Level 1

6 points

Thunderbolt Display cable WAY too sensitive...

Using 27" Thunderbolt display, with its built-in cable, with my MBR with OS Mountain Lion 10.8.1

I'm finding the cable WAY too sensitive, when plugged-in to my laptop... the slightest movement of my laptop (say, if I were re-positioning merely slightly on my desk), or the cable moving/being lightly bumped causes the Thunderbolt display to go black. Only when I unplug/re-plug the cabl, will the display come back.

I've unplugged/re-plugged the display twice now-- as well as reset the PRAM (on advice from Apple Support). Problem persists.

This is really annoying and not practical. I mean, I really can't move a single thing/re-adjust. The SLIGHTEST movement of the cable will cause a disconnect. This is not pragmatic-- in the real world, things move/get slighlty readjusted all the time, especially by nature of a laptop. Again, this is the lightest-feather-touch to the cable... not radical/jarring movements.

Yes, I am using both display and MBR on a flat, hard surface.

Do I happen to have a ultra-sensitive cable and/or thunderbolt port on my MBR... or is anyone else having this problem? Do i have a defective cable or port? should i take this to get serviced? or am i being way too expectant of how this should perform?

Posted on Aug 27, 2012 11:47 AM

25 replies

intellix

Level 1

8 points

Oct 26, 2016 12:37 AM in response to lucasp

This is a joke. I'm doing iMac to MBP connected via a thunderbolt cable I bought for €50. €50!!!!!!! The slightest nudge causes it to go off. Some mornings when I come into work I can spend 10 minutes connecting, reconnecting, connecting, reconnecting. The annoying part is that I have to plug the USB keyboard into the iMac to do Cmd+F2, then back into the MBP to try and use it...... then I accidentally nudge it whilst plugging in the USB, then repeat the process a hundred times.

Taktell

Level 1

4 points

Mar 27, 2017 1:54 AM in response to lucasp

The answer is as simple as it is unfortunate. The Thunderbolt plug and socket are badly designed. You know that as soon as you plug it in. It is loose and the plug and socket are not deep enough to properly engage with each other. Simple problem, but the solution requires imaginative, knowledgable design so I'm afraid you're not going to see a solution very soon. If I were a product design manager and a 'designer' showed me this flakey solution I'd fire them on the spot. Sounds like a case of marketing department being allowed to influence hardware design and I really hope that's correct because I'd hate to thing that that is the current level of Apple's product design department. Meanwhile, I move my iMac, my screen goes blank - I move my MBP and my external screen goes blank. "Welcome to the new age".

Aug 27, 2012 9:55 PM in response to lucasp

Is it plugged in all the way (no metal remaining visible)? It can take some force.

lucasp Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 28, 2012 9:23 AM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield

Indeed, very much plugged all the way to the hilt.

lucasp Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 30, 2012 7:19 PM in response to lucasp

i brought the display back to the Apple Store and exchanged it, but nope--- the problem persists.

Sep 7, 2012 4:59 PM in response to lucasp

Have you tryed to contact them again?

I have exactly the same problem.

Retina Display MacBook Pro, and I have two TB. Both of them have really sensitive connection.

What is the solution for this?

Tks

tbirdvet

Level 6

17,783 points

Apr 27, 2013 8:04 AM in response to lucasp

The TB cable is a very tight fit in my Mac Mini so the female side on your laptop must be little larger than mine.

Jun 20, 2013 8:56 AM in response to lucasp

You're plugging that TB display with a DisplayPort cable, do I understand that right ? No adapter, right ?

That would rule out Apple's adaptors as the cause of our issue.

Feb 24, 2014 5:41 AM in response to Patrick G Reed

Thanks Patrick for taking the time to share this.

niru81

Level 1

0 points

Aug 12, 2015 12:02 AM in response to Patrick G Reed

Thanks Patrick!

So simple to, yet life changing experience 🙂

Use to have a lot of disconnecting issues with VGA adapter. Now it is solved.

Cheers

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Thunderbolt Display cable WAY too sensitive...