Trouble connecting external display

[tehger]

Hello,



I am unable to connect an external display to my mid 2013 MacBook Air via the DisplayPort/Thunderbolt port. The monitor is not detecting the MacBook and no image is being shown. The monitor is a Viewsonic 32" 2K monitor.



I have tried the following things so far:

• Update to latest OSX 10.15.7
• Test the monitor with different machine
• Test different cable (I am using a DisplayPort to HDMI cable as well as a Displayport to HDMI adapter with HDMI cable, both don't work)
• Test the MacBook on different monitor (HDTV also does not work)
• Force detect monitor in Display Settings
• Start MacBook in Safe Mode
• Rest SMC and NVRAM (both done multiple times)
• Restarting MacBook and monitor both with cable connected and unconnected

Nothing so far has solved the issue. I had already concluded that the DisplayPort itself must be broken until I was able to make the monitor work fine after a NVRAM reset. It worked for some time but after reconnecting the monitor it is back to not working. Further resetting of NVRAM did not help.



Is there anything else I can try?



kind regards.

 

[chscag]

Welcome to our forums.

It appears that you've done some extensive troubleshooting.

I had already concluded that the DisplayPort itself must be broken until I was able to make the monitor work fine after a NVRAM reset. It worked for some time but after reconnecting the monitor it is back to not working. Further resetting of NVRAM did not help.

Test the MacBook on different monitor (HDTV also does not work)

Some questions for you:

Do you have another cable/adapter that you can try?

You state above that you tested the MBA on a different monitor and the HDTV does not work. What does that mean? Did the monitor work at all or was it working but not displaying in HDTV?

Do you have the exact model number of the Viewsonic so we can look up its specs?

 

[tehger]

Thank you for your reply. I am sorry if I wasn't clear on some of my points.

I tried two different cables. One miniDP to HDMI adapter + HDMI cable and one miniDP to HDMI cable (direct connection).
I do not own a second monitor so I tested the MacBook on my HDTV via HDMI in, this also did not produce an image.

The monitor I am trying to use is the viewsonic vx3276-2k-mhd.

 

[chscag]

I looked up the specs for the Viewsonic. It appears that it also has a Mini Display Port input.

Your 2013 MacBook Air has a Thunderbolt output which is the same as Mini Display Port. Have you tried to connect directly to the Viewsonic that way?

It seems that you've been trying to connect to the Viewsonic HDMI input via an adapter which isn't working. The same connection is likewise not working with the TV HDMI input.

The native resolution for the Viewsonic is 2560 x 1440 which is definitely within the range of your MacBook Air. It should work as long as the video output of your MacBook Air is functional.

Getting a bit late here in Texas. I see you're in Germany, so your day has already started.

We will try to get back to you a bit later. We have members who are based in the UK and other parts of the world so perhaps you'll receive more suggestions in awhile.