Apple 2010 Cinema Display with Macbook Pro 2020

[Elnico50]

Hi - I'm having trouble getting my Cinema display working with my Macbook Pro 2020. From what I gather, it should work fine with a Mini DP to USB C adapter. I'm using this but no luck so far. The monitor works fine with my old Macbook Pro 2012. It's possible the adapter is bad, but it is brand new. This is the one I have.

I've tried resetting SMC and NVRAM. Photos attached of the display working with the 2012 MBP and not working with the 2020 MBP.

 

[MacInWin]

Welcome to the forum.

What have you tried already, so we don't repeat? Is the display visible in System Preferences/Displays? What settings are you using in that panel? At Amazon, the very first bullet about that product says:

This adapter will NOT work with Apple Thunderbolt Cinema Display.

Did you have any other source that says it will?

 

[chscag]

You mentioned in your title that it was an Apple 2010 Cinema display. That model can be connected from the MiniDisplay Port from your 2012 MacBook Pro and it appears that you have it working there.

However, your 2020 MacBook Pro only has Thunderbolt 3 ports. According to Apple you need:

A USB-C to DVI adapter.

or: A USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter, followed by an active Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter may also work.

 

[Elnico50]

Welcome to the forum.

What have you tried already, so we don't repeat? Is the display visible in System Preferences/Displays? What settings are you using in that panel? At Amazon, the very first bullet about that product says:
Did you have any other source that says it will?

This article says it should work. Note - I have a pre-thunderbolt Cinema display, which will still work with the old inbuilt Thunderbolt 2 ports. However, the plug for this display is Mini Display port. So the Amazon listing is correct when it says it won't work with a Thunderbolt display but should work with a Cinema display.

From what I've read so far, the display should just turn on like it does with the 2012 MBP.

So far I've tried resetting the NVRAM and the SMC and that's it.


I've also tried going into system preferences and enabling screen recording as apparently this can affect external displays, but that didn't help either.

 

[Elnico50]

You mentioned in your title that it was an Apple 2010 Cinema display. That model can be connected from the MiniDisplay Port from your 2012 MacBook Pro and it appears that you have it working there.

However, your 2020 MacBook Pro only has Thunderbolt 3 ports. According to Apple you need:

A USB-C to DVI adapter.

or: A USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter, followed by an active Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter may also work.

Thanks, I have the USB C to Mini DisplayPort adapter.