Macbook Air M2 external monitor intermittent outage problems

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Level 1

18 points

Macbook Air M2 external monitor intermittent outage problems

I have a new Macbook Air M2 and am having intermittent black screens with my external monitor. I have tried 2 Dell monitors and a Samsung monitor. I have tried HDMI and DisplayPort cables, both direct from the Macbook and through a docking station. The problem occurs on all configurations. I'm not having any issues with screen resolution or flickering when the screen is on, just sometimes the screen goes blank for a few seconds then comes back on. Anyone know how to resolve this? Thanks in advance.

MacBook, OS X 10.11

Posted on Mar 13, 2023 07:28 PM

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Answer 1

racheals14

Community Specialist

Mar 15, 2023 10:27 AM in response to bulldozer98

Hello bulldozer98,

You've done a great job isolating this behavior to the Mac by trying different cables and displays. Updating the software on your Mac can often address unexpected behavior. If you haven't already, we'd like to start there as mentioned in If your external display is dark or low resolution. Updating the firmware for the display is also suggested as it can often address any potential issues you're facing.

"Update software

Software can affect display detection, the quality of the image on your display, and the resolutions and refresh rates available to your display.

Install the latest macOS updates, which also deliver firmware updates for displays made by Apple.
If your display is not made by Apple, make sure that it's using the latest firmware from the manufacturer. Check your display's documentation or the manufacturer's website for details."

After updating, test things out and let us know if you continue to see intermittent black screens on the external displays you use. We'll go from there.

Regards.

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Answer 2

bulldozer98 Author

Level 1

18 points

Mar 15, 2023 10:36 AM in response to racheals14

Hello, I have updated the OS to 13.2.1 and still have the problem. I have used both the USB C ports on the macbook air and still have the problem. The operating system for all 3 monitors are up to date. Please advise next steps. Do I need to replace the macbook with a new laptop? If so, how do I get a replacement?

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Answer 3

Dorain1

Community Specialist

Mar 15, 2023 11:08 AM in response to bulldozer98

Hey bulldozer98,

Thanks for getting back to us and letting us know all the devices you are using have the all the software and firmware updated.

Looking back over the troubleshooting you have already tried, and it seems to be narrowed down to the MacBook Air M2, we recommend reaching out to Apple Support so they can look into this with you further.

Take care!

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