2011 MBP: Thunderbolt connector going bad?

[BJB Productions]

Hi all,
Starting today, my secondary monitor will randomly go black then come back. If I wiggle the mini to VGA connector, it will go black randomly as well. To make sure it was not my adapter, I plugged it into a Macbook and it worked fine. I tried moving it but it never went black. I don't want to get this repaired, but this sounds like a possibly bad Thunderbolt port, am I correct?

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

If your port is bad apple will fix it for free..

Why don't you want it repaired?

 

[BJB Productions]

If your port is bad apple will fix it for free..

Why don't you want it repaired?

I'd love to get it repaired, however it's just a pain because they generally take (at least at my Apple store) two weeks to repair it, and I need my computer for work... So I'll have to live with it for now... but that is good that they will repair it. I need to get Apple care before 90 days is up on this.

 

[TenderBranson]

make sure you don't have gfxstatus enabled on "integrated only"

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

I'd love to get it repaired, however it's just a pain because they generally take (at least at my Apple store) two weeks to repair it, and I need my computer for work... So I'll have to live with it for now... but that is good that they will repair it. I need to get Apple care before 90 days is up on this.

you have 1 year of Apple Care and you can extend it at any time during that 1 year.

The 90 days is only for live phone support.

 

[harcosparky]

Hi all,
Starting today, my secondary monitor will randomly go black then come back. If I wiggle the mini to VGA connector, it will go black randomly as well. To make sure it was not my adapter, I plugged it into a Macbook and it worked fine. I tried moving it but it never went black. I don't want to get this repaired, but this sounds like a possibly bad Thunderbolt port, am I correct?

I assume you are plugging the mini into the TB port?

Could it just be a mechanical incompatibility between the mini connector and the TB port and not necessarily the TB port?

Is there a TB->VGA adapter out? I would try one if there is one.

Or are the two connectors actually the same?

.

 

[Macloven]

I'd love to get it repaired, however it's just a pain because they generally take (at least at my Apple store) two weeks to repair it, and I need my computer for work... So I'll have to live with it for now... but that is good that they will repair it. I need to get Apple care before 90 days is up on this.

I had a similar timing issue when I purchased my mbpro, and learned that there is a higher level repair service that guaranteed one day turn-around. Don't remember the name..maybe Apple Plus or something like that. Anyways, motherboard was bad and I had a huge work project....so I begged with the service guy which is when he mentioned this other service. It was maybe $99 and good for a year. 24 hour turnaround was fine, but it was even better. Dropped the computer off around dinner time and they called me back before I got home (20 minute drive) to tell me it was done. Maybe the exception but the best most productive $99 I've ever spent.

Mark

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

I assume you are plugging the mini into the TB port?

Could it just be a mechanical incompatibility between the mini connector and the TB port and not necessarily the TB port?

Is there a TB->VGA adapter out? I would try one if there is one.

Or are the two connectors actually the same?

.

TB uses the same connector as mini DP, there are not additional connectors...