Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

8/2012 Macbook Pro with ML, external monitor sleep/wake issues

I've been reading several posts here and elsewhere about MBP with ML having issues waking and external monitor (including the Thunderbolt Display) from sleep. I haven't been able to find anything on this more recent than this past July. Is this still generally an issue in the community? Has anyone figured a consistient work around on this? It was these issues (and the usb 2.0 connectivity) that kept me from shelling out the $1000 on the Thunderbolt Display.


I am having issues myself with my HP monitor (connected via DVI) waking from sleep in clamshell mode. I thought I figured out a consistent work around but the issue appears to have gotten worse and more inconsistent over the weeks. The monitor was coming on from it's sleep mode upon start up, but even that is now inconsistent.


With the HP monitor off, I have been able to get the external monitor to connect if I click the wireless track pad repeatedly, waiting for the machine to wake (solid status light on the right hand corner), and then turn on the monitor. This, however, is only working part of the time now. Recently, I'm noticing that the MPB goes back to sleep quite quickly if it doesn't quickly connect to the external monitor. Then I have to do a hard reset on the monitor to get it to connect again.


The only thing that appears to work consistently is disconnecting the power cable from the HP monitor and pluggining it back in. I guess, in effect, resetting the monitor?


I've thought about calling Apple about this, but other people who've posted and contacted Apple have said the techs at Apple won't even recognize this as an issue at the moment. Has anyone had a different experience contacting Apple about this? I mean, if it's software related and they're working on an update, then it is what it is for now and patience is in order.


Luckily this HP monitor has an on/off button on front, and a power adaptor that easily disconnects and reconnects from the back of the base. After hearing of people with Thunderbolt Displays having to crawl under desks and such to unplug and replug their monitors for the wall on a regular basis due to having no on/off capabilities at the monitor, I didn't want to go there.


I Love my new machine. There are some bugs and glitches here and there. And it's taken some time to learn how the new OS does things haivng jumped from SL to ML (I didn't bother with Lion-ML happened so fast!). Overall, these are still the best machines in the world IMO and I'm happy with mine.


This wake from sleep issue is just annoying and I'm at my wits end to find a consistent work around (I've tried all the ways I can think to wake the computer-opening/closing the lid, etc etc). I thought I'd check in with the community here to see if I'm missing something that could help.


Thanks

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1), HP External Monitor/DVI connected

Posted on Sep 17, 2012 12:30 PM

Reply
13 replies

Sep 18, 2012 8:33 PM in response to SurfinTheLight

I have exactly the same problems with spectraview Nec monitors. There's no fix from Apple even with the latest ML 10.8.2 dev snapshot. Working with external monitors on a rMBP is a real pain.


To reduce the bugs, I have unchecked "automatic graphics switching" in the system preferences them downloaded gfxcardstatus and set the graphics card to "discrete only" (unchecked the advanced battery options too in the software).




Hope this helps.

Sep 18, 2012 9:36 PM in response to GrandStrateguerre

Thanks. I have a very new MBP, only several weeks old. It says model 9.2.


I was just wondering if anyone who had/is having similar issues had heard of a fix. I appreciate your response I hope Apple recognizes that this is a problem and so works on a fix for it eventually since similar problems have been noted with their own Thunderbolt Display.


Have the two suggestions you've noted - the auto graphics uncheck and downloading the gfxcardstatus actually helped with waking your external monitors properly from sleep? It says I have an Intel Graphic 4000 card so I don't know if this will help me. But I may be able to try something similar.


I can get the monitor to come up most of the time if I sleep the computer manually and turn off the monitor power. When I return, I click the wireless trackpad repeatedly (once is not enough or the computer will often go right back to sleep with only one click in clamshell mode), then I turn on the monitor while the computer wakes. Like I said, it usually works, but it is a work around at best. If/When this fails, only a hard reset on the monitor will bring it up.

Oct 3, 2012 9:24 PM in response to SurfinTheLight

My wife has a Macbook Pro bought a couple of months ago (the ones with USB 3). I bought her an HP monitor and connected it via Thunderbolt to the digital input (DVDI I think it's called). When the computer put the monitor into deep sleep, the monitor would not wake up. I resorted to installing an inline on/off swich on the monitor's power cord (the screen itself is very good, so she didn't want to return it).


However, I recently discovered a solution. I bought a Thunderbolt HDMI adapter from ebay, and connected the monitor via the HDMI port. Problem solved. The display quality is just as good, and the monitor now wakes up correctly every time.

Oct 12, 2012 12:29 PM in response to timrichardson

I finally got and HDMI adaptor cable and tried this. Funny enough, it did change the way the monitor and computer wakes and sleeps, but it didn't solve the problem. It just created a different set of issues.


With the HDMI connection, the HP external monitor wakes from sleep and the screen comes up just fine, as long as I wake it within 15 minutes or so of it going to sleep. However, if the computer has been sleeping for longer than this, upon waking, the monitor status light does turn from sleep (amber) to active (blue), but the screen does not show up and the monitor cycles through it's connections, sees no signal, and goes right back to sleep.


From a cold boot up, the monitor always wakes properly from its sleeping state and the screen comes up fine with the DVI connection. However, this does not work properly with the HDMI connection from a cold boot up. The screen doesn't change status at all - it simply remains asleep.


I've gone back to the DVI connection for now as it appears to be a bit more predictable in its issues.


I contiune to read a bunch of issues with waking and sleeping newer MBPs in mountain lion, some differenct, some similar to mine. Given the performance inconsistencies for myself when just switching to a different input port on the monitor, it's hard to understand how Apple doesn't recognize these as known issues and isn't working on a fix.


If anyone has found solutions or elegant work arounds I would welcome you sharing them here for me and others. My work arounds get me up and running (even if I have to unplug and replug the monitor half the time), but they are clunkier than I'd like.


I'm certainly happy to find a solution that will wake the monitor from sleep and bring up the screen properly as one expects and as the OS and hardware are supposedly designed to do.


As an addendum, I do not understand why this forum automatically marks my reply as "this solved my question"....my question is not solved. Someone in another post brought up something similar. Its there a setting or something I'm missing to change that. It gives the false impression that all these issues are being answered, addressed, and solved. In my instance, this is certainly not the case. I have more questions and inconsistent behaviour from sleeping and waking my MBP than ever....

Nov 15, 2012 10:05 AM in response to SurfinTheLight

Has anyone found better solutions for this problem? I'm using a 17" MBP (mid-2011) with an Apple Cinema Display (non-thunderbolt) and it is a miserable experience connecting and disconnecting. When connected, my MBP is closed behind the monitor. If I disconnect and go, it has issues trying to wakes up. Lion handled this scenerio just fine.


One clunky work around I have been using is to open the laptop while connected and have it go into extended display mode, then disconnect. This usually works but a pain. And this is the only way if you are using Bootcamp.

Nov 15, 2012 3:11 PM in response to rkellogg

You know, I haven't seen many new posts about this issue since August-September. So far, I know of no sure fix. Some people have tried changing/adding terminal commands (not my strength) but it seems to be met with limited and temporary success and they don't work for everyone.


I am still constantly shutting my external on and off and even having to disconnect power and replug to get it to show up depending on the situation. I even had a 5 hour period a couple of weeks ago where I turned on the "auto switch source" command within the HP external monitor itself and the monitor woke up several times on its own during that period. Then, after a reboot, it reverted back to not waking anymore from sleep unless I disconnected power or turn the monitor on at just the right moment (I'm getting pretty good at that) for it to show up while waking the macbook in clamshell mode. The "auto switch source" remains on.


I've tried going with HDMI and DVI hookups and neither do the trick, although each has their own unique set of different issues and idiosyncracies with sleep/wake. I find the DVI hookup is at least the most predictable so I use that primarily.


It seems like a fair number of people were having similar issues as this, but I am surprised there is little said about it recently on the forum. Perhaps there's a solve we aren't privy too yet? I haven't found it myself but I keep hoping that one of these mountain lion OS updates will solve this issue...

Aug 27, 2013 10:43 AM in response to SurfinTheLight

I also have been having problems with my external monitor coming back on after sleepmode. That is how I found this thread, been googling to see if I can figure out what's going on. I just bought a brand new Macbook Pro - my previous Macbook was about 5 years old and upgraded to Snow Leopard. I usually had it plugged into my external Gateway monitor and never had problems. Now, with my brand new computer I had to get a different adapter (DVI) to plug in my external monitor. Seems if I allow my laptop to go to sleep on it's own, my external monitor just gets stuck and doesn't do anything. I have to turn the power strip off and on again to get my monitor to turn back on. But if I manually put my laptop to sleep and shut my monitor off right away, it usually turns on fine.


I let my laptop fall asleep often, so it's getting really annoying to constantly have to turn my external monitor on and off to get it to work. After googling this problem, it definitely seems like enough people are talking about it that there must be something wrong with the new Mountain Lion. I really do hope Apple steps up to figure this on out!

Nov 6, 2013 10:58 PM in response to SurfinTheLight

I would try an Ebay HDMI to DVI adapter or one of those 3 into 1 adapters and then connect a DVI to DVI cable to the external monitor if possible.


Similar problem:

The only solution to my iMac/Lion and also Mavericks sleep issues - MiniDP/Thunderbolt - to Dell U2410 monitor, was to use a HDMI to DVI cable and connect the DVI end to the monitor.


My Dell Monitor would only sleep properly when the Energy Saver "Computer Sleep" time expired and the hard disks went to sleep as well. Display sleep expiry time resulted in only a blanked out the external display but the backlighting stayed on.


I set "Computer Sleep" to a short time frame and have not had any issues since.

8/2012 Macbook Pro with ML, external monitor sleep/wake issues

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.