on quickly.

There are thousands of unhappy posters on this support forum who have complained about this.

Wake up Apple and fix the problem! And once you fix it don't release another firmware Update that breaks it again.

If I ever get mine working again I will never do another firmware update....count onit!!!!!

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Answer 7

cerb

Level 1

10 points

Dec 23, 2011 2:06 AM in response to Rmignano

seems to be gettiing fixed in 10.7.3

had no issues the last two days with latest build.

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Answer 8

pstadler

Level 1

0 points

Dec 23, 2011 3:00 AM in response to renaud Guérin

@cerb: sounds good! Thunderbolt firmware was buggy from the first day on. Let's hope this will end the problems once and for all.

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Answer 9

Jan 10, 2012 9:48 AM in response to renaud Guérin

So has this been resolved with the latest patch for Lion? I am having this issue but am still using Snow Leopard due to corporate network issues. Am I out of luck unless I upgrade to Lion?

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Answer 10

Jan 10, 2012 12:20 PM in response to orbantracs

Well 10.7.3 hasn't been released publicly yet, so as of today unless you're a developer it's still broken in Lion

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Answer 11

cerb

Level 1

10 points

Jan 10, 2012 1:42 PM in response to orbantracs

not really resolved. was on vacation for two weeks, mba was on standby. same issues on monday. thought could be better after only one day of standby, was- again - disappointed this morning ....

sorry for the bad news, gets really annoying over time ... very unlike apple not to fix this more quickly

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Answer 12

Jan 11, 2012 1:42 AM in response to renaud Guérin

i just made 2 tests and i'd like to confirm a therory.

1st : 3 consecutive time , i start my MB air open many apps ( pages , mail , numbers , reeder ) and espacially leaving Safari in background then i close it and then connect it to my thunderbolt display. 3 time same result " did not wake up " have to force shutdown by pressing power button for few second.

2nd : 3 consecutive time, start my MB air open same apps but without safari in background then close it then connect to thunderbolt display.. 3 time same result " wake up from standby "

So i'm not sure but it really seem that safari is doing something wrong.

I have 13 inch MBair i5 / 4 Go Ram / 256 Go HD Lion 10.7.2 and Safari 5.1.2 with two extension installed clickflash and AdBlock.

the concept of Thunderbolt all in one connector is great , but if it bring more issue than it resolve, it make no sense

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Answer 13

pstadler

Level 1

0 points

Jan 11, 2012 1:51 AM in response to Drjones2006

This is weird. I have the same problem without using Safari.

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Answer 14

Jan 11, 2012 2:06 AM in response to renaud Guérin

So it maybe something else , but for me it is really reproductible, i will try on a longer period.

What i can confirm is my wife have an older 11 inch MB air , first 2010 batch At the very beginning she had an issue with safari. her MB air could not wake up from standby when safari was in background. the only solution at that time was to use firefox instead. anyway it was in 2010 at the very begining of MB air with SSD, nothing relative to external display and apple resolved the issue after few month.

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Answer 15

Jan 13, 2012 12:04 PM in response to renaud Guérin

I'm having the same issues. It's really annoying not being able to plug my MBA up to my Thunderbolt display and get going. I have to reboot the MBA EVERY time. I'm also using the Book arc like some others here and so the re-boot is a PITA. I'm a recent windows convert, oh how I miss just being able to take my laptop when I want to be on the go and return it to it's dock when I'm back without having to re-boot...

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