I have an older (2005) sony vaio desktop, a toshiba L675 laptop, and a Staples brand SP9106 LCD external monitor. I would like to be able to switch my monitor back and forth between my laptop and my desktop but when I unplug the usb on my plugable docking station from the laptop and plug it into my desktop, my external monitor goes blank. Can you help?
Hi Carol,
I’m sorry that you haven’t had a plug-and-play experience when attaching your Sony desktop to the dock.
You may need to install the display drivers for the dock on that computer if Windows Update did not recognize the need when you first hooked up the dock.
Please download and install the 5.6 M1 version of the DisplayLink drivers at http://www.displaylink.com/support/do…. Don’t install the 6.x series or older 5.6 version without the M1.
Also, if you plan to use the network adapter on the dock with the Sony desktop, you’ll want to install the Ethernet port drivers at http://www.asix.com.tw/FrootAttach/dr…. Once the ZIP file is downloaded, find the program within called “Setup” of the type “Application” to launch the install.
If you already installed the drivers before writing–or doing so did not solve the problem–please let me know. We’re here to help.
Best Regards,
Aaron
Plugable Technologies
My desktop automatically installed the 6 version of the Display Link Drivers and it won’t let me remove that version and install the 5.6 M1. I have the display link set on duplicate --if I set it on extend, the icons disaappear on the external monitor.I should be able to plug the monitor into the docking station and then switch the usb port from the docking station back and forth between my laptop and my desktop, right? When I movethe usb of the docking station to my desktop, the monitor says it does not have a signal. Other ideas???
Hi Carol,
Thanks for the reply. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I need to clarify a few things in your last post to make sure I have an accurate picture of what’s going on.
On the desktop, what OS is installed? And can you tell me what video card is installed?
When you connect the dock to the desktop, it should cause an icon that looks kind of like a little monitor to appear in the system tray in the lower right. Is this there?
If yes, if you click the icon and click on the UD-160-A menu option, it should show an indicator for the mode that you are in (Extend or Mirror). What does it say? (Note: This is functionality in the v6 driver but not the v5.6 driver.)
You definitely should be able to switch the dock between the two computers, but the display-mode setting is computer specific, because the setting is maintained on each computer where you plug in the dock rather than the dock itself.
For now it should be OK to leave the v6 version of the driver, but if we need to switch to 5.6M1, I can help you do that. But I want to try to understand what’s going on first.
The behavior you define for extend mode where the icons disappear is exactly what you should expect. Instead of seeing what is on the primary desktop, you are given a clean workspace in which you can drag any windows open in the primary screen by dragging them off the extreme right or left of the main screen (it will be one or the other and is configurable).
I’ll look forward to your response. Sorry for all the hassles in making this work properly.
Sincerely,
Aaron
Plugable Technologies
Hi Carol,
I sent an e-mail to you from support@plugable.com to continue this discussion. Please let me know if you didn’t receive it.
Best Regards,
Aaron