=====================================================================
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DisplayLink Software Release: External Release Note
Software Package: USB Display Adapter
Version: 4.5.14374.0
=====================================================================
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This is R4.5M2, the second Maintenance Release of R4.5. It is suitable
for deployment to end-users. See section C1 for changes since the
R4.5 Product Release (4.5.12866).
DisplayLink Software Release 4.5 delivers the following features:
- Support for Windows Vista 64-bit
- Single installer for both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems
- No-reboot install and upgrade on Windows Vista (WDDM)
- Tablet PC support for Windows Vista and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
- Support for Nvidia SLi graphics cards in SLi mode
- Hardware (GPIO) API v1.0 support
- Improved support for Auto-Install for SPI Flash devices
Recommendations for use:
If using with more than one device, make sure each device is fully
installed and working before adding the next.
Minor issues can generally be resolved by
- detaching and reattaching the DisplayLink device
- changing the display mode via the DisplayLink GUI, or
- changing the display mode via Windows Display Properties.
On Windows Vista WDDM (Aero and Basic): DisplayLink software works
closely with the graphics card and there may be interoperability issues
with some graphics cards. If this happens,
(1) try to upgrade to the latest graphics drivers
(2) try to upgrade to latest DisplayLink software
(3) report the issue via your support channel
(4) if necessary, boot into Safe Mode and use Vista's Backup and
Restore Center to recover.
Video: video is supported with most popular video players on Windows
Vista in WDDM/Aero Mode. Video is also supported in Extend mode on
Windows XP. Video support is limited in other configurations including
Windos Vista Basic Mode and mirror mode in Windows XP.
=====================================================================
=====================================================================
A. Introduction
===============
This is R4.5M2, the second Maintenance Release of R4.5. It is suitable
for deployment to end-users. See section C1 for changes since the
R4.5 Product Release (4.5.12866).
DisplayLink Software Release 4.5 delivers the following features:
- Support for Windows Vista 64-bit
- Single installer for both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems
- No-reboot install and upgrade on Windows Vista (WDDM)
- Tablet PC support for Windows Vista and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
- Support for Nvidia SLi graphics cards in SLi mode
- Hardware (GPIO) API v1.0 support
- Improved support for Auto-Install for SPI Flash devices
B. Contents
===========
Executive Summary
A. Introduction
B. Contents
C. New Features
C1. Changes since the R4.5 Product Release (4.5.12866)
D. Note on Windows Vista Modes
E. How to Install
F. How to Use
G. Supported Operating Systems
H. PC Minimum Specifications
I. Language Support
J. Supported Hardware
K. Summary of Software State and Issues - Windows Vista WDDM
K1. Windows Vista WDDM graphics card support
K2. Normal use
K3. Video players, rendering technologies and applications
K4. Installer and auto-update function
L. Summary of Software State and Issues - Vista XDDM, XP, 2K
L1. Normal use
L2. Video players, rendering technologies and applications
L3. Installer and auto-update function
C. New Features
===============
DisplayLink Software Release 4.5 delivers the following features:
- Support for Windows Vista 64-bit
- Single installer for both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems
- No-reboot install and upgrade on Windows Vista (WDDM)
- Tablet PC support for Windows Vista and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
- Support for Nvidia SLi graphics cards in SLi mode
- Hardware (GPIO) API v1.0 support
- Improved support for Auto-Install for SPI Flash devices
Support for Windows Vista 64-bit
--------------------------------
DisplayLink software now supports 64-bit editions of Vista, in both
WDDM and XDDM modes. Windows XP 64-bit Edition is not supported.
Both 32-bit and 64-bit add-ons are supported by the AddOnAPI.
Single installer for both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems
-------------------------------------------------------------
The installer recognises whether it is running on 32-bit or 64-bit
systems and installs appropriate software on each.
No-reboot install and upgrade on Windows Vista (WDDM)
-----------------------------------------------------
Installation on Windows Vista work is accomplished without reboot.
Upgrades Windows Vista WDDM complete without reboot, as long as the
version being upgraded from is R4.5 or above.
Please note that the main screen flashes and briefly comes up in 640x480
resolution. This is because the graphics drivers for the native graphics
card are stopped and restarted during the install or upgrade.
In cases where the native graphics driver cannot be automatically
stopped and restarted, the PC may require a reboot, or may run in XDDM
mode until reboot.
Uninstallation always requires a reboot.
All applicable drivers have been WHQL signed.
Tablet PC support for Windows Vista and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
--------------------------------------------------------------------
This release supports Windows XP Tablet Edition and also supports
installations of Windows Vista on Tablet PCs.
Support for Nvidia SLi graphics cards in SLi mode
-------------------------------------------------
This release supports PCs in Nvidia SLi configurations, allowing NVidia
SLI users to use multiple monitors through USB even when SLI mode is
enabled.
Hardware (GPIO) API v1.0 support
--------------------------------
This release includes an API for setting and detecting special functions
on products with suitable firmware and hardware.
Improved support for Auto-Install for SPI Flash devices
-------------------------------------------------------
This release includes a new method for installing from devices with
SPI flash attached to the DisplayLink chip. The method ensures that
the SPI flash is accessible for both install and upgrade.
Please note that in the case of an upgrade, the Windows 'Found New
Hardware' wizard may start during installation of the software. It
is OK to cancel out of the 'Found New Hardware' wizard in this case.
(3298)
C1. Changes since the R4.5 Product Release (4.5.12866)
======================================================
Bugfixes added in R4.5M1 (4.5.13507):
-------------------------------------
Fix an occasional problem that causes screens to fail to work in extend
after a software upgrade on a system with two DisplayLink screens
attached. (3351)
Fix two reliability problems that occasionally cause the DisplayLink
GUI icon in the System Tray to disappear after sleep, suspend or
hibernate. (3413)
Fix problem that can cause Bluray content to fail to play on the
main monitor, when DisplayLink software is installed. (3342, 3071)
Change the mirror-mode bump-scroll algorithm, so that when mirroring
onto a DisplayLink screen that can do higher modes than the primary,
bump-scrolling will be avoided wherever possible. Example: when
mirroring from a primary at 1280x800 to a DisplayLink screen that
can do 1600x1200, 1280x1024 and 1152x864, previously DisplayLink
software would have set the DisplayLink screen into mode 1152x864. Now
the software sets the DisplayLink screen into mode 1280x1024. (3468)
Change the word 'install' to 'installation' in some installer error
messages. (3382)
Features added in R4.5 M2 (this release):
-----------------------------------------
Product support
===============
Unrecognised product IDs will now work by default. Previously the
default was no image on unrecognised products.
Additional Widescreen modes
===========================
This release makes available some resolutions that are not reported
in the monitor's EDID data, when the monitor is likely to
support them. The extra resolutions are available through WDP and
through the DL-GUI. In the DL-GUI they are in square braces []. This
feature means that devices based on the DisplayLink DL120 chip can
drive high-resolution widescreen monitors at 1440x900 resolution, even
when this resolution is not advertised in the monitor's EDID data.
Bugfixes added in R4.5M2 (this release):
----------------------------------------
Improve the appearance of the installer dialog box. Also remove an
invalid display of message "This program might not have installed
correctly". (3187)
In the installer, check the OS before displaying the EULA. (2740)
Improve the device detection code to correctly detect devices using
GPIO API. (3461)
Fix a problem that could result in the message "Insufficient System
Resources". (2810)
If the user cancels an installation, ensure that TMM (Transient
Multi-monitor Manager) is left enabled. (3261)
Improve the user experience on Vista with 4 to 6 DisplayLink screens.
(3594, 3638, 3588)
If VBScripts don't run on the user's machine, put up a helpful message
and refuse to install. (1824)
Ensure that screens return to the correct mode after running the
photos screen saver. This is with the DisplayLink screen primary and
the laptop screen disabled. (3691)
Ensure that if the user changes the screen's frequency, without
changing resolution or colour depth, the change is correctly
acted on. (3507)
Fix a problem on Windows 2000 that could cause DL software to
require several reboots after installation. (3509)
D. Note on Windows Vista Modes
==============================
Normally, Windows Vista is in WDDM mode. In this mode, Vista graphics
drivers are used, and the Vista Aero Glass and Vista Basic themes are
available.
Windows Vista PCs whose graphics drivers are not Windows Vista native
will run in XDDM (XP-Compatible) mode. In this mode, the 3D Aero Glass
theme is not available. This mode will be limited to PCs that were
upgraded from XP to Vista and PCs with low-end graphics cards.
DisplayLink software supports both modes in different ways, and the
level of support and issues are different in the two cases.
E. How to Install
=================
Important note: users who have v3.x âUSB Display Adapterâ software
installed in Add/Remove Programs must uninstall it before installing
this release. Devices using v3.x software will continue working after
this release is installed.
Important note: if you are installing several devices, make sure that
each is fully installed and showing an image before attaching the
next.
Software-first install
----------------------
- Unzip the release package
- Run âsetup.exeâ
- Once installation is complete, attach a DisplayLink device / screen
to the PC and wait for it to come up.
Hardware-first install from release package (.zip)
--------------------------------------------------
- Unzip the release package to a convenient place,
- Connect the DisplayLink device
- Point the âNew Hardware Foundâ wizard at the unzipped release
package.
Hardware-first install from CD
------------------------------
- Put the CD into the PC's drive
- Connect the DisplayLink device / screen
- Point the âNew Hardware Foundâ wizard at the CD drive.
Uninstalling the Release
------------------------
- Go to âAdd or Remove Programsâ dialog box (XP or 2K)
- Go to 'Uninstall a Program' or 'Programs and Features' dialog box
(Vista)
- Select the customer product you installed
- Choose âRemoveâ.
F. How to Use
=============
DisplayLink screens can run in three modes:
- extend mode: the screen is part of the extended desktop
- mirror mode: the screen copies the contents of the primary screen
- off mode: the screen is black.
Display modes can be controlled through the DisplayLink GUI (DL-GUI)
and through the Windows Display Properties dialog box (WDP).
DisplayLink Manager GUI (System Tray Icon)
------------------------------------------
This is an icon in the systray that looks like a monitor. Click on
the icon to bring up the menu. You can control
- screen resolution
- colour quality
- rotation
- mode (extend, mirror, off)
- extend position (right, left, above, below)
- auto-update configuration
- manual check for newer software.
Windows Display Properties (WDP)
--------------------------------
To open WDP on XP / 2K
- right-click on the desktop
- select 'Properties' from the context menu
- go to the Settings tab
To open WDP on Vista
- right-click on the desktop
- select 'Personalize' from the context menu
- click on Display Settings link
To open WDP from DL-GUI
- bring up the DL-GUI menu
- click 'Advanced...'
With WDP you can control
- screen resolution
- colour quality
- extend position
- primary screen
- refresh rate
- whether the device is enabled (= part of the extended desktop)
or not (= mirror or off mode).
G. Supported Operating Systems
==============================
This release supports the following operating systems:
- Windows 2000 SP4
- Windows XP SP2
- Windows XP SP3
- Windows Vista SP1 (32-bit and 64-bit editions)
H. PC Recommended Specifications
================================
DisplayLink software can be run on PCs ranging from Netbooks (e.g. Asus
EeePC), Notebooks/Laptops, and Desktops - on processors ranging from
Atom N270 based PCs, basic single Core CPUs, and of course the latest
Dual and Quad Core CPUs.
The performance of the software is dependent upon the processing power
available, and so more capable systems offer higher performance.
Recommended typical system requirements are:
Windows Vista
=============
For Windows Vista, the Windows Experience Index (WEI) is a useful
measure of hardware level. The WEI is accessible from
Computer->Properties or from Control Panel->System.
The recommended typical hardware requirements for the PC are
* WEI score of at least 3 in the 'Graphics; Desktop performance for
Windows Aero' category.
* Recommended: WEI score of at least 3 overall, as recommended by
Microsoft.
* At least one USB 2.0 port
* 30 megabytes (MB) of free disk space
* Computer screen for use with the DisplayLink device, if it is not
integrated.
* Network access for software downloads, or access to a CD-ROM drive.
If the PC specification is below this, performance will be lower (or
CPU loading higher).
Windows XP/2000
===============
* For 1-2 monitors, business usage, productivity target. This may not
provide full frame rate DVD playback at full screen.
- 1.2GHz Single Core CPU (Celeron or Atom N270 for example)
- 512MB memory
* For 3 monitors where 1 could run DVD video while also targeting
productivity and business apps. Will support only 1 video of DVD
resolution at full screen:
- 1.8GHz CPU
- 1GB memory
* For 6 screens where 1 screen can run full screen DVD video:
- 1.6GHz Core Duo
- 1GB memory
I. Language Support
===================
DisplayLink software is localised in the following languages:
- English
- French
- German
- Dutch
- Italian
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Polish
- Hungarian
- Russian
- Traditional Chinese
- Simplified Chinese
- Japanese
- Korean
J. Supported Hardware
=====================
- DL120 / DL160 devices are supported.
- Earlier devices are supported for backwards compatibility.
- DL1x5 sample devices are supported, but R4.5 software does not
fully exploit their capabilities.
This package supports up to 6 devices with these PIDS:
USB_015A: None
K. Summary of Software State and Issues - Windows Vista WDDM
============================================================
K1. Windows Vista WDDM graphics card support
--------------------------------------------
Because of restrictions in Vista WDDM support for graphics cards, the
DisplayLink software works closely with the graphics drivers for
the PC's graphics card. This software supports interworking with single
graphics cards from Intel, ATI, Nvidia and Via, including NVidia SLI
in SLI mode.
DisplayLink cannot exclude severe problems in the case of graphics cards
or driver versions that have not been interoperability tested with
DisplayLink software. Should such problems arise,
- First, upgrade to the latest graphics drivers for your PC. Latest
drivers can be found on the PC manufacturer's or graphics card
manufacturer's website.
- Second, upgrade to the latest DisplayLink software available for
your device. Use 'Check now...' from the DisplayLink GUI to find and
download latest software.
- If this does not help, please inform your DisplayLink device
manufacturer's support line. Please give these details:
+ PC make, CPU and memory
+ graphics card make, model and driver version.
Known Issues - General
DisplayLink screens are not supported on systems with two graphics
cards used simultaneously (supporting separate screens, or in ATI
Crossfire configuration). Two graphics cards in Nvidia SLI
configuration are supported.(1704)
On Vista WDDM, TMM does not kick in when DisplayLink screens are
attached. It works normally when no DisplayLink screens are
attached. (2569)
Nvidia and ATI have developed hybrid graphics architectures that
automatically switch between integrated and discrete graphics chipsets.
DisplayLink software is not yet compatible with these platforms. (3068)
On Vista WDDM, very occasionally, if the DisplayLink screen is primary
with the main screen off, then the DisplayLink screen flashes
continuously when resuming from hibernation. To cure the problem,
detach and re-attach the DisplayLink screen. To prevent the problem,
set the PC to require a password when coming out of hibernation. (2835)
On Vista WDDM aero, DisplayLink software can cause some PCs to become
more susceptible to TDRs (Timeout Detection and Recovery). More info
at http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/display/wddm_timeout.mspx.
Suggested workarounds are (1) upgrade to the latest drivers for the
native graphics card; (2) increase TDR timeouts as described in the
linked article. (3217)
Known Issues - Intel GMA Integrated Graphics
Some older versions of Intel GMA drivers will cause corruption on
the DisplayLink screen. The solution is to upgrade them to version
7.14.10.1111 or later. This is with Vista WDDM. (2164)
Users of Vista WDDM with Intel graphics should exercise caution if
using two or more DisplayLink screens at a time. Very occasionally,
mode changes or detach/reattach of two DisplayLink devices at once
has been observed to cause a complete machine lock-up. (2264)
On Vista WDDM systems with Intel 945GM graphics and with graphics
driver versions around 7.14.10.1461 and 7.14.10.1504, playing a video
on a DisplayLink attached screen can cause the whole system to run
very slow. A reboot is needed to resolve this. To avoid the problem,
do not play video on such DisplayLink screens, or downgrade the
graphics drivers. (3076)
On Vista WDDM, some computers with Intel graphics reset DisplayLink
screens from extend to mirror when coming out of sleep. A workaround
is to disable the Intel persistence application, by removing
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Persistence
(The normal value would be C:\windows\system32\igfxpers.exe). (2546)
Known Issues - ATI graphics
The ATI Catalyst Control Center is a tool provided by ATI to control
ATI graphics cards. In the presence of DisplayLink attached screens,
some parts of the tool, such as its adjustments submenu, do not work.
This is on all OSes. (1596)
Some versions of the ATI Catalyst Control Center crash in the
presence of DisplayLink software. This has been observed with versions
since ATI driver version 8.360. This can cause problems when a
screen is attached to the PC. To work around the problem, uninstall the
ATI Catalyst Control Center.
On Vista WDDM with ATI graphics, the ATI External Event Utility can
interfere with remembered settings for DisplayLink screens. To avoid
this, disable the ATI External Event Utility as follows: Navigate to
Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Administrative Tools ->
Services: Ati External Event Utility and change the startup type to
Disabled. (2674)
Known Issues - Nvidia graphics
On Vista WDDM, Nvidia driver versions earlier than 7.15.10.7500 or 7
.15.11.7500 exhibit slowness on DisplayLink screens on some PCs. To fix
this, please upgrade to more recent Nvidia graphics drivers. (2282)
With Vista, a maximum of four DisplayLink screens are supported on
machines with Nvidia graphics. In certain rare cases, exceeding this
has been seen to cause repeated serious crashes. (1781)
On Vista WDDM, older versions of Nvidia drivers with versions prior to
7.15.11.146 can behave badly in the presence of DisplayLink software.
For instance they can cause blue screens when applications are
maximised on DisplayLink screens. Also, if DisplayLink devices are
attached or detached during restart, it may be necessary to press the
reset button on the PC to restore normal functioning. (2119)
On Vista WDDM, Nvidia 5 series graphics cards with driver version
7.15.10.9685 cause rundll32 crash messages in the presence of
DisplayLink software. If you have such a card, please update to a
more recent graphics driver version. (3077)
On some Nvidia SLi systems, it is not possible to enable or disable
SLi mode while a DisplayLink screen is attached. (3147)
Triple SLi systems are not supported. (3146)
K2. Normal use
--------------
System behaviour with up to six DisplayLink attached screens has
been well tested. Testing covers plug/unplug, mode changes, playing
video, hibernate, sleep/standby, multiple users, different user rights,
attached screen as primary screen, attached screen as only screen,
and other aspects.
There are many minor issues. General recommendations if something
goes wrong:
- detach then reattach the DisplayLink device's USB cable
- change display settings using DL-GUI
- change display settings using WDP.
Known Issues - Hibernate / sleep / monitor power save / screensavers
On Vista, very occasionally, DisplayLink devices fail to resume from
hibernation or sleep. This is due to issues in the Vista USB subsystem.
Hotfix http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941600 should help. This is
believed to be fixed in Vista Service Pack 1. (2126)
On Vista WDDM, DisplayLink attached screens can be slow when resuming
from hibernation or sleep. This is a Vista problem and is believed to
be improved in Vista Service Pack 1. (2165)
On all OSes, the desktop background is occasionally missing after
restart or after resume from sleep or hibernation. The screens are
still usable, and the background can be set again to the desired
picture. (2154, 2072)
On all OSes, detaching or attaching DisplayLink attached screens while
a screensaver is running may cause strange effects. Sometimes it is
necessary to detach and reattach the DisplayLink attached screen after
exiting the screensaver. (1984)
3D screensavers do not run well on DisplayLink devices and can cause
flicker. This is on all OSes. (1150, 1177)
If devices are detached from the PC before going into standby, then
reattached during standby, very occasionally they may not resume when
the PC comes out of standby. If this happens, detach and reattach the
devices to make them work again. (1492)
Known Issues - Other
In PowerPoint, the "Display slide show on:" menu has a bug which means
that it does not work when there are gaps in the numbering of enabled
displays (as shown in WDP). Users of PowerPoint 2007 can get round this
by using "Show presentation on:" in the ribbon, rather than the "Set
up slide show" box. (2337)
Vista WDDM: it's best to avoid switching between 32 bit and 16 bit
colour quality on DisplayLink attached screens. Occasionally, this
causes the DisplayLink screen to stop working. Detach and reattach it
to get it to work again. Very occasionally, this has caused a complete
machine lock-up. (2070, 2260)
On Vista WDDM, if a DisplayLink screen is primary, it is not possible
for another DisplayLink screen to mirror it. (1870)
CRT monitors may show speckles at very high resolutions. This is
because the DisplayLink device cannot always support the high pixel
clock required with high CRT refresh rates. (2155)
After a reboot, the numbers used in Windows Display Properties to
identify the attached screens may change. This is normal. (596)
On Vista WDDM, when using the DisplayLink GUI to set rotation,
occasionally the screen rotation will fail to match the GUI's rotation
setting. To fix this, apply the setting again, or detach and reattach
the DisplayLink screen. (2186)
K3. Video players, rendering technologies and applications
----------------------------------------------------------
Video is supported on Windows Vista in WDDM (Aero) mode. Video playing
and rendering using hardware overlays is not supported. The following
players are tested by DisplayLink:
- Windows Media Player 11
(www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.mspx)
- WinDVD 8 (www.intervideo.com)
- PowerDVD 7 (www.cyberlink.com)
- RealPlayer 11 (www.real.com).
This table shows what rendering interfaces are supported:
Interface Supported on Vista WDDM Aero?
DxVA Yes, if supported by the GPU
D3D Yes, but not if the DisplayLink screen is primary
DirectDraw Yes
OpenGL Yes, but not full screen, windowed only
GDI+ Yes, but not full screen, windowed only
On Vista WDDM Basic, video is not supported. It may work in some
cases but exhibits poor performance. It may stop working after an
update from Windows Update that affects the graphics subsystem. (2028)
On all platforms, depending on the player, there may be problems if
the video window is moved between screens while video is running. It
may be necessary to close and restart the video player.
With Vista WDDM, on some lower-spec PCs, videos on DisplayLink attached
screens pause frequently for several seconds at a time. This is because
there is insufficient system performance to display video smoothly.
(1798)
Known Issues - General
Don't change the display mode, position or arrangement of attached
screens while a video is running. This usually confuses the video
player and the video may stop playing. (1982)
On Vista WDDM, video players sometimes use hardware overlays to display
video. DisplayLink software does not support hardware overlays and
these videos do not display on DisplayLink screens. Examples: PowerDVD
7 uses overlays when playing DVDs and so cannot display DVDs on
DisplayLink screens. vlc can be configured to use overlays and will not
work on DisplayLink screens if so configured. (1807)
On Vista WDDM, some graphics-intensive applications use the GDI or
OpenGL interfaces. On DisplayLink attached screens, such applications
can display in a window but not full screen. Examples of such
applications are Starcraft, Quake 3. Also, video players such as
Windows Media Player, WinDVD fail to play in full screen mode on
DisplayLink screens on some PCs. (1655, 2134)
On Vista WDDM, applications such as games that use Direct3D will not
display on a DisplayLink attached screen that is set to primary. (1815)
Some players, including Windows Media Player, do not play well on
DisplayLink attached screens which are set as primary. (2084)
Known issues with specific players and applications
On Vista WDDM, if Windows Media Player is moved to the DisplayLink
screen and is then made full-screen, the screen blanks. To get out of
this situation, either double click on the blank screen and the player
window is restored to non-full screen mode, or right click on the blank
screen to invoke the player context menu and select exit full screen.
(2032)
Skype video is believed to be unreliable with Vista. It may cause
crashes.
On Vista WDDM, if WinDVD is asked to play High-Definition content on a
DisplayLink screen, the content will not display and the player may
crash. This is because the player uses hardware overlays, which are not
supported by DisplayLink software. (1986)
On Vista WDDM, if PowerDVD 7 is playing video on a DisplayLink attached
screen, and if the screen is rotated, then PowerDVD 7 crashes. The
workaround is to apply rotation to the screen before launching PowerDVD
7. (2013)
K4. Installer and Auto-update function
--------------------------------------
The installer and auto-update function work on all supported operating
systems, both hardware-first and software-first. USB drivers have been
signed.
Known issues
Do not attach two new DisplayLink devices at once as software for one
of them may fail to install. Instead, fully install one device and see
it working before attaching a second device. (2022)
On Vista WDDM, the machine may drop to basic mode when a new
DisplayLink screen is connected. This is because of Vista's normal
performance calculation when new screens are attached. Aero mode can be
restored through Control Panel -> Windows Colour and Appearance -> Open
classic appearance properties for more colour options -> Windows Aero.
(2069)
If you attach a new DisplayLink device, allow software to start
installing, then cancel the install part way through, hardware-first
install may no longer work. To complete the install, it may be
necessary to run setup.exe directly. (1573)
Virus checkers set to very high security may prevent the installer
from running. They should be set to lower security during installation
and restored to high security once installation is complete. (935)
When installing, make sure that only a single user is logged into the
PC. That user needs administrator privileges. (1112)
On PCs where vbscript.dll is not registered with the DLLServer, the
DisplayLink installer cannot run. (1824)
AutoUpdate dialogs and menus are not yet localised in Hungarian,
Portuguese and Traditional Chinese. Other languages are complete.
L. Summary of Software State and Issues - Vista XDDM, XP, 2K
============================================================
L1. Normal use
--------------
System behaviour with up to six DisplayLink attached screens has
been well tested. Testing covers plug/unplug, mode changes, playing
video, hibernate, sleep/standby, multiple users, different user rights,
attached screen as primary screen, attached screen as only screen,
and other aspects.
There are many annoyances and intermittent issues. General
recommendations when something goes wrong:
- try detaching then reattaching the DisplayLink device's USB cable
- try changing its display settings using the DisplayLink GUI or the
Windows Display Properties dialog box.
Known issues - hibernate / sleep / monitor power save / screensavers
On all OSes, the desktop background is occasionally missing after
restart or after resume from sleep or hibernation. The screens are
still usable, and the background can be set again to the desired
picture. (2154, 2072)
On all OSes, detaching or attaching DisplayLink attached screens while
a screensaver is running may cause strange effects. Sometimes it is
necessary to detach and reattach the DisplayLink attached screen after
exiting the screensaver. (1984)
3D screensavers do not run well on DisplayLink devices and can cause
flicker. This is on all OSes. (1150, 1177)
When the machine is set to ask for a password after standby / sleep /
hibernate / screensaver etc, sometimes the login screen displays on
all attached screens and sometimes it displays on a single screen only.
If devices are detached from the PC before going into standby, then
reattached during standby, very occasionally they may not resume when
the PC comes out of standby. If this happens, detach and reattach the
devices to make them work again. (1492)
Known issues - Windows 2000
Installation of DisplayLink driver on Windows 2000 SP4 requires patch
SP4 Rollup 1. This is available from www.microsoft.com. See Microsoft
Knowledge Base article KB891861.
It is important to check in Windows 2000 that full USB2 is available,
otherwise performance will be impaired. To do this, look in Device
Manager under Universal Serial Bus Controllers for an item called
"USB 2.0 Root Hub". If it is not there then performance will be USB1.
(1188)
On Windows 2000, when many devices are attached to the PC and the PC
is hibernated then woken up, not all the devices come back to life
immediately. It is occasionally necessary to detach and reattach the
USB connection to a device to coax it back to life. (1293, 1302)
Foreign language support on Windows 2000 has not been fully tested.
Known issues - other
In PowerPoint, the "Display slide show on:" menu has a bug which means
that it does not work when there are gaps in the numbering of enabled
displays (as shown in WDP). Users of PowerPoint 2007 can get round this
by using "Show presentation on:" in the ribbon, rather than the "Set
up slide show" box. (2337)
CRT monitors may show speckles at very high resolutions. This is
because the DisplayLink device cannot always support the high pixel
clock required with high CRT refresh rates. (2155)
The ATI Catalyst Control Center is a tool provided on machines with ATI
graphics cards for managing extra screens. Some versions of this tool
crash in the presence of DisplayLink software. This has been observed
with versions since ATI driver version 8.360. The workaround is to
uninstall the ATI Catalyst Control Center. (2054)
After a reboot, the numbers used in Windows Device Properties to
identify the attached screens may change. This is normal. (596)
L2. Video players, rendering technologies and applications
----------------------------------------------------------
On Vista XDDM, video support is very limited. With extended screens,
video or DVD playback are not supported in general. Exceptions:
PowerDVD7 and Quicktime are able to display video on a DisplayLink
attached display, so long as that display is the primary display. Video
is not supported in clone mode. It works, but exhibits poor
performance. (1495)
On XP, video support is limited to players that support hardware
overlays. In extend mode, the following media players work:
- Windows Media Player 11
(www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.mspx)
- WinDVD 8 (www.intervideo.com)
- PowerDVD 7 (www.cyberlink.com)
- RealPlayer 11 (www.real.com)
There is limited support for other video players, and for video in
mirror mode.
This table shows what rendering interfaces are supported:
Interface Supported on XP extend?
DxVA No
D3D No
DirectDraw Yes
OpenGL No
GDI+ No
On all platforms, depending on the player, there may be problems if
the video window is moved between screens while video is running. It
may be necessary to close and restart the video player.
Known issues - general
Don't change the display mode, position or arrangement of attached
screens while a video is running. This usually confuses the video
player and the video may stop playing. (1982)
Some players, including Windows Media Player, do not play well on
DisplayLink attached screens which are set as primary. (2084)
DVD movies will not play back if they are dragged to an extended
DisplayLink screen while running. They play OK if the player
starts up on the extended screen. (no bug number)
On Windows 2000, video playing is not supported. (2708)
Known issues with specific players and applications
Skype video is believed to be unreliable with Vista. It may cause
crashes (no bug number).
Skype video does not work on DisplayLink screens with Windows XP. This
is because Skype video uses VMR9, which is supported by DisplayLink
software on Vista WDDM, but not on Vista XDDM or on XP. Trying to use
skype video on XP may cause black screens or freeze the DisplayLink
attached screen. (1651)
L3. Installer and Auto-update function
--------------------------------------
The installer and auto-update function work on all supported operating
systems, both hardware-first and software-first. USB drivers have been
signed.
Known issues
On Windows 2000, DisplayLink software fails to install on PCs where
Service Pack 4 was installed before installing a MUI pack. This is a
Windows issue - see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 263212. To work
round this problem, go to Control panel, Regional Options, select the
General tab and change the Menus and Dialog combo box to English. You
will need to log off, and log back on. Install DisplayLink software,
and then set the language settings back to their original settings.
(1010)
Do not attach two new DisplayLink devices at once as software for one
of them may fail to install. Instead, fully install one device and see
it working before attaching a second device. (2022)
If you attach a new DisplayLink device, allow software to start
installing, then cancel the install part way through, hardware-first
install may no longer work. To complete the install, it may be
necessary to run setup.exe directly. (1573)
Virus checkers set to very high security may prevent the installer
from running. They should be set to lower security during installation
and restored to high security once installation is complete. (935)
When installing, make sure that only a single user is logged into the
PC. That user needs administrator privileges. (1112)
On PCs where vbscript.dll is not registered with the DLLServer, the
DisplayLink installer cannot run. (1824)
AutoUpdate dialogs and menus are not yet localised in Hungarian,
Portuguese and Traditional Chinese. Other languages are complete.
(Vista XDDM) Occasionally, after install and reboot, the DisplayLink
devices are not operational. In this case, reboot again and they
become operational. (969)
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.