New Thunderbolt Display won't firmware update.

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New Thunderbolt Display won't firmware update - FIXED

I have a MacBook Air 2011 with an new attached Thunderbolt display. After checking for possible updates, I saw that there was one for my display. So I clicked on the Thunderbolt Display firmware update and it downloaded normally. It even said that the update was installed successfully.


LOOP:

But once I close the update page, I get a popup that shows...

Apple Thunderbolt Display
Update available: V1.0
Please open your laptop and restart the updater application.
No updatable device found.


I can guarantee that there is indeed an updatable Thunderbolt Display device here and is hooked up with a proper thunderbolt cable and, in fact, works very well.

So I open the laptop and start the update again. It says that there is a Thunderbolt Display firmware update available. I tell it to install, it downloads again and gives me a successful install message. But when I close the update page, it...

GOTO LOOP:


I have done it from the Thunderbolt display with the laptop closed and from the laptop itself and with the display attached. No difference. Anybody got any ideas?
 

chscag

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The Air and the new Thunderbolt display should be under warranty. I suggest either giving Apple a call or take them both on in to your local Apple store and have them deal with it. Messing with firmware updates can lead to "bricking" a device. It's possible the update was successful but to make sure, let Apple deal with it.
 
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cptkrf
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The Air and the new Thunderbolt display should be under warranty. I suggest either giving Apple a call or take them both on in to your local Apple store and have them deal with it. Messing with firmware updates can lead to "bricking" a device. It's possible the update was successful but to make sure, let Apple deal with it.

Yep, and besides, I have Applecare on both. But I fixed the problem finally. What they neglected to tell updaters is that the Thunderbolt Display has to be orphaned. That is, nothing can be plugged into any of the input ports on the back of the display. Kind of tough if that is the way you connect to the 'Net, since the Air doesn't have a native Ethernet port.

I finally found a blurb that said that any mounted drives have to be removed, but it still didn't work. So I pulled out everything - ethernet, keyboard, mouse and time machine, cranked up the Airport and downloaded again through the wireless. It worked.

So. Anybody with a new Thunderbolt display is hereby warned.

Thanks.
 

chscag

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Great, glad to hear you figured it out. Yeah, you would think when they issued a firmware update for the display they would also say to remove everything. I know that's what you're supposed to do anyway, but to be honest, I would have done the same as you.

Have fun with that new beautiful display and visit us often. :)
 
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Thanks...

Thanks for this. I was in an infinite loop trying to update.
 

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