Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update could not complete

I have had the problem of this message showing up every time I boot the system. This has gone on for years. It's a minor annoyance really. The display works fine and when I check the About This Mac -> System Report, it indicates that the firmware level is where it is supposed to be. I just can't figure out why this message shows up at boot time!?

i got the error twice, but checking system profiler it reported the correct firmware versions for both of my thunderbolt displays.... and then the 3rd time i checked, software update showed it completed...... but im still having the issue where my display flashes black for a second. irritating for a pair of 900 dollar (or whatever they cost) displays.

Same.

I have three thunderbolt displays connected to a Mac Pro. I got the error message, then read that no more than two displays could be connected during the update. I disconnected one of them and restarted. Then connected the other and disconnected the first and restarted again.

I'm not sure any of that worked and have no "active" notification that they were updated. I checked the firmware version following that update per the instructions and they match the version, but I'm still getting the random flicker.

I fixed that blackout issue by turning of the option "Automatically adjust brightness" in display preference. No more blackouts for weeks.

II had the same problem. Apple states that

If you’re using a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro to run the update, the lid of needs to be open. "Closed clamshell" mode will not allow the update to install.

I was in clamshell mode. Did it with my Macbook Air open and everything went well.

Hope this helps.

I've done this a few times with my Macbook Air open, with no success.

Same issue. The update request recurs periodically but does not complete.

Im having the same issue, this morning was the fifth time it has failed.

I have a similar issue. I have a new Thunderbolt Display connected to a late 2013 Mac Pro. When this problem first appeared, I contacted Apple Support and was helped with installing the update to the latest version; however, the update continues to appear every couple of days. If I try to install it, I get the same error message but it then shows as installed. Lo and behold, two days later it shows up again. There is a flaw here that Apple has not seen worthy of correcting.

So what's the fix here for this, because every time I leave my macbook pro connected to the thunderbolt display, as soon as it goes to sleep the system crashes and I have to restart everything again

Thunderbolt Firmware Update 1.2: Keeps reappearing and Thunderbolt ports and Target Display Mode may not work - Apple Su…

After installing Thunderbolt Display Firmware update 1.2, while in clamshell mode, I kept on getting the popup message during login.

"Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update could not complete"

The only way to get rid of that was to cleanup directory "/System/Library/CoreServices/Firmware Updates", using Disk Target Mode...

Was not able to remove files as root, nor in SUM.

Not sure which folder exactly was causing the popups...

Use at your own risk 🙂

I hope that helps

Same here - fails to install, and never shows up again under Updates in Software Updates.

I checked and I do NOT have the correct firmware or micro port firmware.

It keeps complaining that it failed to install, but there is no option to install it from within Software Updates.

Is there a direct link to this update somewhere?

Same problem. Always at start-up I get the pop-up mentioned above, while the firmware versions for display and ports are not up-to-date. App Store updates does not contain any update that would be applicable here. So now I am lost... What to do?

Same here. Every time I boot my late 2013 Mac Pro, I get the "Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update could not complete" message.