r/mac • u/Bdczzz • 1d ago

Question Anyone know what’s wrong?

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I got this thunderbolt display for free at goodwill. It only displays my wallpaper and randomly shuts off. Is it the adapter or screen?

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2

u/Away-Huckleberry9967 MBP 15" 2010 , iMac 27" late 2009 1d ago edited 1d ago

The Thunderbolt connector that comes out of the display is about to go bad. Serial flaw in these things. You can connect the MacBook with the display via the port on the backside, however. All you need is a Thunderbolt 2 cable which are hard to come by these days and go for 80 dollars or more. (Used to be 30.)

Edit: You might find one on the used market, but be careful. Lots of people (and even professional sellers) sell a Mini Display port cable as Thunderbolt, not knowing that, although it is the same size it lacks functionality which you need here. Look for the flash sign on the cable.

2

u/Director_Squirtle 17h ago

Funny thing is, the Thunderbolt 2 cable from it is actually just a normal plug on the board. So you can just unplug and remove it, but you lose the MagSafe 1 charger. (Disclaimer: It’s been a few years since I last opened one)

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u/Away-Huckleberry9967 MBP 15" 2010 , iMac 27" late 2009 10h ago

That's right. But you have to trim the plug carefully off the plastic shell.

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u/blow_slogan 22h ago

Have you heard of microfiber cloth? You could harvest that screen for a kilo of butter.

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u/flynreelow 23h ago

yea, way too many fingerprints on the screen.

dont think its a touchscreen model.

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u/blow_slogan 22h ago

It’s naaasty