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Frozen mouse loop on external HDMI monitor on MBP late-2016

dashwin

dashwin

macrumors regular
Original poster
UPDATES: Scroll down to the replies below for updates on this issue..

I have my mouse cursor frozen (using Trackpad on the MBP) for about 2 seconds every 5 seconds when an external monitor is connected.

And this freeze goes into a loop, fans start running and then only stops when I remove the external display. Activity monitor shows about 30% CPU when normally I see only 4% when idling.

TON of errors in Console...

See https://paste.ee/p/S7pvl for Console error/fault capture

error 06:11:55.393016 -0700 com.apple.AmbientDisplayAgent Invalid display 0x2b283753
error 06:11:57.278381 -0700 WindowServer Error: Unable to acquire capabilities, return code: 0x2006
error 06:11:57.374362 -0700 WindowServer [ERROR] - MPServiceForDisplayDevice: Invalid device alias (0)
error 06:12:55.325453 -0700 WindowServer [ERROR] - Attempting to get capabilities from capabilities with no devices
error 06:12:55.338191 -0700 WindowServer [ERROR] - Driver bug - rowBytes too small. Display 0x2b283753, ioModeID 0x80003000, ioModeDepth 0x1, bytePerRow = 32, width = 1, bitsPerPixel = 32, minRowBytes = 7680 stored width = 1920. Forcing minRowBytes (possibly still wrong).
Click to expand...

Was working fine (barring a few minor issues) with Sierra -- started happening with the High Sierra update 🙁

To add to that, on boot it shows the display on the external monitor but with the continuous mouse freeze issue. After booting up I just get a blank screen when I unplug/plug the external display (and the mouse continues with that freeze loop).

Config: Late-2016 MBP 15" with upgraded display adapter, HooToo for USB-C -> HDMI (Hootoo adapter) and then a HDMI -> DVI-D cable connected to a Dell FPW2405 1920x1200 monitor.

Anyone else face a similar issue?
 
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UPDATE-1 Apple: After spending nearly 2 to 3 hours calling Apple Support and using their screen sharing to take logs, dumps when the problem occurs, Apple happily claimed that the issue belonged to HooToo and I should contact them.

UPDATE-2 HooToo: After contacting HooToo, the company says I can ship them the old product and they can replace it. They also said they are working on a firmware update for Mac OS High Sierra but would not confirm that the update would fix my issue.

---

My question here is how can Apple point the finger at HooToo when it is the Mac OS High Sierra update that caused the device to misbehave in the first place?

It was working fine on Mac OS Sierra. Given there are so few USB-C hubs out there, I would have expected Apple's lab's to have tested these and sent out notices to HooToo products at the very least.

Moreover, how can an OS update break device compatibility? Is there no attempt to maintain backward compatibility? Are the USB-C spec/interfaces so undocumented that a mere OS update can break compatibility? What gives?

I've very rarely had such an issue with USB devices. They seem more rock solid tested than USB-C devices. That may be because of the maturity of the spec. Perhaps the USB-C spec leaves a lot to interpretation that may be causing these issues?
 
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remaker said:
I just wanted to write to say I have the EXACT problem with a "Travel Inspira USB C HDMI Hub, with USB 3.0 Port and Type C Recharging Port for MacBook 2016, Chromebook Pixel and More Type C Devices" from Amazon (item B01GKSPMCQ), but only with SOME HDMI monitors. Same error, same mouse issues.

It is a Parade Tech PSM176HDM chip at the core.
Click to expand...

I am thinking this is a Mac OS High Sierra incompatibility that Apple overlooked. Having "invested" in USB-C only ports for their MBP line up, the LEAST they could do is to ensure that existing devices that customers have purchased continue to work.

Making such a HUGE BOLD bet on USB-C only to have devices break because of an OS update is really Apple not owning up to the problem. Apple is fast becoming like what HP was many years back.

remaker said:
No problem with the equivalent genuine Apple part.
Click to expand...

Which genuine Apple part did you use?
 
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Travel Inspira support wrote back to me and said that there will be a hardware revision available in December 2017, and they will send replacements on request to people who request them. I will be awaiting my replacement unit, covered under the 2 year warranty.
[doublepost=1508779683][/doublepost]
dashwin said:
Which genuine Apple part did you use?
Click to expand...

The "Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter," also known as MJ1K2AM/A.

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJ1K2AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter
 
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remaker said:
Travel Inspira support wrote back to me and said that there will be a hardware revision available in December 2017, and they will send replacements on request to people who request them. I will be awaiting my replacement unit, covered under the 2 year warranty.
[doublepost=1508779683][/doublepost]
Click to expand...

I got a similar response from HooToo as well. But I need to ship the product back to them for them to send a replacement back with postage being paid by myself. Need to just find the time to do this.

remaker said:
The "Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter," also known as MJ1K2AM/A.

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJ1K2AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter
Click to expand...

I bought this one and I can agree that this works flawlessly. Such a pity that it costs $70 (with tax) for something that you can get otherwise for $20 with third-parties that don't work.

Apple wants us to just buy their highly priced hardware accessories. I guess it keeps all the testing/compatibility simple for them but unfortunately leaves little choice to the end user. Such a closed garden. It wasn't this bad about 10 years back. With the priorities being just iOS and iPhone/iPad, everything else takes a back seat.
 
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dashwin said:
I have my mouse cursor frozen (using Trackpad on the MBP) for about 2 seconds every 5 seconds when an external monitor is connected.

...

Anyone else face a similar issue?
Click to expand...

Yes! I finally found this thread after a lot of other posts and sites complaining about mouse issues that weren't quite right.

I was using a Belkin HDMI cable to connect a "MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)" laptop to a
Dell UP3017 monitor. It took a while to identify the HDMI as the issue because it's so left-field for a mouse issue.

I'm not using any USB-C hubs or anything like that. The only other devices connected are a MagicMouse 2 and a standard Apple A1243 USB keyboard.

Shame I will not be able to use an external monitor with this machine.

Also, this is under MacOS Sierra (10.12.6), not High Sierra.
 
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I received the replacement part from Travel Inspira today, Model TITC05GY.

It has the exact same problem.

If I disconnect the HDMI monitor, it works fine.

The HDMI monitors that fail include the Cisco DX80 and the HP 2335. I have another HP monitor that works fine with the old one that I suspect will work well with this one, too.

This new one supports 5V charging from my Anker charger, so that's a step up from the old one. But the video is still broken.

I read somewhere that turning off Night Shift would make it work. When I turned off Night Shift and plugged it in, my mac hung hard and needed a forced restart. Sigh.

After reboot, neither turning off automatic brightness nor turning off Night Shift helped.

So, back to square one.
 
keithdtyler said:
I was using a Belkin HDMI cable to connect a "MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)" laptop to a
Dell UP3017 monitor. It took a while to identify the HDMI as the issue because it's so left-field for a mouse issue. I'm not using any USB-C hubs or anything like that. Shame I will not be able to use an external monitor with this machine.
Click to expand...

Update, I am able to use a Mini-DP-to-DP cable to use an external monitor. No issues. Really strange that this is solely limited to HDMI.
 
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UPDATE: The 10.13.2 High Sierra update fixes the mouse stuttering with the HDMI monitor for me, at least with one of my adapters, I will test the other tomorrow.

EDIT: The mouse stutter is gone with all of my third party adapters in 10.13.2 and 10.13.3.

However, with a Cisco DX80 monitor, the monitor momentarily blinks off every 5 seconds with either of the 3rd party HDMI adapters. This is still an improvement over the full system hangs prior to 10.13.2.
 
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Also, on the comment thread of http://blog.fosketts.net/2016/11/26/beware-usb-c-hdmi-adapters-flaky-2016-macbook-pro/, a commenter noted that:

When I connect my USB-C/HDMI adapter it does exactly as you say, but when I look in System Profiler I noticed something that is also apparent in your SP screenshot: it's trying to use 10-bit color (ARGB2101010). My display can't handle 10-bit color. While it *should* convert it, or negotiate 8-bit color, it's sending 10-bit.

When I connect it to either my TV or my AV receiver it does the same thing. Neither supports 10-bit.

I suspect this has to do with the wide color internal displays and not picking a different pixel type for the external displays. Or something equally arcane.

So maybe the problem only exists on older monitors that can't properly negotiate 10-bit color?
 
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Bought a new Macbook Pro 2017, 15" today, bought an official Satechi adapter in the store, and I am also experiencing this problem.

Has anyone found out a solution yet?
 
Having the very same issue with Macbook Pro 2017 15'' with Touchbar - connecting HP Z43 causes exactly the same problem. Other monitors we have in company (BenQ, Dell) works without any problem. Connecting directly via Thunderbolt cable which is also capable to deliver up to 100W of power. (Tried different cables as well).
 
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