Thunderbolt Display cable WAY too sensitive...

The problem is not software. As the jiggle-disconnect demonstrates, the problem is with the cable and port itself. One of the pins is 'hot-plug-detect' and I suspect that any momentary change in that signal triggers an immediate disconnect within Mac OS, and this is by design.

AppleCare on a ThunderBolt display ought to cover a loose TB connector; it is clearly a hardware problem. [It may even be a defect, the connector is designed to operate after 7,000 plug cycles.]

I have a workaround for out-of-warranty / non-warranty products. It's pretty easy as far as hardware repairs go, but it takes a gentle touch and a modest appetite for risk. It's best suited for cables that are replaceable, not 'built-in'.

1. Grab a pair of needle nose pliers and a plastic spudger tool.
   ℹ Have a spare cable on hand in case you break the cable you're working on.
   ⚠ If it's the built-in Thunderbolt Display connector you want to fix... well... be extra-extra careful? 😮
   
2. Orient the pliers so that the tips are on the top and bottom of the long side of the connector.
   
   ℹ Make sure the connector is unplugged.
3. Gently press the connector together - you're looking to make only a 0.5mm change at most. There still needs to be room for the tab to fit into the space between the connectors you've moved closer together.⚠ Be very careful not to press too hard, or you'll separate the metal sleeve on either edge of the connector.
   I learned the hard way. 😢 (It's sometimes possible to massage it back into shape. 😉)
4. Hopefully it looks like this, but less blurry. Notice the slight curve of the top and bottom pieces.
   
5. Try plugging it in:
   1. "I can't! It's too blurry!" → Put on glasses. 😝
   2. "It's snug and remains connected even while tapping the cord and moving the laptop around." → Time for an impromptu dance party. 😎
      
   3. "It's still too loose!" → Go back to step 3, but be even more careful. Go slowly, and check often - think in microns, not millimetres.
      
   4. "Fiddlesticks! It won't fit anymore!" 😠 → Go to step 6.
      
6. If you make it so tight that it won't fit, use a handy plastic spudger to gently make more room between the connectors.
   
   ℹ You can whittle high-quality plastic cutlery into a makeshift spudger in a pinch, although this is not reccommended when you are working on a static sensitive device. (The cable, while unplugged, is not static sensitive.)
   

This method has worked for me for all kinds of cables, including, as you can see, this Thunderbolt/MDP cable, and its sister (not pictured).

Practice on an old USB and mini-USB cable to get a feel for how the metal moves. Remember, even when perfectly executed, there is some risk that you will break the cable –– so go slow and be careful!

I have a cheap and effective work around for you (I know this is old, but it could hep someone lurking). The male end of the TB connector has four sides - top and bottom are wider that the narrow sides of the connector. Just pick one of the wider sides, and put a tiny square of duct tape on it. The connector will fit snuggly into the female port, and you don't ruin the connector by crimping it.

I know it's been a LONG time, but I wanted to chime in and say the tape method worked well for me. However, I wrapped a small amount of clear packing tape around the entire male end (covering the top twice with the overlap). Now they appear normal, but fit much tighter, and seem to resist the touchy disconnections. Thanks!

Same problem using the thunderbolt ports on my retina display macbook pro. Extremely annoying when trying to edit video off an external drive. When it disconnects I often have to re-import my entire cache of footage to Final Cut.

At the Genius Bar I was told they hadn't really heard of this problem...

I have exactly the same issue. Cable seems too sensitive.

Did anyone solved that problem?

Is it a MBR Thunderport problem or the all in one cable?

Need a help because this it so anoying...the slightest movement that make a movement at cable and TD comes black.

Any updates on this?

I have 7 topics bookmarked on this issue so that when I sit down at Apple tomorrow I can show them I'm not the only one with this issue. But same deal.....I called in and they have never heard of this?

Anyone walking near my desk, the slightest jiggle, anything dropped on my desk.....all my monitors flash on and off. Sometimes they all come back, sometimes not.

I have to "tap" on the cable or wiggle it around until the connection goes through. This is highly highly annoying and really it was only today that I decided to upgrade my laptop with external monitors ( never had a nead to).

So on the one hand its my fault for not testing this when I bought the MBPr last July. I hope they can get this fixed because I was really hoping to use additional screens.

I'm having the same issue.

I'm on my second Apple Thunderbolt-to-VGA adapter. Every slight movement disconnects the external display and it takes slight nudges to find the sweet spot again.

Still haven't figured out if the port, or the adapter is to blame.

I'm using an early 2011 15in MBP

Same problem here. I have a 2012 13" MBA and TB display and accidentally moving anything on the desk causes the display to disconnect. Seriously irritating. I guess one could troubleshoot by taking MBA to Apple Store. But is this the way they are supposed to operate or is this a problem particular to my configuration?

For me, I don't have a problem with using a VGA or DVI adapter. Those connections are always rock solid even though I'm moving the laptop around. The problem occurs only with the TB display and it's own DisplayPort cable.

For me DVI works ok, but the HDMI does not. I have to direct connect the HDMI cable to the other side instead of using the TB connection.

The one thing that has slightly worked for me is the cable cannot be on a flat surface. It has to "hang" down to put pressure on the input. Try to connect using TB but hang the adaptors so they fall off the side of your desk.

I took my HDMI adapter to an Apple store and walked around to try it out. Every single MBP was just as loose as mine. The adapter is simply too small and not in tolerance. The DVI is also not in tolerance but for some reason it works.

The only thing that has worked from an Apple point of view is that I am thinking I need a Mini instead for my desktop solution and just leave the laptop at home for home use or meetings.

I can't make any sense of this.. We're all using different kinds of Apple laptops. We're using different cables, with or without adaptors, and plugging them to different screens..

For the record, I tried cleaning the port, didn't help much, though i did not bother going overboard with it and clean each electrical contact with dedicated product etc. Has anyone tried that ?

I have brand new retin display macbook pro and I have same problem, with any thunderbolt device I plug with one of the ports, it is only the port that is closer to the screen, it is a shame, the problem is from the harware, is manufactured, I can't work as expected, I feel frustrated.

This is great man. It worked for me, at least part of it. I think my cable is very bad. I'm still getting some flashes, but it worked and saved me some time. The thunderbolt display is a beast, 20kg to take to the support.

Thanks.

Hi there, I had the exact same problem, had a DVI adapter to connect my MacBook to my monitor, but it hardly worked. He detected my screen, but after the slightest I got a black screen.

After much frustration and Googling around I found out that I actually had a Mini DisplayPort adapter, while my Macbook had Thunderbolt ports.

I'm pretty new to Mac, so didn't even know about these different ports, but it fixed my problem :-)

There are no specific Thunderbolt to DVI adapters. Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapters work in both Mini DisplayPort and Thunderbolt ports (except for the Thunderbolt ports on the back of Thunderbolt displays).