Mac Mini 2018 HDMI failes after OS upgrade / patch

[tstimper]

10.15.3 as well. Using a straight HDMI to HDMI cable.

- Mac Mini 2018 i5 / 10.15.3 / HDMI to HDMI cable works after power on
- Mac Mini 2018 i7 / 10.15.3 / Apple HDMI to DVI Adapter doesnt work after power on until disconnect / reconnect
- Mac Mini 2018 i7 / 10.15.3 / Apple Thunderbolt to HDMI Adapter -> Apple HDMI to DVI Adapter does work after power on

 

[MandiMac]

I mean this is probably out of left field, but could it be that your monitor is acting weird and can't switch between the sources properly? Just asking because I had that phenomenon under Windows a few years back - the signal was too weak so-to-say that the monitor didn't switch to the right source, I had to do that manually.

 

[D.T.]

- Mac Mini 2018 i7 / 10.15.3 / Apple Thunderbolt to HDMI Adapter -> Apple HDMI to DVI Adapter does work after power on

Problem solved!

Seriously, though, if I'm reading your posts correctly, you've had no problems, upgraded to MacOS v.whatever, HDMI port has issues, you get your mobo replaced, everything is fine, then you upgrade again ... rinse wash repeat multiple times? It sounds like all the mobo replacements were not necessarily, it's OS related - but more to the point, there's a simple, solution you've ID'ed above - unless you've got some really compelling need to use the HDMI port, I'd use the adapter and enjoy the machine.

I mean this is probably out of left field, but could it be that your monitor is acting weird and can't switch between the sources properly? Just asking because I had that phenomenon under Windows a few years back - the signal was too weak so-to-say that the monitor didn't switch to the right source, I had to do that manually.

I've got fairly modern displays, Dell U2518 (X2) and I did note when I ran one on HDMI, there was a good bit of latency on wakeup that was mostly resolved by setting in the input manually. FWIW, I'm running both on USB-C/TB to mDP adapters (and the Dell supplied mDP-DP cables), they work flawlessly.

 

[tstimper]

I checked with a direct HDMI cable to a monitor and a beamer and if the connected device does search for input source then that after a while triggers the HDMI output of Mac Mini 2018 to work.

So my conclusion for MacMini2028 and HDMI
- if the connected device does not a search for input sources which triggers a reconnect to the Mac Mini 2018
than the HDMI port needs a manually disconnect / reconnect
That happend with HDMI to DVI adapters

- if the connected device is something which does search for a HDMI source that triggers disconnect 7 reconnect events at the HDMI port of the Mac Mini 2018 and in such case the HDMI port works after a while.
With a HDMI beamer and a HDMI monitor it needs about two or three search cycles to get the HDMI port running

I did checked it now with macBookPro 2015 i7 2,8 GHz / discrete AMD Radeon R9 M37X and HDMI is working after power on.

Older Mac Mini are working with HDMI with or without adapters so we only see this with MacMini2018 and HDMI.

The HDMI port needs a reonnect, manualy or by automatic input search of the connected device to get HDMI working.

In my opinion this still is an issue which needs to be fixed.

 

[Toonartist]

Do you have Mac Mini 2018 i5 or i7?

I have the 2018 i7 Mac mini. Bought it December 2019... not sure if that makes any difference

Edit...

"- if the connected device is something which does search for a HDMI source that triggers disconnect 7 reconnect events at the HDMI port of the Mac Mini 2018 and in such case the HDMI port works after a while.
With a HDMI beamer and a HDMI monitor it needs about two or three search cycles to get the HDMI port running"

The monitor I was using with the HDMI cable scans all ports/cables for an active connection during boot cycle (Eizo Coloredge). If after one cycle no active cable is found it goes into standby but, when a cable becomes active it then brings the monitor out of standby and connects it.

I've stopped using the HDMI cable now as I bought an HDMI headless plug so I could use DisplayPort cables for both monitors directly from the eGPU. A fix to a different Apple fault 😂.

 

[tstimper]

amazing how apple is not interested in finding the causes and solving the problem.
I really do not unterstand why they do this. Every time i called Apple support they first told me that they never heard about any problems. So everybody who calles them thinks, he is the only who sees this problems. But, if you read this, you are not allone, perhaps nearly everybody would see this problems using HDMI adapters or cables. This is faulty design and bugs in software and Apple helpless tries to fix this by replacing logicboards over and over...

 

[MandiMac]

amazing how apple is not interested in finding the causes and solving the problem.
I really do not unterstand why they do this. Every time i called Apple support they first told me that they never heard about any problems.

Wait - in your OP you said the following:

Mac Mini 2018 -> no HDMI after OS Upgrade is a known problem.
Apple support confirmed to me today that they know that and are working on a solution.

So, what it is now: Support never heard about any problems or it is a known problem and they are working on a solution?

 

[tstimper]

Wait - in your OP you said the following:

So, what it is now: Support never heard about any problems or it is a known problem and they are working on a solution?

It depends who you are talking to. If you chat with Apple first level support, then they deny that a generel problem exist. They say, the do not have any records of an existing problem with HDMI at Mac Mini 2018 Happen for me about five or more times. Three times a asked for second level support and they tried to put the chat to them but this always disconected the chat.

Then opt in for callback. Two or three times i got a call from Apple but i was only the message that they cannot reach me. So there phone system was broken.

Two times i was able to speak with someone from the second level support.

First sesson with second level support:
He told me that he never heard about that issue and they have no documents about that.
We did internet recovery to Catalina 10.15.2 and Mojave 10.14.6, that went well, HDMI was working.
But always after the next update like Catalina 10.15.3 or Mojave 10.14.6 supplemental update HDMI broke.
The Apple support advisor asked me to bring back the MaciMini 2018 to the Apple partner and they got a new logicboard from Apple. at this time i had already got the logicboard repleaced.
This shows me that they do not know how to fix this.

So i got my MacMini 2018 with new logic board back, it had Mojave 10.14.6 on it and HDMI was working.

I did a internet recovery to install Catalina 10.15.2 which was current at that time and HDMI still was working without any issue.
A day later Catalina 10.15.3 came out and i updated and the HDMI error was back.
From this i came to the conclusion that HDMI on the MacMini 2018 breaks always after the second macOS update. perhaps thats why its so difficult to see a structure here because everybody use another version and other external devices and has other timeframes to update and so on.

Ok, then i had a second session with somebody from Apple second level support and i told my story again and that the logicboard was already replaces twice. This person told me that they know that there is an issue and the are investigating it bit there is no internal document how to fix this. But replace of the logicboard helped most times. Sure, the next two updates are safe as i can see.

The problem is, if you are ok with hat and you do not update so often and you do not Applecare you will left allone with a broken device after one or two years. Thats not acceptable. I cannot even swap the 1 tb
ssd out of this device and put in in a external box.....

This second level Apple support advisor told me that the only way to get HDMI working again is to go back to Mojave 10.14.5 which is not possible for customers because we cannot downolad 10.14.5.
With Catalina installed you can use in terminal softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.14.6 to download 10.14.6, but that is not working for 10.14.5

He told me, i need to go to an Apple store , they are able to restore older macOS versions like 10.14.5.
But think about, 10.14.5 is security level from 2019-05-22, its three quarters of a year old.

An Apple partner cannot do it, only a Apple store. So i need to drive 80 km to the next Apple store to get an nearly a year old macOS to get my HDMI running. Ok, i could let the local Apple partner replace the logicboard with a new one, but new logicboards come with 10.14.6 alreary installed and there is no way to go back to 10.14.5. Ther is no 10.14.5 installer available from Apple anymore., only update and combo update.

I cannot put this device in production and i cannot buy another MacMini 2018 until this is fixed.

Remember, three MacMini 2011 and one MacBookPro 2015 are working without any issues with HDMI.

And still no official confirm of this issue.

What a nightmare, this is #macmini2018hdmigate

Thomas

 

[Fishrrman]

tstimper wrote:
"So my conclusion for MacMini2028 and HDMI
- if the connected device does not a search for input sources which triggers a reconnect to the Mac Mini 2018
than the HDMI port needs a manually disconnect / reconnect
That happend with HDMI to DVI adapters

- if the connected device is something which does search for a HDMI source that triggers disconnect 7 reconnect events at the HDMI port of the Mac Mini 2018 and in such case the HDMI port works after a while.
With a HDMI beamer and a HDMI monitor it needs about two or three search cycles to get the HDMI port running

The HDMI port needs a reonnect, manualy or by automatic input search of the connected device to get HDMI working."

This is VERY interesting information.
I suggest you send it Apple for their evaluation.
Don't call -- try sending as a bug report.

 

[tstimper]

tstimper wrote:
"So my conclusion for MacMini2028 and HDMI
- if the connected device does not a search for input sources which triggers a reconnect to the Mac Mini 2018
than the HDMI port needs a manually disconnect / reconnect
That happend with HDMI to DVI adapters

- if the connected device is something which does search for a HDMI source that triggers disconnect 7 reconnect events at the HDMI port of the Mac Mini 2018 and in such case the HDMI port works after a while.
With a HDMI beamer and a HDMI monitor it needs about two or three search cycles to get the HDMI port running

The HDMI port needs a reonnect, manualy or by automatic input search of the connected device to get HDMI working."

This is VERY interesting information.
I suggest you send it Apple for their evaluation.
Don't call -- try sending as a bug report.

i had another call with Apple support. He thought that internet recovery would bring macOS back to 10.14.0 but 10.14.6 was installed which seems to be the version where the bug started.

So i will file a bug now.

 

[tstimper]

Feedback reported to Apple ...

tstimper wrote:
"So my conclusion for MacMini2028 and HDMI
- if the connected device does not a search for input sources which triggers a reconnect to the Mac Mini 2018
than the HDMI port needs a manually disconnect / reconnect
That happend with HDMI to DVI adapters

- if the connected device is something which does search for a HDMI source that triggers disconnect 7 reconnect events at the HDMI port of the Mac Mini 2018 and in such case the HDMI port works after a while.
With a HDMI beamer and a HDMI monitor it needs about two or three search cycles to get the HDMI port running

The HDMI port needs a reonnect, manualy or by automatic input search of the connected device to get HDMI working."

This is VERY interesting information.
I suggest you send it Apple for their evaluation.
Don't call -- try sending as a bug report.

Feedback reported to Apple

 

[ClarkMcCollough]

I share your pain with the 2018 Mac mini running 10.15.3. My hardware is a 3.2 Core i7 with 2TB SSD and 64GB memory. Multiple display issues, including validating your HDMI motherboard port issues as well as eGPU issues. First, let me validate and repeat your HDMI port issues (eGPU disconnected).

Booting with HDMI port yields no screen, although the monitor is sensing the connection but nothing displays. Disconnecting and reconnecting the HDMI cable, usually results in a normal display. A warm restart results in a normal display. A shutdown, then cold restart gets the blank screen. All this is repeatable. One time after a cold restart with no visible display, entering my password and waiting resulted in a visible screen near the end of the boot sequence. Another time, it remained blank till I unplugged and replugged the HDMI port. I avoid these issues by using an Apple TB3 to HDMI/USBa adaptor. This works consistently as you would expect. No single monitor HDMI issues with the TB3 HDMI adaptor.

AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE DISPLAY STORY (aka eGPU issues)

My eGPU hardware from Apple's suggest eGPU list was a OWC Bundle Mercury Helios FX 650 with Radeon RX 580 8GB GDDR5. As reported elsewhere, the system would not boot with this attached. Interestingly, with the above monitor connected via TB2/HDMI I could track the boot process till after I entered my password, when the system would go blank. Unplugging and booting with just the HDMI monitor then adding the eGPU worked (sort of see application comments below). OWC reports these issues, along with the observation that going to a different Radeon graphics card seemed to work. So I swapped the graphics card to a Radeon RX Vega 56. This boots OK, and works fine except for the one Apple application I use most.... Photos. Photos opens, but selecting any photo results in an appellation crash with crash report to Apple. Highly repeatable. Disconnecting the eGPU allows Photos to work normally. Interestingly, other applications including Parallels with Windows 10 seems to function OK with this eGPU and Radeon RX Vega 56 graphics. My normal configuration is 2 eGPU driven monitors with one HDMI monitor (3 total). When I have to work off of just one monitor, my faith in Apple and "it just works" is compromised.

Since these issues appear unique to the 2018 Mac mini, I suspect some sort of hardware/software bug. The fact Apple has not been able to fix this is discouraging to say the least. Sometimes I plug my 2017 MacBook Pro into the eGPU and use it like I would the Mac mini with 3 monitors, and I have no problems.... so the mini is the issue.

 

[watakoola]

My eGPU hardware from Apple's suggest eGPU list was a OWC Bundle Mercury Helios FX 650 with Radeon RX 580 8GB GDDR5.

I'm using the same eGPU and card as you are and have no issues with photos.

But, yes, I have the same boot issues and am eagerly awaiting the delivery of a "Display Emulator Plug Headless Ghost Emulator" as suggested by other MacRumors Forum members.

 

[tstimper]

I share your pain with the 2018 Mac mini running 10.15.3. My hardware is a 3.2 Core i7 with 2TB SSD and 64GB memory. Multiple display issues, including validating your HDMI motherboard port issues as well as eGPU issues. First, let me validate and repeat your HDMI port issues (eGPU disconnected).

Booting with HDMI port yields no screen, although the monitor is sensing the connection but nothing displays. Disconnecting and reconnecting the HDMI cable, usually results in a normal display. A warm restart results in a normal display. A shutdown, then cold restart gets the blank screen. All this is repeatable. One time after a cold restart with no visible display, entering my password and waiting resulted in a visible screen near the end of the boot sequence. Another time, it remained blank till I unplugged and replugged the HDMI port. I avoid these issues by using an Apple TB3 to HDMI/USBa adaptor. This works consistently as you would expect. No single monitor HDMI issues with the TB3 HDMI adaptor.

Great that you can confirm that behavior. My hardware is a MacMini 2018 3.2 GHz 6 - Core i7 with 1TB SSD and 32GB memory.

I have filed a bug at https://feedbackassistant.apple.com feedback number FB7574065.
Could you please report your issue to Apple using feedbackassistant and post the feedback nummber? You can refer to my feedback number and i will do the same.
Anybody else able to confirm this issue? Than please report this to apple using feedbackassistant and post your feedback number. We need to get Apple to react to #machmini2018hdmigate

That could affect all MacMini 2018 and perhaps this is not only a software bug, but a hardware bug.
has anybody an estimation how many MacMini 2018 where sold? That can add up to expensive coast for Apple.

@Apple: investigate this issue and react.

 

[tstimper]

more reports of this issue in thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mac-mini-buyers-guide-status-caution.2223672/

 

[watakoola]

I'm using the same eGPU and card as you are and have no issues with photos.

But, yes, I have the same boot issues and am eagerly awaiting the delivery of a "Display Emulator Plug Headless Ghost Emulator" as suggested by other MacRumors Forum members.

I can confirm the "Display Emulator Plug Headless Ghost Emulator" works!

You do not get a boot screen or a login window though. So, you need to press the relevant letter on the keyboard to select which User and then 'blind' type your password.

It's not perfect but beats the hell out of disconnecting cables on every start.

 

[tstimper]

ok, good to know that

i was doing the 'blind' typing of the password at the beginning after enabling VoiceOver.
The additional problem in my case was that i am always using FileVault and than after power on
HDMI was not workig eben with disconnect / reconnect while waiting for FileVault unlock password.
I had to type in the FileVault username / password 'blind' or with VoiceOver ebnabled.
After macOS 10.15.3 was booted i could disconnect / reconnect HDMI and then it was working.

So thats a hardware / firmware issue, not a macOS issue in my oppinion.
This is #macmini2018hdmigate

I think, if we look exactly every MacMkini2018 could be affected.
(Honestly, i think every MacMini2018 is affected)

 

[watakoola]

The additional problem in my case was that i am always using FileVault

I'm not using FileVault.

 

[MevetS]

...


I think, if we look exactly every MacMkini2018 could be affected.
(Honestly, i think every MacMini2018 is affected)

That’s clearly not true, as noted by myself and others in that same thread you claimed had additional examples of your problem that you referred to above:

Mac Mini - Buyer's Guide status: caution

Hello, my iMac 2013 died (GPU burn), so I think about Mini 2018. But... - MacRumors Buyer's Guide shows status: caution - checked with some Apple resellers: Mac Mini i5 (16 gb ram, 256 or 512) mostly marked as "waiting" or "on request". I'm not into rumors, so I'd like to ask here: is there a...

forums.macrumors.com

To state it plainly, my 2018 Mac Mini does not have this problem. The HDMI port has worked fine since I bought it, both before and after upgrading MacOS Catalina versions.

 

[tstimper]

To state it plainly, my 2018 Mac Mini does not have this problem. The HDMI port has worked fine since I bought it, both before and after upgrading MacOS Catalina versions.

Good to know that there are MacMini2018 with working HDMI port.

So i will bring back the broken device to the Apple partner. Hope they can fix it now in software or hardware.
I am still curious in which configurations or in which circumstances the MacMini2018 falls into the broken HDMI status.

Perhaps if somebody see this HDMI issue, that there is something in common.

My MacMini2018 has:
3,2 GHz 6 Core I7
32 Gb memory
1 TB SSD
10 GB Ethernet
Apple HDMI to DVI Adapter
This adapter is working without problems with same monitor with MacMini 2010, MacMini 2011, MacMini Server 2011, Apple Macbook Pro Retina 15" 2.8GHz 2015 M370X.

And this adapter connectet to a Apple Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter works with MacMini2018.

So for e its still not clear if that is a hardware or a software issue and its still not fixed.

Lets see what Apple support can do now.

 

[lemmifun]

Great that you can confirm that behavior. My hardware is a MacMini 2018 3.2 GHz 6 - Core i7 with 1TB SSD and 32GB memory.

I have filed a bug at https://feedbackassistant.apple.com feedback number FB7574065.
Could you please report your issue to Apple using feedbackassistant and post the feedback nummber? You can refer to my feedback number and i will do the same.
Anybody else able to confirm this issue? Than please report this to apple using feedbackassistant and post your feedback number. We need to get Apple to react to #machmini2018hdmigate

That could affect all MacMini 2018 and perhaps this is not only a software bug, but a hardware bug.
has anybody an estimation how many MacMini 2018 where sold? That can add up to expensive coast for Apple.

@Apple: investigate this issue and react.

I have the same problem as you have. Using 3 monitors 2 USB-C to Display Port and 1 HDMI to HDMI
I upgraded from Mojave to 10.15.3 and can not use my HDMI Monitor any more.
I have still the original SSD with Mojave and it does not work anymore with the HDMI Monitor.
I reference your feedback number in my case FB7591598.

This is extremely frustrating. I purchase an extra SSD that I cloned to prevent any surprises. I need the 3 display for work and have now a useless setup.
Looking through all the complains, I can not believe that this has not be resolved.

 

[tstimper]

Thank you, i added your FB number to my FB. I got no response from Apple til i reported this on

Feb 11, 2020

The status is
Recent Similar Reports:None
Resolution:Open

Did you got any response from Apple?

Do you have Apple Care for your Mac Mini2018?
Then you can let them replace the logicboard.
The last two logicboards came with Mojave 10.14.5 and if no upgrade or patch would be installed, the HDMI port will remain working.

So you (and me too) will get back a MacMini2018 with a working HDMI port, but with security level of nearly a year ago.

This is extremely frustrating. I purchase an extra SSD that I cloned to prevent any surprises. I need the 3 display for work and have now a useless setup.
Looking through all the complains, I can not believe that this has not be resolved.

I strongly agree, this situation is unacceptable.
This is #macmini2018hdmigate, that has to be fixed by Apple.


Maybe not everyone who has a defective MacMini 2018 sees the problem.
If you use a HDMI cable connected display which searches for a signal source at least twice,
them this search will trigger a disconnect / reconnect and after that HDMI works.

But if you are using a Apple HDMI to DVI adapter or a display with fixed source, than a manually disconnect / reconnect is necessary to get the HDMI port working.

And, if somebody (like me) using FileFault do encrypt the onboard SSD using the T2 chip, than he or she has to type in the username and password blind because the disconnect / reconnect trick does not work in this early state of booting the MacMini2018.

And if you are using a firmware password, than you need to do all blind, you see nothing at the screen.
With one of the replacement logicboards i had the situation than even the Apple Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter did not help. The display remained black.

 

[bapegg]

I finally switched from using a HDMI-DVI cable on mine to a USB-C to DVI cable. I bought the Smolink cable that has been recommended by so many here. I'm still running 10.14.6 and have not done the latest security update. I got tired of the "snow" or blank screen upon wakeup along with the blank screen at cold startup. It gets frustrating having to unplug the cable all the time. So far so good with the Smolink cable.

 

[macfanboy]

I‘ve been having this issue as well. I phoned AppleCare a few months back (maybe October or November), but they directed me to an Apple Store that told me to just wait for a firmware update. Fast forward to today: I got sick of the issue again, so I phoned them again. They escalated me to a senior advisor that actually took diagnostics of my machine and displays (which was a bit odd because one of the internal apps they had me use was unsigned!!).

They said they’ll send those diagnostics to engineering who will get back to me by Saturday. Will update here how that goes

 

[macfanboy]

Update: the senior advisor called me back, said engineering thanked me for my diagnostic data, and said to look out for a fix in a future software update. Unfortunately no timeline for a fix.