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Level 1

12 points

Macbook Pro and Thunderbolt USB problem

I have read a few threads regarding problems with the Thunderbolt displays and Macbook Airs. None of the suggestions in there work for me including doing an SMC Reset.

Here is my problem. I have a brand new Macbook Pro 17", 2.5Ghz Core i7, 8gb ram, 750Gb HD etc., new Thunderbolt display. Running OS X Lion 10.7.3.

In the back of my display I have plugged in a USB mouse from Logitech, an Apple full size keyboard and my wired ethernet connection. The monitor and peripherals stay at work and I take the Macbook Pro home every night. If I do not follow a certain sequence every morning, my computer freezes. I put the power connector in first, open the lid, wait for the screen on the laptop to show the login prompt, login and then and only then can I plug in my Thunderbolt connector. Once I do this, my second screen lights up and my mouse, keyboard and ethernet connection works. But if I plug in the Thunderbolt first before power up or if I plug it in before logging in, then I have a high probabilty that the USB hub on the back of the monitor will stop working altogether. Then I have to move my mouse and keyboard over to the laptop and everything works great (my ethernet keeps working fine though). My mouse scroll for whatever reason goes into high gear and starts scrolling much faster and I have to slow it down.

Now, this works 90% of the time. But there are days, like today, where this process does not work. And when it doesn't, either I have to move the USB devices over or like today, the machine freezes and no longer responds to any input. It appears to still be working as the screen updates but I can never regain control of it via any keyboard or mouse.

My co-worker has the exact same setup and exact same problem. We also have 10 Thunderbolt displays here (all new) and same problem with ANY I choose. So this is not a hardware issue. Something is wrong with the driver code for some device. And my co-worker has an Apple mouse so that's not the issue either. If this can help Apple with debugging, here is another interesting tid bit. 3 weeks ago, I had a non Thunderbolt display. And for 6 months with an older laptop, I had issues with it's USB hub. Same kind of problem. Some days, the USB hub in the monitor would work and others it would go dead until a reboot was performed.

I think a driver needs some fixing somewhere.

Thanks,

EJK

Posted on Apr 24, 2012 7:03 AM

Best reply

barme

Level 1

0 points

Posted on Apr 25, 2012 6:19 AM

I have been facing a similar problem that was solved by deactivating Airport and disconnecting and reconnecting the thunderbolt cable on the MacBook Pro.

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173 replies

Jan 31, 2014 4:25 AM in response to t-leish

Based on your feedback here, I bought an USB hub (local Walmart that was opened at the time did not carry a powered one) and got my system to work flawlessely. This makes me believe that it's not really a power issue but more of a software issue where OSX recongnizes Apple products connected through USB ports and is failing miserably. Maybe, it's supposed to give it a precedence over other devices but failed!

Thanks, anyway, for the great tip!

Mar 16, 2014 6:13 AM in response to ejkitchen

Just discovered this thread after 5 months of no problems with my MacBookAir connecting to my Thunderbolt Display, all of the USB ports on my Thunderbolt have died! At first I thought it was one of the drives I had connected but it's everything. But NOT the Thunderbolt nor ethernet cable. Has anyone experienced something like this before?

Since the display is so large, trying to find a solution before heading to the Apple Store, since it's still under warranty.

nspindel

Level 1

0 points

Mar 16, 2014 8:48 AM in response to contempt1

I have only ever experienced a problem with the keyboard. Other USB devices would work, and the extension cord for the keyboard trick solved the problem for me. If you can't get USB to work at all, and a reboot doesn't solve your problem, then I think you need to pack that baby up and head to the Apple Store. One thing you might try is using a different Mac, but I don't think that should make a difference.

Mar 17, 2014 7:23 AM in response to ejkitchen

I have a brand new Apple usb extended keyboard with brand new thunderbolt monitor - attached a 15 in mbp. I found that the display would drop the keybvoard erratically and for no apprrrent rrason - and would not do so if the keyboard was connected to the mbp. My solution was to add the usb extension cable that I do not need, but came with the keyboard. Since doing this I have had no more dropped keyboard issues. I have no idea why this works.

Aug 30, 2014 11:10 PM in response to ejkitchen

hello, i faced up with this problem and discovered that contacts in Apple usb cables, and that extension cable that helps, are placed a little deeper in the USB-plug than in wireless USB keyboard receivers and other peripheral, in which for minimizing, contacts starts right from the end of the pad. So - when plug such a USB devices into back USBs of TBD, do it not to the end, but leave some space. So - contacts are on its places and everything works without extension cables. But its really weird to meet such a featurebugging states on apple device, which costs 1 thousand dollars, because this thing with space between contact and the end of the pad considered in macbook pro own USB ports 🙂🙂

Sep 7, 2014 6:11 PM in response to tonym20

"Try getting a powered USB hub and connect it to your Mac monitor and all peripherals to the hub. "

I was having random crashes and kernel panics whenever I plugged my MacBook Pro into my thunderbolt display. I finally narrowed it down to Logitech's unifying receiver. Thanks to Tony here and others who suggested plugging a powered USB hub into the thunderbolt display. My problem has gone away and it turns out I can use the extra USB slots anyway.

Sep 1, 2016 5:48 PM in response to ejkitchen

I am having the same issue. I have got Logitech Performance MX mouse. The moment I plug in my Lacie HDD into the TB the mouse won't response. I have to unplug the TB then restart my MBP to make the mouse work.

Anyone found a solution for this problem ?

It is annoying that I cannot use the Logitech mouse. It is making my workflow slow..

robmuh

Level 1

4 points

Sep 2, 2016 11:14 AM in response to ejkitchen

I have several Thunderbolts in our school that I had setup with logitech wired mouse connected to wired Apple keyboard connected to the Thunderbolt. About half of them will allow me to plugin the same MacBook Pro with the single Thunderbolt connection and have the keyboard and mouse work. The others do not and require that I unplug the keyboard/mouse combination from the Thunderbolt monitor and directly connect to the laptop.

The only possibility is something to do with the firmware of the Thunderbolt, which, of course Apple will never publicly acknowledge because it is such a monumentally huge fail. Because of this single bit of Apple stupidity, I have to require all 150 students connect the keyboard and monitor separately. Also, the Thunderbolt connections on the laptops and the monitor are wearing out after only a year. I am still a mac user, but this reminds me of the complete design fail of the power connectors of the earlier MacBook Pros (before the magnetic ones).

If anyone at Apple is out there listening know this: I will never buy another Thunderbolt display every for any of my schools. Instead I will be buying 4K HDMI monitors for half the price (that will be about 400 monitors over the next two years, worth $40,000 that you have lost over this). The ONLY reason I bought Thunderbolts was for the ease of a single connection and the color correctness.

Macbook Pro and Thunderbolt USB problem