New Thunderbolt Display not working with Macbook Pro 2011

[Hupnar]

Hi all.

I have a 2011 Macbook Pro that used to work wonderfully with a Thunderbolt display (the one that had both a thunderbolt and hdmi port necessary to use).

However, my family recently upgraded to one of the Thunderbolt 2 displays, that only uses the Thunderbolt port, and my laptop seems unable to read it, while my dad's new macbook reads it just fine. I've done a ton of searching on the matter, and I can't find anyone who's having problems getting the display to read at all.

The Thunderbolt 2 should work just fine with my laptop as far as I have read, so any tips would be much appreciated!

Thanks

 

[heisenberg123]

Hi all.

I have a 2011 Macbook Pro that used to work wonderfully with a Thunderbolt display (the one that had both a thunderbolt and hdmi port necessary to use).

However, my family recently upgraded to one of the Thunderbolt 2 displays, that only uses the Thunderbolt port, and my laptop seems unable to read it, while my dad's new macbook reads it just fine. I've done a ton of searching on the matter, and I can't find anyone who's having problems getting the display to read at all.

The Thunderbolt 2 should work just fine with my laptop as far as I have read, so any tips would be much appreciated!

Thanks

is the 2011 MBP a thunderbolt enabled device?

 

[Jaben3421]

is the 2011 MBP a thunderbolt enabled device?

Yes. The early 2011 MBP was the first product to receive Thunderbolt.

Hi all.

I have a 2011 Macbook Pro that used to work wonderfully with a Thunderbolt display (the one that had both a thunderbolt and hdmi port necessary to use).

However, my family recently upgraded to one of the Thunderbolt 2 displays, that only uses the Thunderbolt port, and my laptop seems unable to read it, while my dad's new macbook reads it just fine. I've done a ton of searching on the matter, and I can't find anyone who's having problems getting the display to read at all.

The Thunderbolt 2 should work just fine with my laptop as far as I have read, so any tips would be much appreciated!

Thanks

You keep mentioning Thunderbolt 2, which currently only the nMP and late 2013 rMBP's have. I don't think Apple has released a thunderbolt 2 display yet, because the buyer's guide shows it as not refreshed. That would be the only thing keeping your MBP from working with it. Your MBP should work with the display if it is actually a 2011 model. If you can, try having it read another thunderbolt device, like a hard drive or one of Apple's adaptors, otherwise it might need a trip to the Apple store.

 

[MCAsan]

However, my family recently upgraded to one of the Thunderbolt 2 displays

So such animal as Apple Thunderbolt Display II unless it was released in the last few seconds.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC914LL/B/apple-thunderbolt-display-27-inch?fnode=53

 

[Hupnar]

Ah, I was told it was a Thunderbolt 2 display. Apparently I was mistaken.

My laptop has not read another Thunderbolt display for about a month, but I don't think it has stopped being able to read them all together. That being said, I don't have access to another one :/

My father's brand new macbook pro works just fine with the new display, so I thought maybe I just needed to activate or reset something.

It just seems such an odd problem that I literally just can't get it to activate for my laptop.

 

[heisenberg123]

Ah, I was told it was a Thunderbolt 2 display. Apparently I was mistaken.

My laptop has not read another Thunderbolt display for about a month, but I don't think it has stopped being able to read them all together. That being said, I don't have access to another one :/

My father's brand new macbook pro works just fine with the new display, so I thought maybe I just needed to activate or reset something.

It just seems such an odd problem that I literally just can't get it to activate for my laptop.

do you have any firmware or thunderbolt updates pending on your MBP?

 

[Hupnar]

Installed all pending updates and restarted: no change.

Could I be missing firmware/tb updates, somehow?

 

[Weaselboy]

Ah, I was told it was a Thunderbolt 2 display. Apparently I was mistaken.

My laptop has not read another Thunderbolt display for about a month, but I don't think it has stopped being able to read them all together. That being said, I don't have access to another one :/

My father's brand new macbook pro works just fine with the new display, so I thought maybe I just needed to activate or reset something.

It just seems such an odd problem that I literally just can't get it to activate for my laptop.

Try an SMC reset following this. That can help with external video connection issues.

Installed all pending updates and restarted: no change.

Could I be missing firmware/tb updates, somehow?

Nope... it would come up in normal software update for you. I assume you have done that.

 

[Hupnar]

Tried with my brother's macbook pro (he has a late 2011 version), no luck with his either.

 

[Cmd-the-World]

Hi all.

I have a 2011 Macbook Pro that used to work wonderfully with a Thunderbolt display (the one that had both a thunderbolt and hdmi port necessary to use).

...

There is No Thunderbolt display from any manufacturer that needs a Thunderbolt and a HDMI cable to function. I think you are referring to the old Apple Cinema Display that used a Mini Display Port and a USB port.

Tried with my brother's macbook pro (he has a late 2011 version), no luck with his either.

Make sure that you have all the updates necessarily. Any firmware updates that you need to do with relation to Thunderbolt. Apart from that connect the display to your father's laptop and check for any firmware updates needed for the Display. I know when it launched a few months later Apple released a firmware update for the display. It was a long time ago and by now they should come shipped with the update enabled. However give it a try maybe you need to update the display.

 

[heisenberg123]

thunderbolt updates

 

[Hupnar]

Reset the SMC, no luck.

Tried every one of those firmware and software updates, I either received the message: "this software is not supported on your system" (which I assume means I have the update already) or that my mac wasn't a high enough version to update.

I did get my brother's (late 2011) computer to work with the monitor, so now its only mine not working.

 

[Cmd-the-World]

Reset the SMC, no luck.

Tried every one of those firmware and software updates, I either received the message: "this software is not supported on your system" (which I assume means I have the update already) or that my mac wasn't a high enough version to update.

I did get my brother's (late 2011) computer to work with the monitor, so now its only mine not working.

Are you sure you have a Thunderbolt port? The Mini Display Port and the Thunderbolt connecter share the same design. Can you verify that next to your Thunderbolt port (On the Mac) there is the lightening logo (the same as the one printed on the cable of the display)?

There are 2 reasons why I think the display isn't working for you. Either you do not have a 2011 MBP but an older version or else you have a hardware problem with your laptop and needs to be repaired since you have all the Thunderbolt updates installed.

 

[ssmed]

I did get my brother's (late 2011) computer to work with the monitor, so now its only mine not working.

Do you have any device that works through this port - a mini-display monitor, thunderbolt disk or ethernet adaptor. Knowing this would determine whether the problem is specific to the display and its connection or the port.