Just bought a second monitor and I am having the same issue with crashing on wakeup from sleep while in clamshell mode. One of the common things I have noticed in this thread is the use of the AMD Pro 5500. Has anyone resolved their issue?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MBP 16" crash with second screen
- Thread starter mdesta
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm also occasionally getting a crash when starting up with two monitors attached (through a CalDigit TS3+). This system also has an AMD Pro 5500, like @DesignerKen.
One thing I'm trying right now is uninstalling the Intel Power Gadget that I had installed to get more details in iStat Menus. Do either of you also have this extension installed?
One thing I'm trying right now is uninstalling the Intel Power Gadget that I had installed to get more details in iStat Menus. Do either of you also have this extension installed?
Just had another crash, so it doesn't look like Intel Power Gadget or it's kernel extension were the cause.
Here's the first line of the crash report:
Here's the first line of the crash report:
Im not using that extension, and I am directly connected from the monitors to the MBP. Although I assume the same would happen to any sort of dock.
I have been using a single monitor since my last post without issue. When I connect the second I may get 1 or 2 sleep cycles in before the lockup and reboot happens again.
Are you able to close your laptop with the 2 monitors connected?
Ive had luck with sleep after resetting SMC, but even after updating to 10.15.5 beta, my laptop crashes 100% of the time when I close the lid with 2 monitors connected. 1 monitor is fine to close the lid, 2 monitors fine with lid open. Frustrating
The comment you quoted is referring to the MBP in clamshell orientation (closed laptop).
I am having a similar experience as you are, but I am not running the beta OS. I have a colleague who is also running the Beta as you and has the same issue.
The common thread I have seen is everyone is running the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M, I am curious if non 8GB memory in the AMD or a different video card solve this.
Thanks for clearing that up. My laptop is a AMD Radeon Pro 5300M 4 GB with the same issue. What kind of cables are you using when you're able use clamshell with 2 monitors?
USB-C that came with monitor, I also purchased new USB-C cables to make sure that it was not the cables.
I've experienced this same issue with both a 2015 MBP 15" and a 2019 MBP 16", when plugged into 2x LG UltraFine 5ks; upon sleep/wake 9 times out of 10 I'll be greeted with the white Apple logo, as the MBP has crashed and is rebooting. Highly frustrating! This has been happening now for a year or so. I've done a lot of searching for an answer to this issue, and in the meantime have prevented my MBP from sleeping, which is far from ideal.
The "solution" I have now found, from another post elsewhere (I forget exactly where - I've done a lot of searching), is to use the Amphetamine app from the App Store. With it I have set up a trigger that will prevent my MBP from sleeping when there are 3 displays present (including the MBP built-in display). This means that when I have the 2x LGs plugged in, it will automatically prevent the MBP from sleeping, but when only 1 screen is plugged in (which doesn't seem to cause the issue) or just using the MBP screen, it will allow it to sleep as normal. What makes this so usable is that it has an option to allow the displays themselves to turn off, whilst keeping the MBP awake, which seems to be the important factor. It seems that it's not the displays going to sleep that's the issue, but rather the MBP itself.
As others have said, hopefully this is a software issue, and Apple will release a fix soon. However, as this has been happening for some time now over 2 laptops, I doubt this is going to be fixed anytime soon. I was hopeful with the supplemental update just released for 10.15.4, as the release notes talked about it fixing an issue with MacBook Airs when they would crash when plugging/unplugging an external 4k/5k display - but unfortunately I can confirm this did not fix it for me.
The "solution" I have now found, from another post elsewhere (I forget exactly where - I've done a lot of searching), is to use the Amphetamine app from the App Store. With it I have set up a trigger that will prevent my MBP from sleeping when there are 3 displays present (including the MBP built-in display). This means that when I have the 2x LGs plugged in, it will automatically prevent the MBP from sleeping, but when only 1 screen is plugged in (which doesn't seem to cause the issue) or just using the MBP screen, it will allow it to sleep as normal. What makes this so usable is that it has an option to allow the displays themselves to turn off, whilst keeping the MBP awake, which seems to be the important factor. It seems that it's not the displays going to sleep that's the issue, but rather the MBP itself.
As others have said, hopefully this is a software issue, and Apple will release a fix soon. However, as this has been happening for some time now over 2 laptops, I doubt this is going to be fixed anytime soon. I was hopeful with the supplemental update just released for 10.15.4, as the release notes talked about it fixing an issue with MacBook Airs when they would crash when plugging/unplugging an external 4k/5k display - but unfortunately I can confirm this did not fix it for me.
Hi,
Stumbled upon this thread. New MBP16-owner, and I can just chime in to say it's still going on with 10.15.5. External display connected + allowing MBP to go to sleep = crash. This thread (which is currently 8 whole pages long, started in december and still on-going) describes hordes of unhappy apple-owners still experiencing this. Exactly the same behaviour for everyone, so it's not cables, a specific screen or anything unfortunately.
discussions.apple.com
Stumbled upon this thread. New MBP16-owner, and I can just chime in to say it's still going on with 10.15.5. External display connected + allowing MBP to go to sleep = crash. This thread (which is currently 8 whole pages long, started in december and still on-going) describes hordes of unhappy apple-owners still experiencing this. Exactly the same behaviour for everyone, so it's not cables, a specific screen or anything unfortunately.
External Displays won't come back on - Apple Community
I think it's various different issues for everyone, I've experienced the exact same one the OP had:
Path: /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SkyLight.framework/Versions/A/Resources/WindowServer
Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Hope it's not a hardware issue, as I don't have the option to just return the device
For me, owning the device for a week, it happened just once, and right after waking up - when this happened, the device slept while a Youtube page was open - I hope it's just Chrome and GPU compatibility related
Path: /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SkyLight.framework/Versions/A/Resources/WindowServer
Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Hope it's not a hardware issue, as I don't have the option to just return the device
For me, owning the device for a week, it happened just once, and right after waking up - when this happened, the device slept while a Youtube page was open - I hope it's just Chrome and GPU compatibility related
I am very pleased to report that for me, after several years and several MBPs, the issue seems to be completely resolved in macOS Big Sur. I've been running the developer preview now for about 3 days, and each time the MBP wakes from sleep, the built-in screen fades in first, followed quickly by one of the LG UltraFines, and then the other. No more "dance of the screens" and no more crashes. I know it's early days, however previously it would have crashed multiple times by now 🤞
Could you test for longer days and tell us if it's fine?
I got same issue of External display connected + allowing MBP to go to sleep = crash , what I have to do now is never let the MBP 16 go to sleep mode.
@Miles Fu that sounds horrible :/ better to just disconnect the screen, with the heats that a MBP16 generates with an external screen, it's a recipe for an early death
Did you guys do this test by the way, it needs to be done with 5.1.0 - it forces a display driver crash, and if the device reboots when the crash happens, it's considered as an internal graphics failure :/ (Maybe Metal needs to be used, I forgot, but the UHD 630 is the culprit)
Did you guys do this test by the way, it needs to be done with 5.1.0 - it forces a display driver crash, and if the device reboots when the crash happens, it's considered as an internal graphics failure :/ (Maybe Metal needs to be used, I forgot, but the UHD 630 is the culprit)
I can concur that Amphetamine works for me as well on my Macbook Pro 16" with an 8G AMD 5500 connected to a Thunderbolt 3 dock with two monitors. But, in addition to using this app I also employ the following steps:
1) Never connect the laptop in clamshell mode to a thunderbolt dock of monitors or individual monitors by themselves. First, open the laptop lid, wait for the laptop screen to wake, then connect to externals. Wait for the external monitors to wake, then return to clamshell mode. Immediately wake the laptop with an external keyboard.
2) Start Amphetamine, unless it is already running.
3) When you are done for the day, open up from clamshell, wait for the laptop screen to wake, disconnect all external devices. Set Amphetamine up so it isn't running when nothing is connected. Close laptop lid and put the computer to sleep.
I have had zero kernel panics for over two weeks now employing these methods.
A call to Apple support only suggested the usual suspects: Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM and Reset the System Management Controller (SMC). This is a waste of time for most people. The only other suggestion by Apple support was to do an OS reinstall, which I'm not going to do. I'll wait for Big Sur.
Thanks for you sharing.
Just want to confirm: With your settings, your 16" MPB and External Monitor can go sleep mode during daytime and wake up by external keyboard without problem, right?
Just finished the Geekbench test, verion 5.1.0, successful test without issue, the OpenCL Score is 5030
You need to test with Metal I guess, not OpenCL, it will cause a GPU crash observable in the Console app, get a low score of ~2000, but if the device doesn't reboot, you are safe
Edit: This is the inception, just found: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250905859?answerId=250905859021#250905859021
Great to hear 👍
If it didn't reboot, no obvious hardware issues
I luckily only experienced one reboot, didn't repeat, however regularly Sublime Text crashes between graphics switches - it's so bizarre and saddening that some of you experience further issues while others don't, my sympathies are with you
If it didn't reboot, no obvious hardware issues
I luckily only experienced one reboot, didn't repeat, however regularly Sublime Text crashes between graphics switches - it's so bizarre and saddening that some of you experience further issues while others don't, my sympathies are with you
My setup is two external monitors connected to a thunderbolt dock. I can use screen saver or put the system to sleep, but I am using the Amphetamine app to keep things alive.
just to check if everything is OK with Big Sur, no more issue till now? Thank you
I will need to try some of the things in this forum. My MBP 16" (i9, 5500M 8gb) is having external monitor issues. I attach it (already clamshell'd up) to two LG monitors (one 5K, one 4K) and things run just fine. Then I go to leave, I tell the MBP to sleep and detach it. When I open up the screen, the machine has rebooted and I have to enter my password. My old 2018 15" MBP never had this issue. Really stupid.