Thunderbolt Display Flickering Epidemic - Extensive Testing

What I have discovered so far is that every time I plug in the iPhone 6 plus to the TB display it start flickering and when there is nothing connected to the TB in the back USB ports it stop flickering so I think it's aTB display problem also I haven't try the thunderbolt to thunderbolt Cable couse where I live in mac store they don't have this cable but it's clear that is a problem which Mac book pro mid 2012 with Yosemite up to 10.10.5 and TB display with firmware 1,2 update instaled

So I was experiencing this same issue and after going to the Apple store 2x and after replacing everything BUT the display (cables, power supply, another part), I put the Thunderbolt 29' display aside and bought a different HD display. I also played with the auto dimming adjustment to no avail. My consistent complaint to Apple was that all this started after I loaded Maverick ios. As I anguished over what to do with the old Thunderbolt, after 6 months I finally decided to give it away on craigslist. The person who replied to my ad had a lot of questions so i decided to hook it up once more to my macbook pro. When I did there was a software update and after 30 minutes of updating the monitor is working like a charm. Needless to say I did not give my monitor away to the person who answered my craigslist ad. What bothers me is that Apple never said jack about any of this and has from my perspective, ignored the entire issue. I have spent around $800 dealing with this issue and considerable number of hours.

I'm curious to see if other people discover fixes after installing the recent software update.

tracylsaville

Glad to see you fixed your issue.

Oddly - my issue 'seems' to have gone away. I don't know why. It was failing hourly and driving me nuts 2 weeks ago and now it has not failed in 13 days. The last OS X update was 10.10.5 on the 21st August. But that's not it - it has failed since then.

The only thing I am doing differently now is not using the USB ports on the back. But whether that is the issue - who knows. I tried using a separate thunderbolt cable and that didn't make any difference.

Question: Do you have MsOffice 2016 installed on your MBP? For a while I suspected that, but not sure.

I tried three times to install Thunderbolt Display Firmware Version 1.2 Update with no luck. Each time I got an error msg. (See my earlier posts) Finally about ten days ago I tried again, this time leaving the MBP open. The installation was successful. I've had no problems since.

I suggest that if you continue to have problems with TBD, before you give your TBD away, go to the App Store updates (click on the Apple logo in the upper left hand corner and scroll down; when the App Store page opens, click on "Updates") and update the firmware. Do this with your laptop open and do the update from the laptop screen.

I share the irritation with Apple for not being forthcoming and helpful

May your luck be as good as mine, and may mine continue to be as good as it's been these past ten days.

Irritatingly, Software Update only shows the updates installed over the past 30 days -- so you can't tell from there what firmware you might have previously installed.

However, during the approximately TWO MINUTES that my TBD worked after I plugged it in but before it blacked out again, I found the following firmware versions via System Information (access from About This Mac):

Thunderbolt Bus: Firmware version 22.1

Thunderbolt Display: Firmware version 26.2

Port (Upstream): Cable firmware version 1.0.16; Port Micro firmware version 2.0.7

I'm baffled by mention of a TBD firmware version of 1.2, since that number is far different -- and lower -- from what I see here. I'm also baffled at the wide variety of nostrums that people try and find to work for a bit. I've tried them ALL, and NOTHING works after a short while.

There is something profoundly wrong with something with the TBD's hardware, firmware, or software. It works for moments at a time and then dies. And Apple is unable to fix it, even when it's still under AppleCare. They are completely uninterested when it's out of AppleCare. I guess the problem is that the TBD has nothing to do with music, TV shows, or phones. Apple dropped "Computer" from its name in anticipation of this day.

Stanley, I don't know what to tell you. Version 1.2 perhaps refers to the Cable Firmware version, though if that is the case, Why does mine still read Cable Firmware Version 0.1.18? As for the ca. two minutes your TBD gives you to check the firmware versions, I suggest you disconnect the TBD and use the MBP screen (I assume that is what you are using) to download and install the Version 1.2 Firmware, which is specifically described as as addressing the blacking out problem. That has worked (so far) for me, though it hasn't been perfect. Getting the TBD to light up after being asleep for a couple of hours sometimes requires a restart, but it seems to work fine after that.

Again, I agree that Apple has has not recognized the seriousness of this problem and responded as they ought. Unfortunately, the other forum that I found helpful for such problems, MacFiixit, has been emasculated by CNet. Perhaps a Mac Users Group would have someone who could help.

Reply to Stanley

I too got confused about the 1.2 update. But read this - it makes it clearer

About Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update 1.2 - Apple Support

But.. for what its worth - mine seemingly has the latest firmware but was still failing.

@maseevans_aus:

Thanks for pointing out that Apple support document. I had thought that I'd installed the firmware update, and this proves that I had already. Just like you, though, my TBD fails. Whatever is wrong with this display is not fixed by this firmware update. I fear that everyone who thinks that it has will soon enough find otherwise as well. Apple needs to provide a solution for us, but unfortunately we have no leverage to make that happen.

Stanley:

I hope that you are wrong, but I'm not holding my breath. I am on my 11th day since my "successful" update and it seems to be going well. At the risk of beating a dead horse, I would mention that I tried unsuccessfully to update with Firmware Version 1.2 four times. It was only when Something in the error messages prompted me to do it with the MacBookPro open and using its screen for the update–but with the TBD till connected–that the update was (to date) successful.

PS: I neglected to mention that after each of the four unsuccessful updates, the update log said the update had been completed even though I had received error messages saying it could not be completed. A few days after each of the unsuccessful updates, the app store page would show that I needed to up TBD Firmware Version 1.2. Since the fifth attempt, I have not received another such notice.

There's no doubt that the firmware in my TBD is updated. The System Information indicates that is the case, but just to be sure, I downloaded the update and attempted to reinstall it. The update immediately halted with the message "The display firmware is up to date."

However, the display is dead. Well, not completely dead, as the OS detects the TBD and attempts to get it to display. Since I'd configured the screen arrangement with the menu bar on the TBD, this made using the Mac nearly impossible with the TBD plugged in, since the menu bar and finder windows were on the TBD -- which was simply black. So the TBD is utterly unusable and effectively dead. And so will be everyone else's, soon enough, when whatever is burning out finally burns out. Outrageous.

Unless you only need a display for as long as your AppleCare lasts and you don't mind taking it in for repeated repairs while you have that coverage, you don't want to buy a TBD.

Stanley, How frustrating. Have you tried contacting Apple Support? I note that included among the support topics on the Contact Support page for displays are "Display Flickering" and "Screen Not Displaying Properly." https://getsupport.apple.com/Issues.action Options include calling them, scheduling a call with them, and some others. I didn't go any further into it, so I don't know how effective they are. Good Luck.

Yes, I've managed even to get the issue escalated to someone who expressed sympathy but said that Apple is not going to do anything about the situation once a device is out of AppleCare. He did ask me to assemble some evidence that this is a widespread problem so that he could go to engineering and perhaps get some sort of intervention. Here's what I sent him. So far after nearly a month: no further response.

===

Here are some of the discussions in the Apple forums:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3340067

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6049513

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5568848

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5192516

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4245254

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3356740

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7064555

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3339966

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3344905

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7158094

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7132918

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7151256

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6670145

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7141857

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7145472

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5478129

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7119480

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7098670

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6732165

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7078464

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7058442

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6673634

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6985006

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4243396

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6881780

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5870644

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6845160

Hundreds of posts; this is a Big Problem out here that has been going on for as long as the TB display has been sold. People post lots of fanciful notions of what the problem is and what might fix it, but I've tried all the solutions and eventually the display just fails.

Other discussions/complaints:

http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/103110/how-do-i-resurrect-a-thunderbolt -display

https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/143647/How+can+I+fix+my+display+blacking+out +intermittently

http://bolesblogs.com/2012/01/14/my-27-inch-thunderbolt-display-died-today/

http://www.mac-forums.com/apple-desktops/326815-thunderbolt-monitor-goes-blank-f raction.html

http://macforums.com/threads/my-thunderbolt-cinema-display-is-randomly-turning-o ff.3557/

Apple Support addresses this, but the solution doesn't work:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203547 -- but I see the problem even after the firmware/software updates

Some people report that their Geniuses have told them that there are "known manufacturing problems" with the early TB displays. I request that Apple open up a major investigation about this and develop some sort of solution. Apple is generating a lot of ill will out here that it really should want to avoid as long as it remains in the computer -- and not just phone/music -- business.

Wow. What a nightmare.

Since sometimes it is ok for some days and others it fails every hour, I have been trying to pin the reason down.

I have found that if i turn the brightness up to max on the TBD, it fails - regularly. If I turn it down four notches, it doesn't.. goes for days without failing.

Try it and see if it makes any difference to you?