Teething Pains With New Mac Mini - Static on Screen When Waking

[GS Owner]

After serious Aging Problems with my iMac using Yosemite (yeah, that old) I finally invested in a Mac Mini with Apple's M2 Processor. Being in IT for decades I knew I was going to have some problems switching over. Having swapped literally hundreds of End-of-Lease Laptops as well as Desktops I wondered what was in store for me.

BTW: The reason I didn't get a new iMac is that I literally have 19.5 inches Side-to-Side clearance for any monitor; my Desk is Not open like I have at work. If Apple still supported and sold the Other iMac I would have switched over last year.

Headache Number 1: After waking up the Mini from sleep from several hours slumber I sometimes get static on my monitor: It lasts about a second or so before disappearing. The reappearing and vanishing repeatedly. The only cure seems to be hitting the Power button. Sometimes I when wake the Mini when I get home from work and there are no problems, other times, like today, I wake the Mini up and just look at the screenshot I attached.
Only One Monitor, HDMI cable.

 

[ovbacon]

What monitor is it and have you tried a different one?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I notice this once in a while with the HDMI display, on two different M1 Mac minis. Each mini has a 2nd display connected via USB-C that wakes normally, so I use that display to put the Mac back to sleep in the Apple menu, then wake it again. If you don’t have a second display, Option-Command-Power Button puts the Mac to sleep.

Of course another work-around is change from HDMI to USB-C

 

[GS Owner]

What monitor is it and have you tried a different one?

HP Eye Ease monitor.
Are you thinking of a loose connection?

ETA: Double checked: Connection is solid.
ETA 2: One time all I did was move the mouse and hit the keyboard. After 15 minutes I rebooted the Mini.

 

[carylee2002]

On my HP dreamcolor monitors, there is a setting under OSD setting, under video input control, thats called input auto-switching. i enabled it. Don't know if is avail on consumer HP monitors,

 

[GS Owner]

🙄 The HP has Four buttons besides the Power button and no instructions to tell me which does what...
Wake up TODAY had no problems.

 

[Fishrrman]

Looks like the display is "coming alive", but is out-of-synch with the Mac.
Then, within a second or so, the incoming signal is sorted out, stabilizes, and the proper image is delivered.

I'd try carylee's solution. That is:
- if auto-switching of the input signal is on, turn it off.
- if auto-switching of the input signal is off, try turning it on.

Also, you might consider replacing the cable. I'd suggest a "high speed" HDMI 2.0 cable...

Re the "four buttons".
Try them all.
You'll figure it out.
(trying to adjust monitor settings is a pretty flaky task on EVERY display I've seen...)

 

[GS Owner]

Looks like the display is "coming alive", but is out-of-synch with the Mac.
Then, within a second or so, the incoming signal is sorted out, stabilizes, and the proper image is delivered.

I'd try carylee's solution. That is:
- if auto-switching of the input signal is on, turn it off.
- if auto-switching of the input signal is off, try turning it on.

Also, you might consider replacing the cable. I'd suggest a "high speed" HDMI 2.0 cable...

Re the "four buttons".
Try them all.
You'll figure it out.
(trying to adjust monitor settings is a pretty flaky task on EVERY display I've seen...)

If the problem was consistent I wouldn't be asking here. With my experience I'd be able to track it down quickly.

The HDMI was brand Out-of-Box new. As a Just In Case, I also swapped it with the cable connecting my TV to cable box. No change.
My current hypothesis is that the Mini sometimes rather stay sleeping that to wake up.

 

[Fishrrman]

"My current hypothesis is that the Mini sometimes rather stay sleeping that to wake up"

OK, then here's another option you might consider:
Don't put the Mini "to sleep" AT ALL.

Instead, just leave it "awake", but idling.
Put the DISPLAY to sleep instead.

You can do this by setting up a "hot corner" for the mouse pointer (I like the upper right).
This will sleep the display, but let the Mini idle.
You can require a password to "awaken" the display, if you wish.

The difference in power consumption between a sleeping Mini and one that is awake, but idling, is so small as to be next-to-nothing at all.

If you're going to be away for a while, another way to do it (that I use myself) is to just "reach forward" and SWITCH OFF the display.
Works for me.

 

[GS Owner]

"My current hypothesis is that the Mini sometimes rather stay sleeping that to wake up"

OK, then here's another option you might consider:
Don't put the Mini "to sleep" AT ALL.

Instead, just leave it "awake", but idling.
Put the DISPLAY to sleep instead.

You can do this by setting up a "hot corner" for the mouse pointer (I like the upper right).
This will sleep the display, but let the Mini idle.
You can require a password to "awaken" the display, if you wish.

The difference in power consumption between a sleeping Mini and one that is awake, but idling, is so small as to be next-to-nothing at all.

If you're going to be away for a while, another way to do it (that I use myself) is to just "reach forward" and SWITCH OFF the display.
Works for me.

I do Both: Sleep and turn the monitor off. While the Mini Usually wakes up quickly, (I turn the monitor on a few minutes before waking the Mini up) seeing static means the Mini is a Teamster and want to stay asleep.

 

[mr.steevo]

My 2012 mini has been doing this intermittently for a decade. No updates ever fixed it. I just accept it and carry on.

 

[GS Owner]

The Last time I saw static on my monitor was when I first posted this Question. I haven't seen static since. I'm guessing they just had to get used to each other.

 

[dictoresno]

just got a brand new Mac mini M2 and it happened to me once so far in the past week and a half. I'm connected to an HP 27 inch 1080p monitor via HDMI. I had to power down and then turn it on again for it to fix itself. this only happened one time out of all the times I woke the computer from sleep.

 

[Linas7]

I got a new M2 Mac mini two weeks ago. I am also experiencing the static monitor issue as described by the original poster. I had been using the same monitor with my Late 2012 Mac mini for many years and don’t remember facing this issue.

 

[dictoresno]

I after reading the other thread here i decided to switch from a normal HDMI cable to an HDMI/Thunderbolt cable to see if that prevents the issue. So far it’s been only the one time I got the snow and will update if it happens with the new cable.

 

[GS Owner]

. Happened again last night. Hit Mini's POWER button and everything went back to normal seconds later.

 

[dictoresno]

. Happened again last night. Hit Mini's POWER button and everything went back to normal seconds later.

Still using an HDMI to HDMI cable?

 

[GS Owner]

Still using an HDMI to HDMI cable?

Single HDMI from Mini to Monitor.
And I'm very glad seeing static is rare.

 

[dictoresno]

Single HDMI from Mini to Monitor.
And I'm very glad seeing static is rare.

I switched to an hdmi->thunderbolt to see if the issue goes away. So far so good.

 

[Linas7]

I got a brand new M2 Mac mini on May 17 and I have had the same static screen issues with my HP 20 wm monitor. The same monitor works fine with my Late 2012 Mac mini.
Another issue with my Mac mini is maintaining reliable connection to the Logitech bluetooth keyboard. Again, the keyboard works fine with my Late 2012 Mac mini.

 

[dictoresno]

seems like the issue is more prevalent in HP monitors. but someone with another brand in another thread had the issue. I haven't seen it resurface yet with my HDMI to Thunderbolt cable.

 

[saldin]

I have an HP E22 G4 monitor as well and I see this static about once a day (sometimes two) every time it wakes up. Because the Mini box is on top of the desk and accessible, I just unplug the HDMI cable and plug it back again to immediately fix the problem, but it's very annoying.

As carylee2002 and Fishrrman advised, I've just set "Auto-Switch Input" to "Off". Let's see how it fares... 🤞

** Two days later it happened again, so that's not it

 

[TheOtherAndy]

I have also seen this issue, and also with an HP monitor (27" 1440p). Once with my current M1 mini, and several times with a previous Intel Mac (can't remember if it was a 2018 Mini or 2020 MacBook Pro, or possibly both).

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I thought this bug was squashed, hadn’t seen it in several weeks. Then just a couple weeks ago it started up again, on both of my M1 minis. In both cases the USB-C display isn’t affected so I do an Apple menu > Sleep and the click the mouse to wake it again; all is fine at that point.

 

[simacc]

happens a few times a week on my m1 studio for last year...hdmi monitor only...when waking from sleep, or display sleep only, never when display is on...thunderbolt (studio display) always OK...seems to be happening more often recently.

it's a 2017 cheapo AOC display...so i kinda suspect the display tbh...tried a bunch of cables...a hdmi to dvi seems to work a little better (dvi input on AOC vs hdmi)...i just tried reseating the connectors on both sides, and tightened up the dvi, maybe that will help...should possibly give the ports on the monitor a clean with a blower, and maybe a qtip with isopropyl alcohol...