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Will boot camp support multiple thunderbolt displays?

I recently bought a new imac 27" and have added two mac cinema displays using the thunderbolt ports. These work beautifully on the Lion side, but when I switch over to Windows 7 I lose one monitor, leaving me with two that are functional and a very expensive paperweight. I know others have had this same problem; my question is can this be fixed? And if not now, is there ever going to be a solution (bootcamp update, driver update, etc)? If not, then clearly there is no reason to have three screens at all.


Thanks

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.2), Triple monitor

Posted on Jan 2, 2012 2:54 PM

Reply
7 replies

Jan 3, 2012 5:47 PM in response to headhumorhoncho

Search and yee shall find:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3370631?answerId=16325830022#16325830022

They never said never but who knows down the line.


Have you tried a search for "updated video drivers on iMac," other iMacs, etc, are looking to update their drivers to run BF3, etc, and seem to have a fairly good success rate installing directly from AMD/ATI. You might look and see if AMD/ATI will have an update for muti monitors now or in the future..

Jan 4, 2012 10:14 AM in response to Jaygyver

Thanks for the reply!


I actually read that thread, but I didn't find the phrase "you can use only one" all that explanatory. What I am trying to find out, really, is what the nature of the incompatability is. Why does it only recognize one monitor, when clearly both Mac OS and Windows are capable of recognizing both? If its a driver or a software issue, then I can at least cling to some hope that it will be fixed.


While a good suggestion, I did already update my video drivers in Windows 7 directly from AMD (indeed, to play BF3 myself) and unfortunately that did not resolve the problem. For some reason, boot camp doesn't seem to allow/recognize eyefinity technology, to my great triple-screen-gaming disaapointment.

Jan 4, 2012 12:36 PM in response to headhumorhoncho

I'm not up on my firmware information but I believe it's not Boot Camp that maybe the issue, it could be the firmware in the card that killed it. It may not of been able be written for both the MacOS, no issues, no problems, it just works, etc, and have the same for the Windows side. Writing drivers to "make it use A monitor" in Windows dependably may have been the only way to keep it stable and to write a dual firmware to support the extras on both sides may have had to many isses?

That's my guess and i'm sticking with it!


OR, it might just be a mater of finding the right drivers.

You might also do Yahoo/Google search as there are many other Mac sites that do quite a bit more in depth work around's and the like.


Contact Apple an let them know things like this, the only way to change it is to make sure they know people want options like that. (Not that it may do any good but hey, you tried! 😁)

I dug through Apples site tofind this. Select Product Feedback. I would definitely use it to express your displeasure, politely, on the dismal Windows support for things that the Mac can do but they won't support it on the Boot Camp side.

****, simply keeping the drivers up to date just to play a bloody game would be nice.😠

Aug 7, 2012 7:04 AM in response to headhumorhoncho

Threads like these are relevant for thos elike me trying to make good use of a mac also on the windows side, ie i would loge to benefit of 2 thundrbolts outputs on y iMac27 to play iracing or bf3 in a 3 monitors environment. So, this is sort of a bump, hopefully some news will pop up on this subject as for me buying a dedicated pc to just play is out of discussion!

Thanks for any further inputs!

May 10, 2013 9:58 AM in response to headhumorhoncho

The iMac has 2 Thunderbolt ports, so you should be able to drive 1 extra Thunderbolt display + 1 extra Cinema display in Windows. 2 extra Thunderbolt displays will still not work in Windows. But why would you need your extra screens to be TBDisplays in the first place? It makes sense for MacBook(Pro)s, as the TBDisplays act as a docking station, with LAN, USB hub, Audio, camera etc, but for an iMac?


Recap: Windows 7 can drive 1xThunderbolt + 1xCinema without problems.

Apr 19, 2015 8:12 PM in response to Jaygyver

soloution!!


to anyone reading this and panicking about running 3 monitors in bootcamp on an iMac, don't worry.


no idea what the issue used to be but as at April 2015, there doesn't sem to be a problem.


iMac early 2015

yosemite

bootcamp

windows 8.1 pro

plugged in 2 monitors via the two thunderbolt ports (using mini display port to dvi adapters) and the 3 screens all work together out of the box!


hope that helps someone.

Will boot camp support multiple thunderbolt displays?

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