Macbook Pro restarting (crashing) when connected to external monitor

[Matt Ress]

Hi all,

I'm not sure what to do to fix the issue, run out of troubleshooting ideas. My Macbook Pro (late 2017, i7, 16gb, 500ssd) is restarting randomly 4-5 times a week. This only occurs when Mac is not used, so it is idle. Never happens when I am doing something on it. Also it never happens when the external monitor is disconnected. But the way I work is I keep it connected 99% of the time. When it crashes I get the multi language wall of text, then it restarts automatically. When I log in after the restart laptop is super slow, feels like it was in slow motion mode or something. I have to manually restart to make it work with the usual performance.

I tried connecting the monitor via single USB C cable and despite all the problems it was also having issues with charging the laptop.
Now it is connected via USB C dock -> HDMI.
Installing latest updates or not doesn't change a thing.
I tried factory reset and install everything from scratch, completely clean, no change.

Also when monitor is connected it affects wifi performance. It generally is slower and when I launch YouTube it kills the connection completely. It is pretty much impossible to watch any YT video without restarting wifi a few times, regardless of what browser I am using.

 

[lclev]

Well before we start all the trouble shooting and combing through logs let us try resetting the SMC and NVRAM first. That will reset and clear out conflicting garbage.

Follow the steps in this article: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/How+to...+NVRAM+on+a+MacBook+Pro+Touch+Bar+2018/113258

Post back and let us know if it helped or not.

Lisa

 

[MacInWin]

Welcome to the forum.

You left out the critical information of what monitor and how are you attaching to it, in addition to what Lisa asked.

 

[lclev]

Jake - he indicated first through laptop USB-C then USB C dock to HDMI for the monitor - but no model of monitor. I think he is also having USB-C charging issues. Not sure if that is through the laptop port or the hub???

Lisa

 

[MacInWin]

And I am wondering if there are any incompatibilities with the monitor he is using. Given that it only happens with the external connected, that is a pretty strong pointer to the monitor or cabling. And if he is trying to charge his Mac through the monitor, it could well be an incompatibility issue.

 

[Matt Ress]

The monitor I am using is LG 34WN80C-B 34 inch. I tried the 'one cable wonder' USB C thing and it was crap. Monitor would not provide enough power and I was often surprised by sudden shutdown due to zero battery (laptop would not notify of low battery when USB C cable was plugged in). Since then I am using a USB C dock and utilising HDMI port. Laptop is connected to an apple charger (directly to laptop, not through the dock).

I will try resetting SMC and NVRAM as per Lisa's suggestion.

Thanks!

 

[MacInWin]

The monitor I am using is LG 34WN80C-B 34 inch. I tried the 'one cable wonder' USB C thing and it was crap. Monitor would not provide enough power and I was often surprised by sudden shutdown due to zero battery (laptop would not notify of low battery when USB C cable was plugged in). Since then I am using a USB C dock and utilising HDMI port. Laptop is connected to an apple charger (directly to laptop, not through the dock).

I will try resetting SMC and NVRAM as per Lisa's suggestion.

Thanks!

Nothing in the tech specs says that monitor can provide power out, and certainly not of the demand of a MBP like yours. The USB C is for input only, as far as I can see. So now we need to know more about the dock you are using. Can you tell us more about that?

 

[Matt Ress]

Mac was restarting regardless of how monitor was connected. With or without the dock. But it is super clear that when the monitor is disconnected Mac never restarts, like ever.

The dock I am using is Lention:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074KGFQPN/?tag=macforums0e4-20

 

[MacInWin]

Mac was restarting regardless of how monitor was connected. With or without the dock. But it is super clear that when the monitor is disconnected Mac never restarts, like ever.

The dock I am using is Lention:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074KGFQPN/?tag=macforums0e4-20

Don't know the company, but the low star reviews at Amazon all say pretty much the same thing--poor quality, overheating, problems with low speed in the interface and problems with the HDMI port. If it's in warranty, I'd look to either send it back or get a replacement.

 

[Matt Ress]

What I haven't tried yet is to connect the monitor via USB C and use a power adaptor to power the laptop.

As for the dock it was a gift rather than conscious purchase (then again 4.4 out of 5 stars ain't bad).

 

[Matt Ress]

So far so good, no restart since my last post but I will keep monitoring and report back.

YouTube is still cutting wifi though.

 

[Seeking Answers]

I am having the crashing problem and the Window Server error with 2020 MBP M1 and 2 external LG monitors.

IS ANYONE EXPERIENCING either problem using APPLE'S EXTERNAL STUDIO DISPLAY ???
I haven't yet seen any reports on this. Thanks!

 

[Raz0rEdge]

How are you connecting to the two monitors? If your issue is with your LG monitors, why are you asking about the Studio displays? Are you looking to upgrade to them?

I'm running a 2022 Mac Studio M1 Max with Monterrey and 2 Viewsonic monitors without any issues. One of the monitors is connected to the HDMI connector and the other to the TB connector.