I have owned a 23″ Cinema Display for the past one and a half years and I really enjoy using it. It recently stopped working and would not wake up from sleep. The problem turned out to be the power supply brick which I just replaced for $80 (including shipping).
I did suspect the power supply and took it in to a repair shop to see if it was the problem or not. It worked fine in the store. However, we did not leave it plugged in for long enough to realize that it would shut down after a minute from a cold start and after a few seconds on subsequent tries.
So, if you have a problem with your Cinema Display, verify the power supply before sending in the whole unit for repairs (~ $400).
Pasha Sadri 
man – I have the same exact problem right now! It’s a 23 inches and it doesn’t even turn on now.
Same display and same problem. Apparently this is comon.
Me too the support in Dubai is non existent )-:
Same issue except I was told by Apple that I was to try some of their reseller’s like Macmall or Amazon for the power supply which seems it isn’t very easy to find :(
I thought the price I paid for the monitor was for quality craftmanship!
I’m having the exact same problem. I bought my 23″ Cinema Display back in June of 2006. I’ve had it almost exactly 1 and a half years. I wonder if this is a specific batch that has faulty power bricks…?
If it’s a manufacturing flaw, I want Apple to pay for it.
Can you guys post serial numbers or something so we can see if it’s a certain manufacturing Lot that is faulty?
When my display is on, it seems to work while I’m using it; but when it’s off it takes a minute to turn on. Sometimes, it won’t turn on at all, and pressing the “touch” power button doesn’t seem to do anything. If I hold the power button down, the little white light will blink on for a split second, and then turn back off. UGH…! I did NOT expect this from Apple!
Same exact problem and symptoms as me, Chris B. Sometimes fine, other times not at all, and the little occasional blinking light is exasperating!!!
Can’t find a serial no. associated with the power supply – the model no. is A1097, probably the same for all of ’em.
I have exactly the same problem as Chris B. The monitor worked great for a few days and all the sudden it wouldn’t turn on again. The power light would remain off at all the times; however, if I hold the button down for a few seconds, the light would flick for a split second and then turn off again.
I even thought that it was the power adapter as reported here so I bought a new one. The monitor worked for a few days and then it stopped working again!
Did anybody figure out what’s going on here? Any responses would be appreciated.
Thanks!
abillef: Since you lost two power supplies in a matter of days, it could be that you need a surge protector. I think my power supply failed when i was using a power drill on the same circuit and that might have created an electrical surge (just speculating here).
Dear pashasadri,
Thanks for your follow-up. I actually had the power adapters plugged in to a surge protector so I am thinking that there may be something wrong with the monitor’s inverter. Any thoughts? Was your problem solved simply by switching power adapters?
I have the same problem with my 23″. I’m on a 7 port surge protector. Although a bothersome, what I’ve noticed working is switching one outlet to the other on the same surge protector. There probably is really something wrong with the adapter, nevertheless a quick fix(?)…
Im using a 30″ Cinema Display and it didnt turn on with my mac pro. (After switching on & off the mac pro it eventually turns on…)
With Apple Care i received today a new W150 adapter.
Tho the light still flicks for a split second and then turn off again… What is normal? That this ‘power-on’ light is on? Or off?
on my 30″ (2.5 years old) the display suddenly went dead – took to PCWorld they said psu ok shipped all to apple —- faulty psu – got a new psu 130 then 6 months later same wont switch on thou the psu appears to work on other systems …
interestingly the 30″ in the apple show has been there all day everyday for 3 years also i am wondering wether apple shops get military grade stuff (obviously)
also i have also only had it lying flat on its side noticed someone mentioned heat dissapatiopn ???
LED is on while the screen is on when screensaver comes on it goes off …
I believe the light should stay on when the display is turned on. I am not sitting in front of one right now and I can’t remember what it does when it is sleep. good luck… I wish I had a 30″…
When the monitor or computer goes to sleep the little light goes to bright and dim and oscillates between. I never turned off just put my mac to sleep at night. Not long experience. I buy this quad core 2.5 g5 and 20 inch monitor for $100. So far no problems. Only 1 month old for me.
same problem here guys… 23″ purchased in June 2006 stopped powering on today. Purchasing a new adaptor will fix the problem? Any feedback from the ones who purchased the adaptor?
Thanks!
not guaranteed to solve your problem. but, it is the first thing to try before spending $$$ on repairs. if you have friend with a similar monitor, you can try powering up your display with their power supply to see if that’s the source of the problem. or you can take the monitor to a repair shop and do the same to verify.
I was wondering where did you purchase the power adapter? I’ve seen it online but for over $100.. Thanks
I called apple’s 1-800 support to order the replacement power supply.
Having same problems with my 23″ Cinema Display. I purchased a new “brick” and it worked great for about 4 days. Then my new brick stopped working. So I plugged my old one back in and it worked again… for 2 days, then stopped.
I pulled one off of another 23″ Cinema Display and tried that, that one worked, then stopped after a few days. Went back to brick 1 and it worked.
So, alternate 3 bricks every few days and your troubles will be solved ;)
What a pain.
My 4-year old 20″ (clear plastic) Cinema Display is still rockin’ though. No power bricks on those bad-boys.
Ditto to EVERYTHING you said. 20 Clear PLastic saved my life!
Having the same problem. As my 23 inch diplay is still under warranty I took it back to the supplier and they plugged it in with their power brick and it still wouldn’t come on – just the intermittent little white blinking light.
Looks like this is a common problem. Apple shouldn’t be charging for repairs.
I have a similar problem with my powerbook and 23″ Cinema Disp. and I have been dealing with it for more than a year…
After a long period of frustration I figured out that instead of waking the computer normally (though keyboard and mouse) I unplug the eliptical connection on the displays power brick and plug it back in after 1 or mostly 2 seconds. This method seems to work for me, give it a try.
I have lived with the same problem on my Cinema 23. When it first happened, I visited the Apple store Genius bar and they verified that it was a bad power brick and they replaced it free (since I had purchased it from the on-line Apple store. The new one worked fine for most of a year, but then started having the same issue. If we left the display on, it wouldn’t wake up from sleep. We discovered that unplugging the brick from its external voltage source allowed it to recover after a minute or so, sometimes longer. So our work-around is to add a clip strip for the display power brick and to turn off the voltage supply when we are not using the computer. This is pretty clutsy, but it works.
This morning I had this problem and end up here reading for a solution. I was really pissed off not finding any easy solution or respond from my display… until I just change not the power supply (because I didn’t have one) but the power cord I took a black ordinary power cord that fits on the power adapter and it WORKED! its not with grey but my display works now. I hope it could help someone else.
-Marc-
Ran into the same problem. If I leave the display on when the computer goes to sleep for an extended period of time it won’t wake up. The fix for me has been to unplug both the elliptical and the power cable from the brick and wait a few minutes, then plugging it back in it pops right up. Funny that so many people have this problem with displays made at this time…I got mine in June ’06 as well.
A nosotras nos pasa lo mismo, pensamos que es un error de conexión, lo dejamos descansar desconectamos todo y lo volvemos a encender, es la única solución que hemos encontrado para que funcione.
La pantalla de 23″ la tenemos desde hace 3 años junio 05, y ha comenzado a dar problemas hace 3 meses, pero hasta ahora ha funcionado correctamente.
I’m having same problem with my Apple 23″ display.It doesn’t turn on from sleep. Before this, it flashed off several times after waking up from sleep. Now I have to mess around with power cables/plugs/button and keep finger crossed. My display was bought used, I don’t know exact purchase date. But from the serial# (located underneath the stand, 11 digits), it was manufactured in Dec 2005. You can check the manufacture date at here: http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html
I had the same problem – my 23″ monitor just stopped working one day.
After reading this page, I tried changing the power cable connecting the brick to my surge protector with a black spare one I had from an old PC monitor and it worked – my monitor came back (it’s been about a week now).
Mind you, everything isn’t quite right though.
The power indicator in the lower right corner of the monitor goes out as soon as the monitor comes on, and the USB ports on the back of the monitor don’t seem to work consistently anymore.
Perhaps replacing the brick would fix these last two problems.
I purchased the monitor in the fall of 2006 – I’ll check the serial number for the manufactured date when I get home.
I have the same monitors (2 of them), only one of them has this problem. Both bought in mind-late 2006 as well. Will try swapping the power supplies between them for fun to see if I have the same problem with the other monitor or not.
I have the same problem with my 23 inch display. I purchased it a year and a half ago. I usually connect to my MacBook, one day no image shows up, only a blinking light on the bottom right corner (short long short pattern). I took it to the Genius bar to get it tested with a different brick, still the same issue. He tells me it would be $450 to fix. this really sucks.
shit i just got this prob 2dy . i have 2 x 23 inch screen .. i have my screens for 14 month now damn.
noting works here for me.. its not the power cable . cuz i can use it with my working scree…
but maybe its the cable thats stuck onto the screen ? that is broken somehow
any1 any ideas what i could do .. ?
serial starts with 2A706 ..
I’ll add my woes to the list. I, too have a 23″ Cinema Display. I purchased it from the local Apple Store in July 2006. It was manufactured in March 06.
At first I thought the problem was USB related. If the cpu went to sleep it would not wake up… right away. Then I read somewhere that I might have a bad USB hub. I removed that and I no longer had the problem. Only today, I needed to hook up the shuttle drive and still everything was fine… UNTIL I went to lunch and forgot to unplug the hub.
Upon returning from lunch, I found the black screen and almost nothing worked. Luckily a friend happened to give me an old mitsubibishi monitor and that worked fine… after a few rounds of kernal panics. I tried the dual monitor routine and still, the Apple Cinema display would not work.
So I gave up and reconfigured my office with a HUGE monitor on my desk AGAIN and then I found all of you with the same problem. Since I had my power brick “unwired” after the reconfigure, I tried one last time because it had been sitting unplugged and NOW it is working.
It SEEMS that it was the power brick or some other internal problem – maybe the brick overheats? For now I will keep the current configuration (both monitors) just to get the work done.
I’ll keep reading and post back should the situation change.
Hi,
I have the same problem, and bought it also in Summer/Fall of 2006, I think probably end of August.
Recently I experienced the same problem with the monitor, it won’t wake up after sleep. Previously i noticed that when I turn it off manually with the button on the right, it would turn back on in a couple of seconds, but it was fine. Now, I don’t want to turn it off as it will never go back on. I tried something else though. I logged in from my laptop via remote desktop, and found out that the monitor had lowered its resolution to 1024×768 and probably that’s why it didn’t want to turn back on. I changed it to the full 1920×1200 it it woke up immediately. Maybe the monitor has a switch built in, and if the power adapter gives it less power, it would lower the resolution? But it doesn’t make sense, as the resolution has nothing to do with power management, as all crystals are lit the same way on the display, no matter the resolution. So, can anyone try this method? Changing the resolution back on via remote desktop… Or maybe there is a program to do that, and I can assign it a hotkey (when i press it, it will always go to 1920×1200).
I found a way. Download SwitchResX and set it up with a hot button so 1920×1200 is a key. If the monitor doesn’t want to wake up, press the key combination and this should fix it.
My apple cinema display wouldn’t wake up after a period of sleep and then it just would’t start at all, no matter how many restarts I had. I tried many solutions, even reformatting the hard disk but it only got worse. After searching the internet I understand it is a problem with the power supply but before buying a new one I followed Vince’s advice about lowering the monitor’s resolution and it did work like a charm!.
It’s been three days now and so far so good. I hope that this little trick works for a long time.
Before turning off the computer, go to system preferences, choose displays and select a lower res display. When you restart simply go back to your regular resolution. Don’t forget to lower your res again before shutting down your system. Try it out, it might work for you too.
Same problem here: 23″ cinema display bought in 06.
It sounds like the same problem other ppl are having, if my PC puts the display to sleep it won’t turn back on, likewise if I tap the power button on the display it turns off but won’t come back on.
I have been leaving the display’s power brick unplugged from the power when the computer’s not in use and only plugging it in once the computer has been running for a minute or so. This was reliable for a few months but now it’s working maybe 5% of the time at best. So it will gets worse people.
Adjusting the screen resolution in the was described above doesn’t seem to help.
No-one at my local apple shop has heard of this problem (apparently).
Bit lost for options… any ideas?
Exact same problem here.
Initially unplugging and then plkugging the monitor again fixed the problem, now doesn’t work anymore.
Whant we can do, people?
OK, I have another solution…
turn on the computer… and then try plugging and unplugging your display’s power cable from the outlet really fast. Maybe 2 plugs/unplugs per second. In a couple of seconds, it will turn back on. I suspect something in the power supply is wrong and it doesn’t get enough power to turn the display back on, but when you do this trick, there are spikes that go into the power supply which make it go to the wanted Watts. That is why probably the display resolutions works – it might use less power when it’s lower.
AWESOME! Dude I cannot believe that this method of plugging in and out really fast actually works. I took this in to Apple a year ago before just fixing it myself with tips from the comments on this blog. Switching the cable that goes into the power brick from the white one to another one I had worked originally, but about 6 months later the screen just shut off and would not come back on. Then I came back here and saw your tip on plugging and unplugging really fast. It took about about 10 plugs/unplugs but it does work. Thanks. Apple should really be ashamed of themselves for not recalling these displays. If you spend $1,000 you expect to get a better quality product.
Thanks Matt. From all the possible solutions posted here,yours is the one really works of plugin and unpluging power supply few times.
thanks again.
The plugging and unplugging works! Thank you kindly, Vince!
holy shit that worked. I had to run my cord in an awkward way, so I’ll need to unlpug it again to tidy things up.
Then I use a black screensaver, and never turn my monitor off. That way I don’t have to do the spike nor the resolution method.
I also have the same problem with my 23 inch HD Cinema at work. I am a Graphic Designer and there are 2 other Designers here we all have the G5’s with the 23 inch, and we came to a conclusion that it was the power adapter. We switched out my adapter and put another one from the other G5 and it went on immediately. So she took mine and here screen would not go on at all. So we switched them back and of course mine didnt go on and the other one did.
I rang apple and told them the problem. After being transfered to the service department (i think) I was given a reference number and told to take the display into an apple authorised repairer.
So… I just dropped my display off at an authorised apple repairer and it cost me AU$75 for them to look at it.
Will update when I hear from them.
Hi everybody, thanks for the posts that each has posted I now know I’m not alone in this night mare. I bought my 20′ monitor May / 07 and I have no exrended warrenty I’ve been in touch with Apple and they wash their hands of it. I got the same problem as each of you, I guess I try as each sugested, thanks again for the info. Duncan G.
hmm interesting site. I like to utilize my juicy education Wanna very nice joke?)) What is the most popular wine at Christmas? “Can’t we open the presents yet?”
Update:
(refer to earlier posts)
Got my display back back from the Apple Shop a few days ago where they ordered me a new power brick.
Seems to be working perfectly now.
The power brick cost AU$155
(and since I had already paid $75 when I dropped it off I only had to pay the difference — so total repair cost for $155 Australian dollars)
For reference the Apple Store I’m referring to is actually an Authorised Apple Reseller and Service Agent called Nextbyte.
Update:
My BRAND NEW power brick just shat itself. There was a click noise from the brick (loud enough to hear over music) and my display went dead. It has that hot electrical smell and there was the tiniest bit of black soot on the power cord (the fat cord that connects the brick to the wall outlet) when I unplugged it from the brick.
Not happy…
Same problem here. Apple 23″ display purchased July ’06. Went to wake up my computer, display stays black, and then the usb hub stops working. Pretty sure it’s the power brick. I heard a loud click that I thought might have been the hard drive when the computer woke up, but now I’m thinking it was the brick frying.
Can someone please get their brick to light on fire so we can get a recall?
This monitor has been nothing but trouble. one pixel that goes green all the time, ghosting, weird discoloration around the edge of the screen. Probably one of the worst products Apple has ever made. I’m a very unhappy customer. I buy a lot of Apple gear, and this just wasn’t up to standard. This product should be recalled.
Hi everyone, I ended up at this page when one of my 30″ Apple Cinema HD’s wouldn’t power on upon start up.
There was no white light, the power button didn’t respond. I swapped bricks (since they’re both the same) but they weren’t the problem (the working monitor worked from either brick), so after reading through the replies here, I unplugged the non-working one from the brick and unplugged the brick from the wall.
About 20 minutes later, plugged it back in and it powered on fine. Hope it stays on! Not sure what the problem was, but it seems completely unplugging it is starting point.
Incidently the other 30″ once started up and was basically bright white, with the desktop showing through faintly. A complete unplug from the power for 30 minutes fixed that too…
23″ HD Display bought in the summer of 06 and it appears the brick is flaking out and/or fried. Can’t get the monitor to go on as of today. After about 15 mins. messing with the cords I finally got the power light to come back on. Started the computer and power light goes out and hasn’t been on since. No picture. Had to buy a VGA to DVI adapter ($12 at Best Buy) and drag out the old Sony CRT to even look for a replacement brick.
I bought my cinema display in June 2006 like many of you and I have the same problems. It will randomly decide to work when I plug it in. My Mac sees the monitor, it is a secondary display, it shows all of the settings for it, I can move my mouse over to where the monitor would be but its like the display just isn’t getting power.
This seems to be a common problem for Cinema Displays from 2006.
I bought my Cinema Display Summer 2006 and it worked fine until a month ago… It comes alive every now and then, and it worked fine at Best Buy, bust for the most part it sits on the back of my desk.
When I talked to Apple they said they had no other reports with similar problems, I’m surprised there hasn’t been a class action against them (I got 50 bucks from a class action for gen 1 Ipods)
Right after I posted this my 23″ Cinema Display sprang back to life!
Guess it was upset I was talking bad about it…
Same problems on 23″ Cinema display purchased February 2005 and on replacement unit received on July 28 2005. My “new” monitor worked fine until a few days ago when the internal clock battery died. I had been “never” allowing the monitor to sleep since taking delivery of the newer unit, but have had the screen saver kicking on after 5 minutes. This worked great for me because I usually shut down immediately after use. I am convinced that there is some issue with sleeping the monitor because the problem came back after my preferences were lost with the death of my battery. By the way, I was able to get the monitor back up by letting the power brick sit for a while and lowering the resolution. I’m not sure which of these was the cure. We’ll see what happens after I shut down in a few. I might try using a separate power strip for the monitor alone and never completely power it down. I agree with the folks who are saying that this product is not up to Mac standards due to these problems; a rel shame because the monitor is great in other respects. Good luck everyone
I too started having the non waking 23″ Cinema Display problem. I have a G5 dual 2gig with the 23″ Cinema Display and a 23″ older apple lucite display which is having no problem. The older display is hooked up to the ADC port, the dead 23″ is hooked to the DVI port. I had 2 firewire drives, a MIDI interface and my iphone charger plugged into dead 23″‘s ports.
Having gone 2 years with no issues (other than discoloration around the edges of the monitor) I shut the computer down one night, the next morning upon starting, the Cinema Display stayed black. I assumed it was the power supply. I made an appointment with the Geniuses who checked the power supply and found it to be functioning. My next thought was that the firewire drives had somehow put to much strain on the power supply. I bought a firewire hub to handle the drives, plugged the display back in leaving the USB and firewire cables unplugged. The Cinema Display started right up when I restarted my computer.
That lasted about 2 weeks. A couple of days ago when waking my system in the morning, the Cinema Display didn’t wake up. I hit the power button on the side of the display and it started up. This morning again the display was black. I tried the hitting of the power button game, this time to no effect.
I found this thread. I tried mirroring the displays, changing resolutions, nothing happened. Then I started writing this post. Halfway through the dead monitor came to life.
I’m at a loss. Has anyone tried switching video ports or cards?
Same problem. 23 inch monitor bought circa June 2005, possibly later). Power supply serial number = Y56036MNUKDB. Intermittently works after what appears to be a “cool down” period. We have a few of these 23″ displays in our office.
I determined the power supply was at fault when switching to a known working one. I sent in the faulty power supply to the Apple store and was told out of warranty — too bad. When I got it back it worked, and has worked for a few months. Then last night, it failed again. I got it back after leaving it unplugged (both the high and low voltage cables) and it came back on. I left it on and this morning, failed again.
I have had all the symptoms as noted above and wanted to put my two cents in to the thread. I have put up with this for months now, plugging and unplugging the elliptical plug seemed to work for a while, but doesn’t seem to now. No doubt there are many many more who are just putting up or paid the money to but a new power supply (or two). It’s pretty apparent that this is a design flaw and bad product. I will try the resolution, etc. suggestions above, but meanwhile, any new ideas from anyone?
30″ Cinema display, coupled with a mac pro.
After a couple of days away and a merry Christmas, back to my home, and the CDisplay would not start (no white led). I just tried the combination of cables, and the cinema display shuts down when i plug the USB cord on the mac pro. Comes back to live when i unplug it.
So far, in my case, this is just a wire problem, and it comes from the big cord between the display and the mac / brick.
I can leave without the x2 usb hub, since my display’s apple care has expired.
Thx a lot, I tried everything that has been posted on this website and only this trick helped. I hope it will last…
greetz
Michel
I have a 30″ Cinema HD Display Model # A1083 with year 2005 on label. The monitor has had intermittent on and off periods over the years and now is finally “off”, screen does not turn on to show video, but the power light does turn on and off when the power button is pushed. There is no blinking.
I’ve tested the power brick with a multimeter. Tested fine. outside pins 24.5 volts.
I’m really concerned that this is not a psu problem, but more likely a failed Display Inverter issue.
What are your thoughts? No video, but power light comes on and turns off (with no blinking) and PSU tested okay.
Should I simply replace both the PSU and Display Inverter? I have not tested the Display with another PSU yet.
Update: After unplugging the brick and letting it sit all night, I plugged it back in. (My G5 power pc was off.) It booted up normally, with the 23″ cinema display acting normally. When booting, the little white light on the display came on for about three or four seconds, then went out and remained out. I have now changed my energy settings so the display never sleeps, just goes to screen saver.
(As a note, I have no USBs or Firewires plugged in to the display.)
I propose filing a class action law suit if apple refuses to fix this. Clearly it isn’t an isolated incident.
Are we up for it?
Yess, sure.
But I am a resident of Belgium… to bad…
Sure, how do we do it?
This problem has been driving me nuts.
I have the same problem with a 4 year old 23″cinema display . I had previous problems as far as the video card was concerned corrupt ram created fuzz, so I upgraded it . The problems went away .
I left for vacation for a month and turned off all the equipment ,including the monitor .
I did not however unplug it from the no-break power surge protector .
I was frustrated that it would not turn on at all .
There was no info in the apple support sites about this problem .
I called for support and was told to take it into the genius(dumb ass) bar . I had taken the display into them two months before when the video card went bad . That’s how I figured the card was the problem , the monitor worked perfect at the store . Brought it back and the problem returned .
So knowing that the video card is not the problem , and that the computer is operating , the ports on the display operate , firewire usb etc . The only other logical answer IS the power supply set-up . And that may include all cables involved .
The Brick is nothing more than a transformer . It changes ac to dc power . The wires route the power to the display , and connect the hub on the display to the computer .
With time the heat produced from this transforming down from say 110V ac to 90W usage with only 24.5 volts can cause heat fatigue
and the transformer becomes less and less consistent . Eventually no longer working .
Halogen lighting transformers are a good example of this . If you have ever plugged too much demand on a transformer and it melts?
Using a voltage regulator before the ups and anything else you plug in is a good way to keep your electronics last longer .
And if you leave for extended periods of time , just unplug everything from the wall . Transformers keep working even if the device is off .
If you ordered a new Brick and it did not solve the problem , then the cables are the problem . They(apple) will sell you the brick along with new cables $87 including shipping and $30 back for the old stuff.
If the new one does not work either send it back again until you get a good one . These things are made in china and they have bad quality control . Apple will make right if you write to them with the complaint after several bricks fail in a row I’m sure .
So if your Brick is cold , it likely is dead . If it’s really hot , it is going to die soon .
same problem, 23″ cinema display bought in 2006 summer.
any ideas or solutions?
i’m very frustrated like you
respect
Hey guys,
I have the same problem with my 23″…all the symptoms you guys described matched my problem perfectly…but after more research, i think the problem is the DVI port on my powerbook. Here’s why i think this is the case…
There are certain VERY specific situations that the display will work. For example: The monitor display works (every time) when it is in secondary display mode (when the powerbook’s lid is open). But it works only when i unplug everything, plug in the DVI first, then plug in the power brick. The other day even this wasn’t working because i had some speakers plugged in. As soon as i unplugged the speakers, the process worked.
This all leads me to believe that the problem based on different frequencies being put out by the powerbook (based on setting, or what is plugged in).
For me this is not too much of a problem because i am getting a new laptop soon, but i suggest to everyone that you consider your laptop/tower to be the problem before sending out your cinema and paying a ton of money.
Dave
Hi , I got my new Brick and the monitor now works fine .
Dave: use an air compressor and blow out any dust from the laptop . Sometimes the processor heats up too much due to dust and causes these type of failures . But so do the power supplies . Check the video card maker for updates and make sure that when you unplug the extra display , that you return the video card settings to drive only one monitor , the main one . In system preferences click displays , then detect display . Make sure the resolution is the correct one .
Check in system profiler if all the hardware is being recognized properly .
Good Luck
same deal… JUST BOUGHT 23″ ACD and now it won’t wake from sleep w/ my new 15″ unibody MBP.
(i guess i got one of the last ones- they discontinued them the day my order went through – and shipped it 4 weeks late)
I’m actually in law school now and just finished up a section on class actions and coupon settlements, etc… whomever mentioned that before- not a bad idea. considering the # of people i just scrolled through with the same product, multiple set ups but same issue/result and same solution from apple, there is obviously something wrong with the ACD’s under normal use. it’s pretty ridiculous.
To wake monitor from sleep You must put your mac to sleep or turn it off by the button if it is in sleep mode already . Plug in the monitor to video card dvi , plug in the rest of the cables firewire usb then the power to ac . Turn the power on your machine . This should wake it up if it was in sleep . Otherwise I recommend you check the power supply (brick).It worked for me .
Yeah… my 23″ display too… bought in spring 2006.
Just tried the multi quick in-out with the power cord and it worked.
actually i 2nd that – power trick worked for me too. thanks!!!!
Hi all. Thought I’d throw one more on the pile… 23″ cinema display, purchased as a refurb sometime in 06 (to lazy to dig out the info). Just started flaking out this week. So far unplugging for a few minutes and plugging back in brings it back to life. The resolution is lowered when it powers back on. This is almost as frustrating as getting my Airport Extreme and Airport Express working together! Grrr…
Same problem here. Apple support has remained apathetic to the problem.
I’ve been having the same problem of my monitor not turning on intermittently. The problem appears to be especially likely after a period of heavy use.
For a while I stepped around the problem by just never turning the monitor off. I kept it on the whole time. It eventually started turning itself off while not in use regardless of if I touched the power button or not.
I’ve since gone into my Display preferences to disable both the power and brightness buttons. I’ve gone three days of heavy use since and so far so good. I’ve been able to sleep my computer and restart it. The monitor remains on and when the computer is sleeping, the monitor’s on light pulses.
The only odd thing is that the power light is off while the monitor is in active use.
BTW, I also had a similar problem with another LCD monitor that I owned. That one was made by Formac. It tended to happen mostly in very hot or cold weather. The problem was a bit different in that case though. It would spontaneously turn off a couple of times a day. I’d just have to touch the power button to turn it back on. It was annoying, but bearable.
I’m now a bit leery of all devices that don’t have mechanical power switches. I’m not too hot to trot about all these “slick” button-less interfaces the same way I don’t like my smart phone without a physical keyboard.
Hey All! Im glad to say that with much prayer, and the power trick of pulling in and out. . .It came on!! While the MBP was in a restart.
I also have a 23″ apple monitor with a similar problem. I initially bought it used and it worked fine for about a month (the monitor is attached to a apple G4 mirroe drive computer). Now it rarely turns on. I have tried unplugging the system which worked for a few days and now, again, has stopped responding. I am wondering if it would make a difference if the monitor was attache to a more updated computer such as the apple G5 tower. If someone has information in regards to this i would appreciate it.
what about fling a class action??? i’m in, defintely! spent too many euros on this crap… :(
If the Power supply had heavy use before you got the display I think you should replace it .
When everything else has failed , from what I have posted here before , it means you must reset the PMU or CUDA on the Logic board where the RAM is located . It is marked on the Logic board PMU . This is attached to the mother board . It regulates power and recognizes what you have plugged in . With time , the commands become useless and you must reset them to zero .
A lithium battery with low charge can also generate these problems . It is also located on the logic board . It remembers the time and several other commands .
Go to Apple Support Knowledge base and get the instructions step by step . There is a sequence to doing this properly which they do not address .
But it is good enough to help understand why these things are happening .
I did all this and which I posted before and solved the problem
A class action suit would not proceed as long as some or most of the solutions provided were unhelpful to everyone . In this case there are solutions which have helped some or most .
It is unfortunate to have to invest more money into something that was expensive to begin with . But the problem may not even be the Display alone . People have posted it happens with other displays different brands. So to reiterate , whenever you plug something into a mac , it remembers and uses the last known settings to run the display (video card). Re stetting the PMU
and the NVRAM as well as the PRAM should solve the problems permanently or until the Logic Board PRAM becomes corrupt.
It is hard to diagnose a problem and provide a fix all solution since every one is using a different configuration .All I can say is try this .
Thanks VirjVlinder for that quick response. Albeit a bit technical, I’ll have to take this info and do some research of my own. As to a Class Action, I think it would be a tough proposition going up against Apple.
Well, upon further review, the disabling the buttons trick doesn’t actually work. After a few days the monitor reverted back to its glitchy behavior and stopped powering on when the computer woke up from sleep. I’m realizing that in my case the problem actually happens when the computer tries to send a signal to the monitor.
If I leave the monitor on, it behaves normally in sleep mode. The power LED light pulses on and off slowly. Once I wake the computer, the light will abruptly go off the instant a video signal is sent to the monitor.
I’m having good luck with the trick of plugging the monitor into a power strip that I can turn on and off manually. When I’m not using the monitor, I switch the power strip off.
Keeping in mind that I’m having problems only after a video signal is sent, I leave the power strip turned off until the computer has completely powered back on. I have two monitors so I wait until I see a video signal on my other monitor before I flip the power switch. So far this has worked very well.
What do you mean plugging the monitor into a power strip are you referring to a different outlet. can you also elaborate on the manual portion of your text. Your solution may also work for me. Thanx.
just called applecare about it. im a moron and said it worked fine trying it on another computer (i was trying to get through the call quickly) and the guy immediately said i had no choice but to goto the genius bar. of course, they had no idea what i was talking about either. but he did mention it was when video was sent to the monitor, like the person above mentioned.
this is so annoying.. the thing was $800 and works 8% of the time and is so unreliable. it’ll work for a day, then stop for 2 days no matter how many times i plug/replug the power in. and i agree w/ the last post- please elaborate on exactly how you power the monitor on start to finish.
i tried to switchresX trick mentioned earlier too.. no luck.
as to the class action- who cares if its up against apple? what matters is there’s a problem that is correctable but not being corrected, and its costing us a lot of money for no reason. at the least a discount to those who have to buy a new brick outright would be better than nothing.
Here’s my setup.
I have a power strip with an on and off button. My monitor is plugged into the power strip.
When I put my computer to sleep or turn it off, I just flip the switch on the power strip to the off position so it cuts the power to the monitor completely.
When I power my computer on, I wait until my second monitor shows a video signal and then I flip the on/off switch on the power strip to the on position.
The key is to flip the switch to the on position after your computer is fully powered up. If you turn the monitor on prematurely, the monitor will turn itself off once your Mac tries to send a video signal to it.
This is all technically the same as plugging in and unplugging your monitor all the time, but it seems to work better for me. At the very least, it’s a lot more convenient than having to crawl under my desk all the time to plug and unplug the monitor.
If the monitor really won’t turn on then I try the trick of turning the monitor on and off twice very quickly. This is quite a feat when you have to unplug the actual cord from the power supply. With a switch on the power strip, it makes it a lot easier to do this. I haven’t had to resort to the quick on and quick off twice trick ever since I figured out that I have to wait before I power the monitor on.
Monitor does not wake from sleep ,you tried everything else I mentioned above , now try this:
Resetting the NVRAM .
You must hold down the letter O and f and option cammand all at once while turning the computer on . Keep holding the keys down until you her the start up sound three times . Release the keys once a white screen with commands appears .
Type at the prompt reset-nvram press return
Type reset-all press return
The computer will reboot . You may have to enter time date settings depending on the machine .
This should wake the monitor . Any display , does not have to be apple display .
I purchased a power supply for a 30″ apple cinema, and it seems to be working perfectly now. Thanks so much!!!
having this problem as well. Have a spring ’06 23 inch display and now no light and not working. if it is in the warranty (which it is), do you think apple will replace it with a new display or get a different power strip. I have yet to call them.
sorry i meant power box
Glad I found this site. I’ve had a 20″ Cinema Display since 05′ or ’06 and it’s been working great without a problem until just recently. (purchased a new, 2009 Mac Mini).
I’ve been using it regularly on a KWM switch between my old Mac Mini and a PC for all it’s life. When booting the PC, its LED would blink a few times before finally coming on, but it ALWAYS came on. With the Mac it worked just fine. I left the system (including monitor) on most of the time as the Mac Mini served as my Media and WiFi for my AppleTV – the monitor went to “sleep” regularly.
After installing my new 2009 Mac Mini it seemed to work fine… at first.
Then one day it didn’t come on. I checked it later that night and it worked fine.
Days go by and then it did it again. I picked up the Power Brick and it began working, so I thought it was just a loose cable.
Worked fine since then, booting in OSX and Windows (using BootCamp).. until this morning. Stayed black and nothing I did with the Power Brick seemed to help. I will try the “quick power-off” tricks tonite and see if that helps.
Glad to know I’m not alone at least… :(
I just had one of my two 23″ cinema displays turn off while I was working on my MacPro. Plugging the dead display into my other power supply and DVI port didn’t help. I took the display to my local Genius Bar where they tried some of their own power supplies (which didn’t work) and then told me it would be a $1200 repair because it is out of warranty. Needless to say I didn’t get it repaired. One strange thing is that if I push the power button on the display the power light turns on briefly, but no image appears.
This display is only 8 months old as it was a warranty replacement for a display I bought in the summer of 2007 that had a slight flicker problem when there were too many windows open with a lot of white in them (strange, but very reproducible).
I suspect a fuse issue. I wish I could find some tutorials online to take apart the ACD and fix it myself.
If the Display did not function even at the apple store with their gear hooked up to it , then I suspect it is the “inverter” . It is a costly part that has to do with sending voltage signal to the bulb which lights the display in the back . Or the bulb as well . Do not attempt to take apart the display you will damage it . Can you even find any screws to take it apart ?
Don’t take it to apple they charge too much , find an authorized repair shop .
Just call around or look up “inverters for LCD displays”. If you think you can fix it yourself , I advise to get the guide as to how to do it . It is not worth paying 1200 when you can get something else for 200-400 . Any brand of Display will work well with a MAC.
Good luck
Any of you have an extra power supply? Let me know. I need one to test my unit. Thanks.
Same exact problem. I purchased my 23″ cinema display in May 07′ and today it just stopped working.
I took the display into the apple store and it’s going to cost $400 to repair, which is half the price i paid for it a year ago. Does anyone else feel like we’re getting screwed? What are the necessarily steps to take in order to file a class action lawsuit? Surely there are enough of us that this is happening to?
just got my ACD23″ back a few days ago. it worked in the store bu thavent tried it w/ my unibody MBP yet. those bastards had it for FOUR WEEKS. it was under warranty, but they replaced the logic board and gave me a new brick. it took me two hours arguing at the apple store to convince the “genius” that there was an issue. i finally got it to not come out of sleep 3 times in a row on a brand new Air, as well as a macbook from their store. even then they didnt want to take it back because “this never happens.”
fuckers. i know its going to work when i try it again… then stop in 2-3 weeks.
oh, and they also fixed my new unibody mac. this whole purchase has been just a let down!
they replaced: my LCD screen, harddrive (twice), logic board, ac adapter, battery cover, the casing. even though it was all warranty work, the receipt said $1400 worth of repair. they also scratched the body and replaced my hd accidentally w/ the wrong model (5400 instead of 7200rpm).
all i have to say is thank god i bought the 3yr apple care with both the computer and the ACD, and if anyone takes anything in to them be a huge pain in the ass about every detail. they’ll fix it but you must point it out before and after. even take pics in the store of what your computer/monitor casing looked like when you gave it to them. whatever works, my ACD was so flawless when i brought it in… i even had the plastic still on the back. but they still wrote “slight scratches” as a comment and i didnt catch it. luckily it was ok, but the unibody mbp had serious chips in it when i got it back the first time that were not my fault. they replaced it all w.o hassle, but only because i was a pain in the ass about every little ding.
they should sell a “please dont fuck with me” membership card if you buy enough of their stuff. i understand why they fight w/ casual ipod and iphone buyers that claim they didnt drop their ipod in the toilet, but sometimes the fight is just not necessary.
Hi Guys,
I was wondering if anyone can help me out. I was given a Mac screen by a mate with my G4, however on the screen then it is connected to the machine, the power light comes on and i can turn my machine on and off using the sensor on the screen, but the screen does not turn on.
Any advice would be helpful
Ok, so I was having the same problem as everyone else and just yesterday I finally got my new power brick. Once I plugged it in the cinema worked perfectly. You can find these things on ebay. It may cost like $70-100 but it is worth it, much better than the $400 i see Apple is charging to fix the monitor itself.
So my suggestion is to at least replace the power brick, it is more than likely the cause.
DAVE, Please read my posts on how to reset the pmu and vram and pram . I gave solutions to all these problems . Like Dave S. Said if it does not turn on at all , it may be the power supply , 69 dollars from Apple if you return the old one . But it sounds to me that you need to reset the pram , nvram and pmu .
Same problem here. The quickly repeated unplugging/re-plugging the power cord into the brick just worked for me.
I’m going to try turning off the monitor sleep and hope for the best.
thanks!
-Andy
Thank you very much – have the same problem; 23″ Cinema Display bought in 2007 — short – long – short code in the power led.
Apple is shipping me a free power adapter – thanks to this blogpost/thread and others.
Thanks!
Rasmus/Denmark
Recieved the new power adapter today – but it dosent change a thing. Black screen — same code. :/
hi
i have purchased my 23″ around may 2006.
i have had the problem for months now. i get it to work once in a while.
my question is (knowing the brick is the problem)
does getting a 30″ power brick for my 23″ would prevent this of happening in the future?
thanks
does a 30inch brick will work for a 23inch display? TIA
hi all!
for all of you suffering of a ACD 23, that stopped working: BUY A NEW POWER ADAPTER – in case of my display it is a A1097, which powers the display.
my symptoms: a clicking noise, coming from the power brick, when all cables are plugged-in. the noise vanishes, if the display lights up finally (OR vice-versa).
i often had to replug the small cable, to light it up again… some old mac guru (NOT from a Authorized Apple Support Provider) told me, that this can happen, because of bad/broken/melted condensators.
and: call apple support and urge that you want somebody from customer care you can speak to. be polite and tell the whole story: few apple products, also your friends have got apple products. but unfortunately you had problems, and also you friends/family is not satisfied with the whole apple policy.
hope that helps,
jotzet
So it appears that the problem is with the the late 1995/1996 displays.. It’s a shame that Apple has such horrible support for products they sell for an arm and a leg. I thought high cost = quality customer support?
I have the same problem only for me I noticed this problem coming on over the course of a week. First after booting up one morning the 23″ display took about 5/10 minutes to start, after my secondary display had booted fine. Then one or two days later, this happened again, so I brought the machine to work and it worked fine, brought it home and it did not work.. So I replaced my surge protector, convinced that it would solve my problem, and it did for a few days.. Then yet again, BLACK.. and I can’t get it back. I did once for an evening, but alas, right back to it the next morning.
After reading about replacing the power brick for upwards of 100US dollars, I am convinced that I am better off purchasing a brand new “non Apple” 23″ display for 170 US dollars and using my old apple display as an anchor for my boat.. I think the design would lend itself well for the job.
It’s just upsetting to me that they still charge a premium for the power brick replacements when it can’t cost them anything to manufacture them.. I guess they are just like any other big business.. they want you to buy a new shiny replacement from them instead rather than servicing the old ones..
Anyone opened there brick up to see if there was anything visibly wrong with it?
Hi sean , I have posted several issues here related to the apple display which can be the problem . There are many things involved not just the screen . The main issue is the power brick . it Is NOT 100 $ if you send the old one back it is 64$ . Those power supplies get hot get old. It is heat fatigue . Also it can be you need to restart the PRAM and NVRAM in your machine .
I will not post anymore here since apparently people don’t read up . The solution is what I stated in previous posts .
Also ANY display brand will work on the mac . I recommend VEWSONIC , but anything will work .
Apple makes good products but as everything they do have lifespan . If you are going to buy an used apple display I suggest you test the power supply at an electronics store . They can see if the voltage is right or if it is fried or about to be .
hey guys same prob here… maan there so many people with this problem! Well my issues is almost the same here, LED flashes short, long, short. BUT THIS IS THE WEIRD THING: the led flashes event thou it is not even connected to the computer! i just plug in the power chord but not the DVI nor the usb and firewire and display still flashes with the code.
Also when it is connected to, my imac i see the display under the displays settings and it shows me the right resolution (1920X1200) I dont know whats the problem here. I have tried every single method there is on this long and painful post.
I tried calling apple and I WASN’T EVEN HELPED BECAUSE MY WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED, the guy asked me if i wanted to purchase a $50 1 time support thing and I was furious. He told me the geniuses at my local apple store can have a look at and have an appointment tomorrow at 8 pm. I hope it can be fixed, It took me like 2 years to save for this monitor.
Mike
My problem persists intermittently. I find that the digestion of unplugging the monitor power until the Mac is completely booted up seems to work everytime. Plug in the power after that and it works.
From reading other posts I’m not convinced a new Power Brick will solve things. I’d love to hear from folks who HAVE spent the $$ on a new Brick. And wether or not their monitor problem returns.
This page really helped. This is the first time my display wouldn’t wake up. It happened right after a big lightening storm. Not sure if a power surge messed things up. Disconnecting the monitor from the power source did the trick
Ha, great recommendation.
S.
Please read all my previous posts, they include many reasons why this happens and how to fix it . The problem is NOT limited to the power supply alone I have solved the same problems people keep posting here . I have posted how to fix it several times .
Since My last post several months ago, I have had absolutely no problems with monitor , I am now using it with My MAC MINI as well .
For best results since this blog does not post results ,please look for my posts as I don’t have time to repost it all.
Thanks
I just ordered a new adapter from Apple.
It will cost me $66 after I return the old part.
I’ve been having the “black screen” problem for the past few months, but had about 2 1/2 years of use with no problems.
I’ve used all of the fixes listed above, all of which work some of the time and don’t some of the time.
My best solution has been to never turn my computer off.
You need to reset the NVRAM and the PRAM . The NVRAM is reset by turning machine on while holding the keys option -apple-o-f at the same time and wait to hear the startup tone 3 times then let go off the keys and you will get white screen with command console, type in :
reset-nvram press enter
type in reset-all it will reply ok and reboot .
You also must reset the pram it is a button located in the computer bellow the ram sticks it its marked PRAM . To reset buton you must disconnect all from the computer and also the power . Press button only once . Reconnect and restart .
Look for info at the apple knowledge base . Resetting PRAM and NVRAM This should fix problem permanently . Whenever you change major hardware it is good idea to reset it .
The power supply is key as-well it gets old and stops working properly .
I thought I’d post an update on my situation. My 23″ Cinema display is still alive after I assumed it was on its last legs due to the power up problems I was having. I kept “fixing” my problem by rapidly turing the monitor on via a power strip with a power switch I could flip quickly a few times.
I haven’t had to do that in a while… maybe in months. I seem to remember that even before I started having these power up problems that my Cinema Display was occasionally slow to turn on occasionally, but only in the winter months.
I don’t know if the weather really has anything to do with this. You’d think it’d be the other way around with the monitor having problems in the hot summer months and no problems with the colder winter months helping it dissapate heat.
I have similar problems with my 23″ ACD, and there’s nothing new I can bring to that, but I’m just wondering why I do not have any display specific power button -settings on my system preferences > display settings. I mean, it’s been mentioned on this and some other forums as well, that changing the display’s power button settings sometimes help, but I do not have them iat all. Is there any ACD software or driver’s that would include them..?I don’t even have any driver cd’s – I guess the display never had any driver cds and is supposed to work directly when plugged in?
I have a g5 power pc dual processor, os 10.5.x and the aforementioned 23″ aluminium ACD + a Wacom cintiq display as a primary screen. Would the OS version be the culprit for not having the power button settings?
Hi all,
I had the “short long short” blinking led problem with my
23″ ACD after a power outage which left my screen blank and
my cheek wet with a tear for my baby. I read somewhere that
a guy was getting a 1 volt reading on the middle pin of his
damaged 90 watt power block. I figured maybe the display might
work if I could somehow block the middle pin. So I cut a small
strip of paper wide enough to block just the middle pin and long
enough to cover both sides and it looked like a “W”. I gingerly
pressed it into the brick receptacle with a toothpick leaving
just a little slack so it would not tear when I pushed in the
small white plug. It was a bit of a tight fit but guess what.
IT WORKED… I am now enjoying my beloved monitor anew and saved
$$$ on replacement brick or repair.
If you want to try it and you feel you’ve nothing to lose, make
sure you cover just middle pin (both sides) and you may have to try a couple of times. It worked for me hope you have good luck too.
Regards, Moozler
YOU ARE A LEGEND!
My brother and I purchased our laptops and monitors the same day and after a while his monitor died like everyone’s here. Mine was fine.
After getting a quote from Mac dealers of $1,000 and them saying it needed new control panel and power board, he was going to ditch it. I took it off his hands for free and then months later, found this page.
I tried everything on this page and I knew it wasn’t the power supply as I had another exact monitor. I was using the working monitor’s power supply and tried all other suggestions on here.
I tried what you said and in fact, looked it up on youtube. I cut a tiny length of rubber and pushed it over the middle pin.
I then plugged the power in and straight away the LED light came on solid and the screen came to life.
I returned all my previous preferences like resolutions, brightness etc (suggestions from here) back to what they were and it’s still fine.
thanks heaps and I really suggest this to anyone. I live in Australia and even with 240v it worked a treat.
Great…Thank For Share This.
I’ll add my name to the list.
Bought an ACD 23″HD in Feb 2008 – just stopped working. No power light or anything.
I had just bought a new MacBook Pro on Monday which I had hooked the monitor up to. First few days were all fine and then on Thursday I couldn’t get it to turn on. No power light at all. Tried hooking it back into my old Powerbook which I had been running it off since Feb 2008 and that wouldn’t bring it on either.
My monitor didn’t come with a power brick or adaptor. It normally just ran off the powerbook power supply. Is it worth trying to get a power adaptor for it and trying that or just take it into a non Mac repair place? It’s pretty poor form that a $1400 monitor could just stop working after less than 2 years.
Add me to the list of countless discontent Cinema 23″ owners.
Problem is not with the PRAM, VRAM or any other key combo you think may revive that monitor. I tried absolutely everything on the G5, where this was the main monitor along with another 17″ lcd as a second display. Guess what: i just installed the 23″ to the BRAND NEW iMac 27″ and it still won’t turn on. So save yourselves all those restarts pressing key combos.
Here’s what I have noticed: by pressing your ear right against the power brick, you can hear a very distinct clicking sound. It’s like these clicks are in a cycle and no matter how many times I unplug it, it won’t “unloop”. This only happens after the computer goes to sleep. Solution: don’t ever let the display go to sleep. This means you should use a screen saver instead. Since the start of this problem a couple of months ago I no longer shut down the computer, as the display will hardly turn on again. Which sucks as I’m a believer in saving energy and extending the life of the lcd by letting it go black.
Yesterday I accidentally put it to sleep for 2 seconds. And that was it. Now I have a black monitor with a faint clicking brick. It used to work fine the next morning after unplugging the brick overnight and plugging it in immediately AFTER connecting the DVI cable into the computer. But now that too fails to wake the display. I don’t know anyone that has a brick I can borrow to test. Local shops will charge me for 1 hour diagnostics to juts plug in the display (idiots).
This problem seems to be chronic. And it started happening (as per the users here in this forum) less than a year after being released. This points to a faulty product. Frankly I’m surprised that Apple would put such crap out there and also refuses to take responsibility for this huge error. This is not the company I’ve known and supported for the past 20 year – this kinda crap is expected from Microsoft or Dell, but not from this user friendly company
User friendly my ass. The fact that apple refuses to acknowledge the problem is a clear lie and an attempt to refute responsibility, letting us flip the bill for another power supply that will likely fail just as badly (as some have already reported).
This forum is a small portion of the number of users with such problems – which leads me to believe that there is a huge proportion of customers with these faulty units. May be time to put pressure on Apple to do something about this? If nothing is done, they’ll just keep on releasing junk made in China and pocket the profits like any other giant of technology. Perhaps the threat of a class action lawsuit and the fear of tainting their speck clean image is enough to twist their arm? If someone is willing to start a petition, I’ll definitely sign it. If someone wants support for a class action lawsuit, I’m onboard too. This has to be resolved.
Like I stated in my many past post here, the problem is and could be more than one thing.
I had the same problem you and many here had with the 23acd and after I replaced the power supply it has worked seamlessly and now I am using it with my mini and it works fine. It turns on and sleeps and wakes just fine and has not failed since I replaced the brick.
As far as the G5 goes , I insist resetting the things I mentioned is important . I am using a new lcd display 26 inch NO NAME, works fine , any display will work fine as long as the video card can drive it . The power aspect of the problems has many variables .
The computer refused to go to sleep (G5) , or wake up , or wake anything up , HAS TO DO WITH THE: If the Power supply had heavy use before you got the display I think you should replace it .
When everything else has failed , from what I have posted here before , it means you must reset the PMU or CUDA on the Logic board where the RAM is located . It is marked on the Logic board PMU . This is attached to the mother board . It regulates power and recognizes what you have plugged in . With time , the commands become useless and you must reset them to zero . INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO RESET THIS APPLE KNOWLEDGE BASE RESETTING PMU.
THE FACT THAT IT WONT TURN ON WITH YOUR IMAC COULD BE THE POWER SUPPLY OF THE 23″ OR YOU DONT HAVE THE IMAC SET UP TO RUN TWO DISPLAYS.
TAKE THE APPLE DISPLAY TO THE APPLE STORE ALONG WITH YOUR POWER BRICK HAVE THEM HOOK IT UP TO THEIR COMPUTERS THEY WILL DO THIS FOR FREE.I DID IT . IF THE DISPLAY WONT START WITH YOUR BRICK ASK THEM TO TRY ONE OF THEIRS.I WAS SURE MY PROBLEM WAS THE DISPLAY BUT IT WAS THE BRICK.
THE OTHER PROBLEMS HAVE TO DO WITH THE PMU NOT THE DISPLAY.
PLEASE TRY ALL THIS BEFORE LOSING HOPE.
After reading up more on this I became convinced that the best solution is to just relent and give Apple more of my money (gee that new quad core last month apparently wasn’t enough) so today I put an order through a local reseller for a 150W brick. Why the 150 instead of the 90W? Cause it seems that the 90W is prone to failure and those that got the beefier 150 for their 23″ display are reporting good luck. It seems that the extra amperage doesn’t hurt the smaller 23″ display. Cost: Can$100 which was less than I expected. Basically I had already started looking around for a replacement display (amazing deals out there for a 22″ non Apple display). These also come with a 3 year warranty. But the most economical and viable ended up taking a chance with the new brick. I also didn’t have to exchange mine, so should I find a fix for it down the road, it will be a good spare to have.
As for testing it at the store, I was denied a free test. Pricks. Suppose I could have driven cross town to my local Apple Store but since I’m convinced the problem is with my brick and not the display I figured lets just get this crap over with and have my setup ready for work. I will be posting results on the new brick when it arrives in a couple of days. As for Vlinder’s suggestion of resetting the PMU I think my brick is beyond that. See, whenever I plug the power cord in and then the smaller cord to it, it begins to click, kinda more of a ping. No matter what I do it won’t stop (tried the single power bar with the button, etc). Oh and the other end isn’t even connected to the computer. This is pointing to a problem originating 100% from the brick, whether it’s plugged to the G5 or the ‘pure’ new iMac.
I still have hopes to get this clicking of the brick resolved, may let it sit for a week this time. I know that in the past as I have observed it on many occasions, when the clicking starts there’s nothing I can do except let the brick rest overnight, unplugged. Usually it would work fine the next morning, minus the clicking. took a couple of tries but I would usually get it going. Now things have gotten so bad that it simply won’t stop clicking (again, you must press your ear to it in order to hear it).
A note to all of you: the guy at the store mentioned something important: don’t let your brick sit flat on your desk or carpet as heat will build up quick. He’s got a couple of these bricks and says he keeps them upright, allowing for more heat to escape that tight, sealed enclosure (thank Apple, for putting aesthetics ahead of practicality)
This whole episode blows. Hope Apple is listening and smartens up.
For those wondering, the serial for the monitor is found under the footing of the display. Link for the production is found above. Here are my specs:
Model: M9178 Cinema Display HD 23 inch
Group1:
Group2:
Generation:
ModelCode:
Screen size: 23 inch
Memory – number of slots: Please tell us how many memory (RAM) slots this machine has.
Factory: 2A (China)
Production year: 2006
Production week: 06 (February)
Production number: 5656 (within this week)
Now that you mention the pings , it is most def the power supply and the apple store should test it for free just make appointment and take it they wont say no , if they do ask for the manager Apple stands by it’s products people who workfor them sometimes are too busy or are assholes don’t lose hope it is the brick that ping is what happens when the supply overloads its like a breaker popping , and yes ANY AND I MEAN ANY MONITOR WORKS WITH MAC NO MATTER WHAT IT IS FOR LESS CASH!!!!!!!!!!!!
My 23 is from 2004 changed brick a year ago and it is still doing great…….
My 23″ Cinema Display also. Found this forum and tried all the fixes. Took it to the “genius” bar at the Apple Store. Their 90W power supply had “DEAD” written on it in black sharpie, so they tested it with a 150W, and it worked. The “genius” disappeared behind closed doors and emerged with a 90W brick in a plain brown box, no packaging, not even taped closed. $66. On the drive home I thought “maybe I should’ve insisted we test the supposedly new brick as well.” Sure enough, it doesn’t work. Same short, long, short blinking. Yes, I reset the NVRAM and the PMU. Now the Apple Store says that repair is “closed” and I have to come in again and start a new repair. They want me to send the whole display back to Apple (luckily I’ve read others’ posts, and I know that these cheap Chinese bricks don’t always work.) Heck, I don’t even know if the brick they sold me was in fact new, or if some other poor schmuck had already returned it because it was dead! My appointment at the Moron Bar is in about an hour, wish me luck!
I have two 23″ Apple monitors. The one I bought new in Feb 2005 works perfectly. The one I bought second-hand in 2008 has the same problem you all have described and it must be the brick since wiggling the elliptical connector usually brings it back to life. They’re connected to a Quad core G5, still a great computer.
Tomorrow morning I’ll try the solutions many of you have proposed, starting with the paper around the centre pin. I don’t think it’s the PRAM or NVRAM since it works fine on the other monitor.
I agree this is shameful behaviour from Apple. I’ve owned Macs since the IIe in the early 80’s and have currently got six in the house. Love ’em.
Thanks for all the posts. In the Apple Store today they told me to phone up for one since they no longer stock them, but these posts will, I hope, save me money.
UPDATE
Here’s an important update that I hope will help others with this extremely irritating issue.
Just picked up the new ps brick from a reputable local authorized retailer (didn’t even bother going to the local Apple Store and deal with their ‘geniuses’. This was quick, I just placed the order 2 days ago for this 150W. Yes, I got the one for the 30″ display even though my display is the 23″, after reading up on this it appears to be a safer bet.
Plugged it in and it turned right up. Problem solved. End of hassle.
It does appear that these 23″ power supplies to be poorly made (made in China huh?) and clearly not par with the level of quality we’ve come to expect from Apple (my new iMac 27″ was also made in China – should I start to freak?). Based on what I’ve seen, the problem that so many here are having seems to originate from the ps. In my case it didn’t just give up on me. It started a couple of months ago with the display refusing to wake from sleep. Thought for sure it was a software thing, so I did the pram reset, trashing the prefs file for energy saver, etc, etc. Always managed to get it going, even if it meant waiting till the next morning with the ps disconnected from the electrical power. This cooling off period worked a few times. I also noticed that during this time the ps would make a distinct clicking sound when it would refuse to power the monitor. When it did work, it didn’t click. This is a good test for any of you wondering if the problem is with the display (and fear having to spend $400 on the display’s internals as some have been quoted) or simply replace the costly ps. I have placed my ear against the ps so many times that I learned the different sounds it made at various stages. Basically when it’s working (go ahead, give it a try) you should hear a very faint humming, your typical sound from a ps. When it refuses to power up the display you’ll hear a series of click, a couple of seconds apart. They repeat the same pattern over and over. Almost as if it’s caught in a loop. Since completely refusing to work now, the clicking has been replaced by a pinging sound. If you’re reached this stage it looks like it’s time to fork out for a new ps – which is the good news.
EBAY warning: i looked on ebay for ps for our displays and their prices sucked (as of Dec 09). Current prices for the 150W unit is around $130 plus shipping. Guess what: mine only cost $90 and since I picked it up locally, didn’t have to pay for shipping. Ironically the 90W would have cost more as it’s lead free or some non sense. And this came from Apple USA, although it was built in China. It has a 90 day warranty. Best to call your local Apple retailer before trying ebay. When you do get your ps, remember never to lay it down flat – always let it stand on its side as this will dissipate heat better. I had my crappy 90W flat on my desk and wonder if this contributed to its demise. Then again I blame Apple designer for creating a sealed unit with no way for air to circulate. Think about this for a moment. Guess they do think differently, don’t they? As in, illogically.
Now I have 50″ of the crispiest extended desktop anywhere. Wow. I am in heaven.
Good luck to ya’ll. Reviving the amazing 23″ display is a far better alternative than buying some crappy similar sized display.
Wow. I’m both relieved and more frustrated to find a whole gathering of people with the exact same problems. This issue with my 23″ display (produced in Feb 2006) has been driving me batty for the past few months! I’ll be sure to try a few of these fixes to keep my beautiful display running until I can find a similar quality non-apple display that is more reliable. (any suggestions??)
Thanks to everyone for sharing your ideas and trial solutions!
I was surprised on how many people have the same problem with the Apple 23 inch HD Cinema Display… I had the same issues for a long time. Did the ‘PULLING THE POWER’ routine and most of the time it works. But ain’t this problem unsolvable for a HUGE COMPANY like APPLE sounds like VERY SAD. All I could figure out is it BOILS DOWN TO ONE THING, ECONOMICS… Thats the reason why they dont address the issue, they will lose MONEY. As long as they could just HOLD OUT not listening to US CONSUMERS they will be fine. ITS A WAITING GAME… Anyhow, I have the same problem with my DISPLAY… I took it to the GENIUS BAR once, they plugged in their power supply and BINGO it works! After a few weeks PROBLEM is back again, tried the PULLING THE POWER in and out and it works… I even tried just UNPLUGGING THE DAMN PLUG FROM THE WALL just to turn off the DISPLAY and it works fine for months… Well it finally happen again. I took it to the APPLE STORE, the GENIUS GUYS said its an issue with the display hardware in the monitor and told me they have to take it for repairs. I decided to go for it, $400.00 FLAT FEE… They better fix it if I had to pay for it, it will have a 90 days warranty. The mentioned if they don’t replace anything they will not charge me. I will post again when I get my display back from APPLE. CROSS YOUR FINGERS…
This will be my last post on here since it would seem people do not take the time to read all the helpful posts , whining about your problem and blaming it on Apple IS NOT going to help you .
I have built and fixed LCD displays and can tell you there is not much that can go wrong inside the display besides a power short to the bulbs or the invertor which rarely fail on a quality display,thats is why you can’t take it apart without spacial tools.
The problem is with the power supply, or your video card , or the pram nvram or pmu.
I hope they do find something wrong with it if they do please tell everyone so they can ask for that specific repair .
I am almost sure they will not and they will send it back unopened . Get the power supply for the 30″ display it is beefier.
Good luck
Yup, I replaced my 23″ Cinema PS with a 30″ Cinema PS, and it really works.
Hi,I just started having this problem with my cinema display last week and after reading all the posts and reflecting on how I have kept my apple laptop from going to sleep with a similar problem, here is a temporary(until I can purchase a new power supply) solution that so far(1 day and counting) has worked: While I work on the computer I listen to live radio using itunes and find that as long as I leave this live radio stream going(with the volume on or off) the while my cinema display will go to sleep; it(so far) always wakes up when I press a key or move the mouse.
So, if you are in desperate need of a quick fix, as I was; I hope this also works for you! Best of Luck!
Hi everyone,
My solution to the problem is to leave the power supply unplugged when the computer is not in use. It seems that the capacitor in the power supply may be faulty. Once the static charge dissipates (usually in about an hour), the power supply will once again function properly.
In terms of the replacement cost of the power supply, I called a local authorized Apple dealer/service centre and they quoted a price of over $100 while the Apple Store still sells them for US$66.
Earlier, someone asked if the power supply for a 30″ display will work on a 23″. While at the Apple Store, the tech mentioned that the 23″ power supply will not be able to power a 30″ display so I assume that they are different.
I hope that this helps.
“Earlier, someone asked if the power supply for a 30″ display will work on a 23″. While at the Apple Store, the tech mentioned that the 23″ power supply will not be able to power a 30″ display so I assume that they are different”
You got that backwards and he didn’t correctly answer your question.
To clarify: the power supply for the 30″ not only will work fine with the 23″ display, it is recommended. But yeah, don’t go using a ps for the 23″ on a 30″ display.
I agree that if not using the computer for a few days that is a good idea to unplug the cord from the ps as shutting the Mac down will till continue to feed electricity to the ps. Also remember never to lay it down on the desk, instead place it on its side as it helps with heat dissipation
I’ve been battling the same issues for over a year now and have pretty much arrived at the “just leave it on all the time solution”. In my most recent battle to get it back on after it was inadvertently turned off yesterday, I discovered a new “trick”. While doing the plug/unplug routine, I accidentally dropped the brick and to my great surprise, the monitor came on. Some time later I bumped it with my foot and it shut back off. Taking this as a sign, I gave it a little kick and it came back on.
At least this has pretty much confirmed to me that the problem is with the brick and not the display, so maybe I’ll get around to replacing that. For now though, my most inelegant solution is doing the trick.
This problem sounds all similar to faulty middle ground pin on the connector problem a lot of people are seeing. Worth a try with the following solution.
QUOTE:
“I had the “short long short” blinking led problem with my
23″ ACD after a power outage which left my screen blank and
my cheek wet with a tear for my baby. I read somewhere that
a guy was getting a 1 volt reading on the middle pin of his
damaged 90 watt power block. I figured maybe the display might
work if I could somehow block the middle pin. So I cut a small
strip of paper wide enough to block just the middle pin and long
enough to cover both sides and it looked like a “W”. I gingerly
pressed it into the brick receptacle with a toothpick leaving
just a little slack so it would not tear when I pushed in the
small white plug. It was a bit of a tight fit but guess what.”
I have found the solution to the 23″ cinema screen not coming on when you start up. I had this problem for years. If there was a power failure or I switched my computer off, on start up the monitors would not light up. After reading countless blogs and taking the power cable in and out of the brick until it came on, I tried this. I have a high powered torch which I held on the brick for a minute or so, just enough to make it warm. It worked. Tried it on the brick for the second monitor and it worked. It has done ever since. 1st time, every time. I think that when the brick is cold, it doesn’t work properly. Just try warming it up. (NOT IN THE MICROWAVE!)
I work in a studio with a half dozen 30-inch Apple Cinema Displays and about as many 23-inch displays. We have had to replace three power supplies in the last two-plus years, all of them bought originally between 2005 and 2007. They have the symptoms as described above, and the way I extended the life of these is I set my display sleep time to never and left a screen saver on full time so my monitor would never go off. This worked well. I just had to remember to never let the display go without power. A couple times when I forgot, I left the brick unplugged all night and it would come back to life.
Today, I did a quick swap to a new quad-core and did the switch quickly enough so the display remained on. Happily thinking that I succeeded I went on to something else. I remembered too late that I had left display sleep on the factory default, 10 minutes. When I came back to my machine, no more display. After reading the above posts, I recaled that there was a 150 watt brick in a drawer, got it, and I have a display again.
In my case, leaving it to cool and sit powerless for an extended period of time — not just an hour or two — helped keep it going. Definitely seems like a bad manufacturing run or bad engineering on this particular power supply We have had no trouble with the 30-inch displays.
Me, too. Apple Cinema Display, 23″, purchased in 2006. Refuses to wake up from sleep. If computer is restarted, monitor refuses to launch. If I unplug it from the computer, let it sit a half hour or so, and plug it back in, so far it will wake up. Have read some of the ideas posted here and will hang on to them for future use.
I purchased my Apply 24″ display monitor from Best Buy in 2008. Worked great until around 3 weeks ago when the monitor would kick back to my MacBook Pro every so often – – I wiggled the cord and it would go back on – – this continued to happen here and there until last week when I couldn’t get the display to turn on any more.
Took it to Best Buy – due to being out of warranty they cannot do a fix. So I’m on my own – – it does appear to be in the cords or power block –
Before I call the Apple service provider nearest to me I wanted to see if anyone out there can give me the right thing to say to them to fix it – – or if there’s something they recommend I can do myself?
This seems to work every time for me:
1. Unplug the monitor from power
2. Turn on mac
3. Wait for 3 seconds after boot tone
4. Plug in monitor power. Comes right up.
Fraid that the “fixes” mentioned above are only band-aid solutions. Bottom line is, your power supply is dying. Thankfully it is a slow death, so you can buy yourself some time. Most of the ‘fixes’ cited in this site worked for me for a while, till the day they didn’t work any longer. A power supply replacement worked wonders (as mentioned in my posts above get the one for the bigger displays) and the display is still going strong and has never suffered another death sleep.
Unfortunately this boils down to a poor product that well, is made in China. Apple’s reputation for not checking up on labour demands in these sweat shops likely extends to QA too, as proven by these crappy power supplies.
It is very much worth the cost of a new ps. These are superb displays. I have my 23″ connected to my 27″ iMac and the quality of the imac’s is far inferior to that of the 23″. So do not discard of it or you can get a cheapo LG or HP for the same amount as you could buy a ps for. I have never seen a display as crisp and decent as these Apple Cinemas. Too bad the iMac 27″ one isn’t as crisp.
And I do have to say that I never experienced these monitor problems until I upgraded to Leopard at home.
I also have 6 of these monitors at work. All work perfectly. All are still running Tiger.
Weird.
I have six 23″ monitors being run off of three graphics cards in a single computer. Each monitor is powered by a A1097 (90W) power source. I have experienced the problem described here about 20 times over the last 5 years. I have swapped monitors to different cards to different cables and to different power sources to try to diagnose the problem.
After all of the component swapping I am certain the problem is not caused by a specific card, a specific monitor nor a specific cable. In my case it is definitely caused solely by a brick that is wearing out.
As Joolz stated when this starts happening it is a sign the brick is dying. It is a slow death. Over the years I have only thrown one brick away. The one I through away was to the point that it would fail to start up about 1 out of every 5 times I turned the monitor on, but it still worked. I have one brick that failed to start up 3 years ago and have had no problems with it since.
My solution was to buy a extra bricks on ebay. There are a few guys in Honk Kong that sell them for about $35 USD including shipping to the US.
Now, when a brick quits I just plug in one of the spares. Unplugging the brick and letting it sit will bring it back to life. Sometimes this only takes a few seconds sometimes it takes a few days. By the time the next failure happens the brick that previously quit working has “fixed/reset” itself.
The problem may be caused by overheating, but it could be low voltage or a surge that triggers the brick shutdowns or who knows??? I strongly suspected overheating until I read Peter’s post (July 16, 2010).
Still, I plan to break all of the brick cases open and put the guts of all six into a fan cooled case. I don’t know when I will get around to doing it, but I will post the results here.
FYI: All of the inexpensive bricks I bought ebay (have three now) have worked without a single failure, but that is probably just be because they are the newest of the eight I have.
If you want to fix this problem permanently then do this:
Purchase a 24v 3.5 to 5 amp switching power adapter:
http://cgi.ebay.com/24V-5A-AC-power-adapter-JVC-LT-23X576-LCD-TV-NEW-/350277873647?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item518e302fef
or
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Universal-AC-Adapter-20V-22V-24V-3-5A-90W-Max-/370109057276?pt=Laptop_Adapters_Chargers&hash=item562c3808fc
or
http://cgi.ebay.com/AC-110V-240V-DC-12V-15V-16V-18V-19V-20V-24V-4-5A-3-5A-/320283465272?pt=Laptop_Adapters_Chargers&hash=item4a9261d638
or something similar like a universal notebook PS that supplies 24v at at least 3.5 amps (2.5a is okay if you are fixing a 20″ cinema display)
Next cut the end off the Cinema Display Power connector and strip back the outer white plastic cover revealing three wires, a red (sometimes green) and a black wire, and a very thin black wire. Trim off the shielding, you don’t need it, and cut the very thin black wire short and insulate with electrical tape, you don’t need this wire either.
Now set the new inexpensive power supply you just got to 24v if it is variable, uplug it and cut the end connector off. If wires are not color coded black and red (they usually are) use a meter to discover the + and – 24v wires. Now solder, twist, splice, etc. the RED cinema display wire to the +24v wire on the power supply, do the same for the negative wire, insulate with electrical tape, heat shrink, or whatever you like and you are done. Enjoy your 20″ or 23″ Cinema Display with no more quirks. If you can find 6.5 amp you can use it on the 30 inch display. YOu might consider using plug connectors instead of splicing the wires.
There are about five cables going to the display – all wrapped in on big cable – one is a pin connector that goes from the power brick into the bundled chord. There is the display dvi/hdmi chord that connects to the computer and also the usb and firewire.
By saying cinema display power connector, do you mean the one that plugs into the block? Is that the one we cut and connect to 24V/5A power adapter?
Thanks
I had the exact same symptoms. Spoke to Apple here in the UK. I got the feeling they are aware of the issue but would not admit as such. Anyway, they sent me a new power supply for only £47 (about half the Ebay second hand price!). Problem solved, my four year old 23″ Cinema once again wakes up without a pause.
As a matter of interest they requested I send my old faulty supply back to them.
30″ cinema – Lately, power off / system shutdown, or power outage and ups does intelligent shutdown…display is dead upon reboot. I tried much of the above, and then the unplug brick at both ends and let sit for 20 min…also shut the system down. 20 min later, plugged brick to computer end in first…then plugged in A/C to brick, powered on the Mac Pro, and it worked!
Thanks to all…I was losing hope after trying most everything else. Keep trying before spending any money. The last time this happened I found a youtube video showing how to short the center pin on the brick to computer plug…I tried it but wasn’t sure if it worked, or if the monitor just came back on…delayed reaction as I was putting tools away so I wasn’t sure and didn’t try that this time because it wasn’t easy. Anyway, I believe the video’s point was resetting some “state” that a power outage / ups command sets within the brick / display, and grounding it out, or maybe just letting it sits does the trick?
I have a similar problem.
My problem was a bit more severe – where, not only would my display not wake from sleep, but it would just go black after a few minutes of use.
I did the solutions as mentioned above to give me a temporary solution. Eventually I had the Apple store order me a new brick.
Of course I only got a 90W brick to replace mine. I didn’t bother asking for the 130W brick – I knew they would say no.
Fortunately that fixed the problem with the display going black after a few minutes – BUT – now I have the problem with it not waking up after a long sleep.
I wish Apple would recognize this problem and issue a fix.
PLEASE READ MY PAST POSTS I EXPLAIN HOW TO FIX IT. THE PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY THE MONITOR. YOU MUST RESET THE PMU ON THE MOTHERBOARD.
ALSO CHECK YOUR GRAPHICS CARD. ATI DOES NOT OFFER SUPPORT ANYMORE .aLL OF THESE TOGETHER = YOUR PROBLEM NOT JUST THE POWER SUPPLY,!
20″ Cinema Display – unplugged the power brick from my power strip while monitor was on… Will not turn on from here on out…
Class-action lawsuit please!
Hello everyone – Wow, finding this blog was like seeing the lights of a warm cottage when lost in the woods during a blizzard. I bought my G5 and 23 ACD used. It all worked flawlessly until earlier this summer (2010) when we moved some furniture and the whole kit ended up sitting unplugged in the corner of the room until now. So it sat unused for something like 6 months. Tonight I finally connected everything back together, turned on the computer and voila!, I joined the ranks of the dead ACD 23 club. I tried all of the plug/unplug and power-up sequencing tricks, but the screen stayed black. So I decided to try resetting the NVRAM according to VrijVlinder’s method. Unfortunately the screen was still black, so I could not type the appropriate commands. (It did not occur to me that I could type the commands despite the dead screen at that moment.) On to Plan B – I disconnected everything from the box and went in and reset the Cuda/PMU button, making sure to press only once. While I was in there I noticed that the little 1/2AA lithium battery must have been original to the machine, as it had a 2004 date on it. This looked like a potential trouble spot to me, so I changed it out for a new one. (Don’t ask why I have fresh 1/2AA lithium kicking around the house. Let’s just say that I have a slight addiction to G3 iMacs.)
Well, finally, the moment of truth. I pressed the power button and PRESTO!, everything came right back to life, screen and all! Wow, was I psyched! I received a little message stating that the time was set to something like 1970, and that I should update it. So I opened the preferences and got halfway through resetting the time and bang, the damn thing went black again! Aaargh. Still not thinking of the possibility that I could reset the NVRAM even with a black screen, I started trolling the internet on my trusty G3 and I stumbled across the instructions for resetting the PRAM and NVRAM on a Powermac G4. Rather than simultaneously pressing Option/Command/O/F and then typing commands, these instructions called out Option/Command/P/R. Best of all, there was no typing involved. So I figured I had nothing to lose and I tried it. Machine subsequently booted and gave me the time warning. I set the time without incident. I am still up and running an hour or two later. Yay!!
Well, that’s my story. Hope it is of help to someone. By the way, if you are thinking of following the path that I trod, be aware that the little lithium 1/2Aa batteries are viciously expensive. I think they are something like $20 each. Ouch.
VrijVlinder, thanks for your suggestions. Could I ask you to walk some of us non-geeks through the whole NVRAM/PRAM/CUDA/PMU thing? Could you explain which terms are synonymous, which are reset by physical buttons and which are reset by keyboard commands, what the heck they all mean or do, what the difference is between Option/Command/O/F and Option/Command/P/R and anything else you might think will provide illumination. Hope that’s not too much to ask!!
Best,
Jon
After three years of service, I experienced the same problem with my 23″ Cinema Display, not too long after upgrading to Snow Leopard. At first I suspected the video card, but simply swapping out the stock power cord that plugs into the monitor’s power brick, and trying the “quick plug in/out/in” technique works perfectly. This has to be a monitor specific problem, too, because it occurs when this monitor is connected to both my G5 and my newer Mac Pro.
Happy this solution is cheaper than buying a new power brick, much less a new monitor!
Luke
luke Duran above said:
“Happy this solution is cheaper than buying a new power brick, much less a new monitor!”
Fraid that this is a temporary band-aid solution. Soon your monitor will stop reacting to these solutions and will fail to power up. you will be needing a new brick. And when you do, hope you read this entire page and opt for the stronger power supply from the 30″ display as the one that comes with the 23″ isn’t strong enough. I know it’a a lot of reading but worth it. This page is an invaluable resource for us 23″ owners.
Ok – update.
I’ve tried many things – but still get the black screen. Here is what I’ve tried.
1. I got a new 65W adapter and the problem still persisted. The only way I got the screen to work was to hard shut down then unplug the video cable from the video card – then start the computer, wait a few seconds – then plug it back in.
2. Thinking that I probably needed more power – I purchased a 150W adapter. I plugged it in – and still get the same result.
3. Then I tried resetting the NVRAM and PMU (or whatever it’s called). The problem still arises.
I’m afraid it maybe a video card issue – or perhaps a logic board issue.
My 23 inch gave up today while I was out. This morning it was fine, when I cam home it was fully dead. The power LED is fully out. I suspect the power supply. I read that a lot of failures happened from the 2007 batch. The MacPro and monitor arrived in December 2007. The PS model is A1097, 90 watt. Is there any way to get Apple to own the mass failings?
OK, I am going to join this unbelievable list and add my 2 cents here. I had this problem trying to run this display from a Powerbook G4. I figured “oh . . . another minimum G4 power thingy”.
Then i bought the new super 2010/11 mac mini. No problem, oh – it was a the G4 thing! – NOT – the monitor started doing the same crap – black screen of death. So i seriously doubt that it has anything to do with the machine – NVRAM PRAM DAMN at all.
It is just a faulty crapy power brick period. Get one the alternate power supplies as Kevin mentioned earlier. Forget Apple, forget the guru who you should shoot anyway if you meet them at an Apple store and forget buying another faulty power brick.
Bottom line – this is a great display but the power brick sucks – period. Replace it with better components at half the price in not so pretty packaging and leave this whole mess behind.
same problems as everyone else with 23 model. Seems 2 solutions.
1. buy the 150 w adapter, £100 here in uk or
2. on the crappy 90 w cover with some insulating tape the middle pin on both sides of the cable that goes into the adapter. takes a bit of practice but as some one here will explain better than me works perfectly.
Found 100’s on google who all say this works, though cant see apple telling us this as they want to sell more bricks !
are there any instructions on this procedure?
Hi Mark, see my comment below.. It’s very simple and quick and it should fix your monitor if you haven’t sorted it already :)
sorry forgot to add that i just fixed mine using this method so i know it works.
Parker Thobbs
http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=vodDfic8omA
I got lucky. Have had power issuers with ACD 23″ for years. unplugging and using a different outlet has worked in the past. After last power outage it would not come on. Unplugged everything from the brick one more time. Cleaned all connections with canned air and its working, for now. Phew..
After months of having the same problem, I found that unplugging the monitor from the wall for a few hours (or overnight) was the trick to getting it to turn on again. Of course, that’s a problem if the computer goes into sleep mode, or if you have to restart it. I’ll be getting a new monitor sooner than later instead of paying Apple $400 to fix this one…
Actually, that worked for about 2 days. It took my power brick about 6 months to completely burn out. I replaced the power brick today and I think that did the trick. What a waste of time! Probably would have been better to get a new display for about $150 from Samsung once this whole problem started…
I can confirm the instructions a few messages up……
The power bricks are faulty. All the posts about standing on your head and facing north gets them to work is just not going to work for any length of time.
I opened two up (Yes, I have two of these faulty monitors) and found blown capacitors in both. They are very hard to replace (I do electronics for a living and know about the bad formula cap issue, I have replaced hundreds in computer motherboards over the years), so don’t recommend this as a solution.
Rather than pay the extra for the ‘apple’ ones. I just brought two 24v@5a power supplies off amazon. ($25 each).
Cut the fancy apple connector off, there are two thick wires (red and black), a very thin grey wire (not used) and the whole lot is wrapped in braid (shield, also not used).
If you don’t know about electronics, then don’t try this, you can electrocute yourself and die.
Both monitors powered up fine and have not missed a beat. As a bonus, the Amazon supplies run cool as cool. Nice change from the Apple hot bricks!
Hi peoples…
If you’re still having trouble, look up “Apple Cinema Display middle pin” on YouTube to fix.
Here’s what happened to me. My brother and I purchased our laptops and monitors the same day and after a while his monitor died like everyone’s here. Mine was fine.
After getting a quote from Mac dealers of $1,000 and them telling him it needed new control panel and power board, he was going to ditch it. I took it off his hands for free and then months later, found this page.
I tried everything on this page and I knew it wasn’t the power cord or supply as I had another exact monitor and I was using the working monitor’s power supply and tried all other suggestions mentioned on here.
Someone on here mentioned about covering the middle pin on the small lead that travels from the monitor to the power pack. I looked it up on youtube and a guy shows you how to do it. He used hard plastic but I cut a tiny length of rubber and pushed it over the middle pin, leaving 4 exposed.
I then plugged the power in on the monitor, connected it to my laptop and straight away the LED light came on solid and the screen came to life.
I returned all my previous preferences like resolutions, brightness etc (suggestions from here) back to what they were and it’s still fine.
thanks heaps to everyone for their comments as they’re great screens when working :) Plus they look to good to ditch.. and I really suggest this to anyone. I live in Australia and even with 240v it worked a treat.
good luck :)
I might add this process mentioned above took me only 5 minutes :))
I had this problem with both 20″ & 23″ ACD’s recently, after extensive research I found the cause to be an underspecced voltage regulator 1117-3.3sj on the main board. I have since replaced both with new parts (for $7 pack of 5 @ rsonline) and am enjoying problem free monitors.
See the post below for all the info you need on this issue.
http://pixelchimp.net/blog/pixel-chimp/apple-23-cinema-display-possible-fix-short-long-short-error
Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot.
I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.
Great, thanks for sharing this article. Really Cool. adkefkgfdagd
Thanks so much for sharing this excellent info! I’m seeking forward to see much more posts! fbadbbdekacg
Magnificent goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you
are just extremely magnificent. I really like what you’ve acquired here, certainly
like what you’re saying and the way in which you say it. You
make it entertaining and you still care for
to keep it sensible. I can not wait to read far more from you.
This is actually a great site.