Tech Help - Can you connect a Thunderbolt Display to MacBook Pro 2017

[DocStone]

I have a Thunderbolt Display 27" that has been awesome and I have used to connect to my old MBP retina. I have a new 13" mbp that is a 2017 model that has two usb-c ports on it. I got a thunderbolt to usb-c cable but it does not work. After some research, I found this article that says it won't work.

Has anyone been able to make this work?? Thanks in advance. I love this display and would love to continue using it.

Doc

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207266

 

[treekram]

The Apple Thunderbolt 3 - Thunderbolt 2 adapter you have in the link you provided in your post should work if you connect it to the integrated Thunderbolt Display cable. I don't think anybody makes a TB3-TB2 "cable" (meaning something over, say, 12 inches long). I would guess that the cable you have is a USB-C DisplayPort to Mini-DisplayPort cable and you're plugging it into the Thunderbolt port on the Display? That won't work.

The Apple adapter in the link you have isn't cheap but it is the cheapest option (unless something has been introduced in the last few weeks) for connecting a Mac with a TB3 port (such as the 2017 MBP) to the Thunderbolt Display.

 

[theluggage]

I got a thunderbolt to usb-c cable but it does not work. After some research, I found this article that says it won't work.

Eh? From the link you provided:

"For example, you can use this adapter to connect your Mac to an Apple Thunderbolt Display or LG Thunderbolt 2 display." (my emphasis).​

Things to check are:

(a) do you actually have the Apple TB3 to TB2 adapter and not a USB-C to MiniDisplayPort adapter (which may look as if it is the same thing and has identical plugs, but won't work).

(b) Do you actually have an Apple Thunderbolt display and not the very similar looking Apple LED Cinema display (which is a DisplayPort display, not Thunderbolt).

The Thunderbolt display has a cable that splits into two plugs (Thunderbolt and MagSafe) and should wrk with the TB3-to-TB2 adapter. The 'LED Cinema Display' cable splits into 3 plugs (MiniDP, Magsafe and USB) and should work with a USB-C to MiniDisplayPort adapter.