15" core i7 displaylink woes

[sameerwahid]

Hi all,

Having a problem, hoping for some help. I have a Lenovo M01061 Displaylink adapter that I'm trying to use with my new core i7 MBP with 1680x1050 screen. I'm having the following problem, that happens with 1.5, 1.6b1, and 1.6b2:

When I use my laptop at work, with a DVI and a DL connected monitor, everything is fine and all three displays work. When I unplug my computer from the external monitors and use it without DVI or DL, the laptop screen is filled with "coloured snow" and the computer is unusable.

If I boot the laptop with no external display connected, I get coloured snow instead of the login page (I can see grey Apple startup screen just fine).

If I boot the laptop with an external display connected by DL, the laptop screen is solid blue (no snow) and the external screen stays in power save mode.

If I boot the laptop with an external display connected by DVI, both screens work fine.

Uninstalling the displaylink driver makes everything usable again, so my solution thus far has been to install the driver every AM and uninstall it when I go home.

None of my displays are rotated. One possible cause is that I migrated my hard drive (SSD) over from my old MBP (mid 2007) and then reinstalled Snow Leopard from the DVDs that came with the new MBP. Everything was working just find on the old MBP with respect to Displaylink.

Also, is there a way (key combo, etc) to prevent the DL drivers from loading at boot? It would be handy to have in case I forget to uninstall the drivers and am on the go!!

Thanks,
Sam

[mcjb]

I get the exact same thing as previous post.

Mike

[Carlo]

This is really bad.

Frist thing, we need the logs. Can either of you please try three flavours of boot configuration (DisplayLink only, DVI+ DisplayLink, no external) in succession and then collect the logs with http://www.displaylink.com/support/ticket.php?id=269

Can you also try to disable graphics auto switching? I'm not sure it could help but worth trying.

To boot disabling all third party drivers (including DisplayLink ones) you can hold shift at boot time.

[daxiang28]

Similar issues... everytime I reboot, I have to reinstall the drivers. What a major PITA.

Steve

[sameerwahid]

Hi Carlo,
Thanks for the quick reply! I did submit a ticket immediately after posting on the forum here. The only flavour that I can try and submit a ticket using is one with DVI+ being used, as the computer is unusable in the other two flavours with the the DL driver installed. If you mean you want me to collect logs w/o the driver installed, let me know and I will do so.

I'll also try disabling auto-switching and report back. Finally, thanks for the tip about the shift key - will come in very handy until there's a fix.

Also a BIG thank you to the others who posted here - I was worried I was the only one!

Sameer

Originally Posted by Carlo

This is really bad.

Frist thing, we need the logs. Can either of you please try three flavours of boot configuration (DisplayLink only, DVI+ DisplayLink, no external) in succession and then collect the logs with http://www.displaylink.com/support/ticket.php?id=269

Can you also try to disable graphics auto switching? I'm not sure it could help but worth trying.

To boot disabling all third party drivers (including DisplayLink ones) you can hold shift at boot time.

[sameerwahid]

Update:

Disabling automatic graphics switching worked for me.

Also, that shift key trick, while handy, sure does slow down the boot - took two minutes to "safe boot"!!

Looking forward to a new driver, but glad we've found a temporary fix

[cyberlot]

15" i5.. Also upgraded to an SSD.. Also having problem using laptop without display link connected.. Disabling graphic auto switch not working, booting into safe mode "shift" is the only choice I have right now.

Running 1.6.. Also mac is booting in 64bit mode

[doctorkrit]

I have Macbook Pro 15" i7 and had the same problem, which I figured out that it was because of the system's confusion about primary monitor. As this problem does not happen to my Mac Mini at all, I hypothesized that it is because the Macbook's own monitor was failed to be recognized.

In my case, I installed the DisplayLink (DL) driver when my Macbook Pro was connected to Apple Cinema Display 24" (ACD) in close-lid mode. The system then remembered the ACD as primary monitor and the USB monitor as secondary. When I disconnected my Macbook Pro from the ACD, the system therefore could not find that primary monitor anymore.

After many trials and errors, here are the long steps I did successfully:
- Shut down the Macbook. If you can't see anything on the screen, just press & hold the power button for 10 seconds
- Connect the Macbook to non-USB external monitor (VGA, DVI, Mini Displayport, etc.)
- Turn on your Macbook. You should be able to see both external and Macbook monitors.
- Go to System Preferences > Displays to make sure that your Macbook's screen is the primary monitor (with menu bar and dock) and the external one is secondary monitor
- Unplug the external monitor. The Macbook's screen should blink once and become the one and only monitor
- Uninstall the DL driver. The Macbook will then restart. You should be able to see your Macbook screen afterward
- Try connect with non-USB external monitor again to make sure that your Macbook's screen is still primary monitor. If not, go to System Preferences > Displays to make it primary.
- Install DL driver. The Macbook will then restart.
- Connect the USB monitor and make sure that your Macbook's screen is still primary monitor. If not, go to System Preferences > Displays to make it primary.
- Connect non-USB monitor. You will now have 3 monitors. Make sure that your Macbook's screen is still primary monitor. If not, go to System Preferences > Displays to make it primary.
- Disconnect both USB & non-USB monitors, your Macbook screen should be working fine.

[dlee96]

I can confirm the procedure by doctorkrit to work. As the previous poster mentions, the problems appears to be related to the attribution of primary display status. I do still experience problems when an external display is set as the primary and I unplug the displaylink adapter.
Further reinforcing the theory of problems being associated with the primary display status, users of the latest gen machines and Air Display (iPad as external display) are experiencing similar issues. Many problems are addressed with proper attribution of a primary display.

My hope is that Apple fixes this in a software update.

-David

[perlguy9]

Any word on an updated driver to support the new MacBook Pro's?