Cinema display stopped working MacOS 10.14.4 upgrade

[ollie2012]

Hi,

hoping someone might be able to give some advice or point me in the right direction to try to sort this out.

I have a Cinema Display 20in (Aluminium) connected to a 2018 Mac mini, using a DVI to HDMI adapter.

The display was working fine until I upgraded from 10.14.3 to 10.14.4 yesterday.

Now on starting the computer up, I get a snow storm after the computer boots from apple progress logo to login screen. If I unplug and plug the HDMI adapter the display returns to normal.


Can anyone help?



Many thanks,

Ollie

 

[applelex]

I too have a Cinema Display 20in (Aluminium) connected to a 2018 Mac mini, using a DVI to HDMI adapter. The display was working fine until I upgraded from 10.14.3 to 10.14.4. I don't get any snow, but what I do get is an vertical pink/purple line down the side of my screen.
I tried booting from a different volume that was an older OS, but the line remains.

 

[TETENAL]

I too have a Cinema Display 20in (Aluminium) connected to a 2018 Mac mini, using a DVI to HDMI adapter.

I have the same configuration and it's working fine. I'm using the Apple HDMI to DVI adapter for what it's worth.

 

[applelex]

Thanks Tetenal. Since my problem persists across different boot volumes (not all are Mojave), sounds like my problem is more hardware. Good to know your set up works!

 

[Honza1]

I was just writing elsewhere, that my experience with dongles (adaptors) has been less than perfect. When this happens, first suspect dongle and try another one. Only if that one fails same way, look for other problems. I have Apple dongle which failed, so it not only generics which fail.

 

[applelex]

Thanks Honza1. Excellent point, changing the boot volume wouldn't make a difference if the dongle is the issue. I will try to see if I can isolate this further.

 

[ollie2012]

I haven't yet resorted to buying a new dongle but suspect I will. Whilst trying to sort this out I tried booting without the monitor plugged in, then after waiting a good few minutes to ensure it had fully loaded I plugged the HDMI dongle in and the display was perfect. All very strange. I am highly suspicious that something has changed in the video drivers with the upgrade which is messing it up. Any thoughts?

 

[ollie2012]

I haven't yet resorted to buying a new dongle but suspect I will. Whilst trying to sort this out I tried booting without the monitor plugged in, then after waiting a good few minutes to ensure it had fully loaded I plugged the HDMI dongle in and the display was perfect. All very strange. I am highly suspicious that something has changed in the video drivers with the upgrade which is messing it up. Any thoughts?

I can confirm that for me, it was the 10.14.4 update that was the problem. I performed a complete clean install with 10.14.3 and it is now working again.

Interestingly when I looked at the automatic 10.14.4 update description again, it says it is meant to fix some external displays having problems connecting to Mac mini 2018, not break them.

This is the first time in over 15 years of using macs that an update has actually “broken” things.

 

[Flash SWT]

Just stumbled across this thread while trying to troubleshoot my brand new 2018 6 core with 23" ACD and the HDMI to DVI adapter. I went straight to 10.14.4 so can't compare to 10.14.3 but have the same symptoms.

Pink line down the left side of the monitor and horrible ghosting (burn in) look that makes it unusable. The display works perfectly if plugged back into my 2009 Mac Pro.

 

[Honza1]

This is the first time in over 15 years of using macs that an update has actually “broken” things.

Really? Lucky you!!! I can name few cases when OSX update broke something. Just the 10.14.4 has been troubling - after update my system developed weird behavior with external dock (two different brands). If I let computer to fall asleep (really deep sleep, after more than 2 hours) on wake something does not wake right. System is slow, mouse moves slowly, restart is close to impossible to achieve. Unplugging dock kills system. But forced shut down is the only reasonable solution anyway... I submitted bug report and after few weeks they close it as duplicate of other existing bug (not mine). I hope 10.14.5 will fix this as my docks are now useless.

So, they break stuff routinely. This is not the first time - and I suspect not the last time. Usually these are rare cases - specific hardware combinations and unusual setups. Most users may not hit any issues - I just use 4 dongles instead of one dock and all is perfectly fine. Figuring this ahead is difficult to impossible.

 

[Flash SWT]

Unfortunately 10.14.5 doesn't offer any improvement for me.

 

[Flash SWT]

I don't want to jinx anything, but this issue appears to have cleared up for me after installing Mojave Security Update 2019-001.

What changed in Mojave 10.14.6 Security Update 2019-001?

A detailed list of those bundled apps like Photos, and system components, which were updated in this Security Update.

eclecticlight.co

 

[woodenbrain]

I'm suddenly having a problem wth veritcal lines on an old Apple Cinema Display (used as second monitor). Lines appear on right 2/3s of screen (exactly) only. Not on fresh boot after PRAM reset. But they recur. Recently upgraded from High Sierra to Mojave 10.14.6 and applied available security update (as of Dec 2019). So … something broke this, in software.

AMD Radeon HD 7950 3 GB graphics card in upgraded 2009 Mac Pro (5,1 flashed).

 

[ollie2012]

Quick update. Still having this issue despite trying complete reinstall with 10.15.3. Still reluctant to down grade back to 10.14.3.

Apple again suggested their own adapter. So, bit the bullet and went to apple store and bought an Apple DVI to HDMI adapter - unfortunately, but predicatably, this made no difference at all.

So I now need to muster the strength to get back in touch with Apple again at some point...

I'm thinking the answer would be to swap the graphics driver for the 10.14.3 version. A look on google gives lots of sites about making hackintosh boot discs.

Anyone know any good links to help undertand if this is possible or not?

Thanks,
Ollie

 

[Flash SWT]

I've been using the Apple HDMI to DVI adapter from the beginning.

Unplugging and re-plugging it in after booting fixes the problem until I shutdown again. It usually remains working fine after a reboot though.

 

[woodenbrain]

I'm now having problems with my primary display. It's a 2008 24" LED Cinema Display (A1267) with MiniDisplay Port. It's connected to the AMD Radeon HD 7950 3 GB graphics card in upgraded 2009 Mac Pro (5,1 flashed). The old ACD mentoned above I retired, replaced with a Asus VW222 (DVI) as secondary. This 24" LED CD keeps shutting off. Plugging and unplugging it sometimes works, SMC resets sometimes work for a while. Seems to be affected by humidity and/or heat. Cooling down, turning on AC in house, and repeated SMC resets work. But problem now occuring frequently. I can't really tell if it's the monitor or the graphics card that's overheating. The monitor itself does not seem hot. But the graphics card works without issue with the VW222. I'd get another monitor, but afraid it's the graphics card.

Suggestions?

PS: I'm now on 10.14.6, but have not applied the most recent security updates. Should I, as earlier security updates seems to have fixed similar previous problems?

 

[California]

There is a difference between the pre 2007 Apple Cinema Displays and the later ones. In my experience, I could not playback HD content on the earlier display circa 2006; it was useless except for word processing at the time of Mavericks

 

[ollie2012]

Thought I ought to update this thread. I haven't found a solution to the original problem i.e. HDMI >> DVI converter, however, I saw a youtube video where someone was using an old Cinema display with a relatively modern macbook and they were using a Thunderbolt/USB-C to DVI adapter. I have been unplugging and replugging my diplay in for the past few years with no solution and so thought I would give this different converter a go.

Miraculously, it works perfectly! I cannot believe I didn't investigate this further previously but very happy to finally not have to keep unplugging/replugging my monitor everytime I restart the computer.

The adapter I bought was a BENFEI USB-C to DVI adapter. I have placed a link to the Amazon page where I got the adapter if anyone else is still struggling with this and wants to consider trying it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0768RFQ83?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details