The power of this incredibly simple piece of hardware is maximized by two software packages.

• Microsoft’s Windows Easy Transfer software is built in to Windows 7 and Windows 8 Consumer Preview and is available as a free download for Windows XP (SP2 or higher required) and for Windows Vista. It provides a step-by-step interface for migrating Windows user account settings and files from an old PC to a new one.

• Plugable’s cable comes specially with a free license for Bravura Easy Computer Sync (a $19.95 retail value on its own), which enables drag-and-drop file transfer between two computers connected by the cable–a must-have tool for data management in non-networked environments. Even with a network, you can gain efficiency and security sharing data directly via the cable rather than by moving files to and from a network- or cloud-based drive.

The rest of this article focuses on when and how to use each of these two software packages.

Using Microsft Windows Easy Transfer
You’re thinking about buying a new Windows PC, but you’re daunted by the thought of transferring all your documents, photos, and Windows account settings from your trusted old PC. Have no fear. With Plugable’s easy transfer cable and Microsoft’s Windows Easy Transfer software, you can migrate

• from a Windows XP SP2 (or higher) or Windows Vista PC to a Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC,
• from one Windows 7 PC to another,
• from  a Windows 7 PC to a Windows 8 PC, or
• from one Windows 8 PC to another.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Plug the easy transfer cable into a free USB port on each of the PCs (make it a USB 2.0 port if possible for the best connection speeds).

2. Windows will attempt to install the driver for the cable. An Internet connection may be required so that Windows can get the cable’s drivers from Windows Update.

3. Now you need to open Microsoft’s Windows Easy Transfer software.

If you’re running Windows XP SP2 (or higher) or Windows Vista, an autorun option will give you the opportunity to launch the Windows Easy Transfer software if it’s installed. If it’s not, you’ll install it on the PC in a later step.

If you’re running Windows 7, Microsoft’s Windows Easy Transfer will open on screen when an easy transfer cable is plugged in:

If you’re running Windows 8 Consumer Preview, you’ll need to run a search on your PC for Windows Easy Transfer to launch it.

Search is available at the top of the pop-out menu that’s accessible from the lower right corner of the Windows 8 screen.

Within the search box, just type “Windows Easy Transfer”; launch Windows Easy Transfer with the icon that appears on the left.

4. On the new PC, you’ll select whether this is the new or old computer. Choose new and continue.

5. On the new computer, you’ll be asked if you’re going to need to install Windows Easy Transfer on the old computer. You will need to do this on Windows XP and Vista computers where the software hasn’t been installed and there is no Internet access. In such cases, on the new PC choose “I need to install it now.” Follow the prompts to copy the software where you want it: either a network or USB drive.

If you don’t need to install, choose either “I already installed it” or “My old computer is running Windows 7.”

6. On the old computer, if Windows Easy Transfer is running, select that it is the old computer.

If you first need to install Windows Easy Transfer on the old computer, you have two options:

• If you have an Internet connection, you can download an installable package from Microsoft at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/windows-easy-transfer.

• If you don’t have an Internet connection, use the install package on the network or USB drive that you created earlier.

7. Once it’s installed and running on both the old and new computers, the Windows Easy Transfer software will connect the computers.

From this point forward, you will make all your decisions on the new computer.

8. On the new PC, the Windows Easy Transfer software lets you choose what you want to pull from the old computer and how you want the synchronization to occur.

The “Customize” option lets you select which file folders and settings to synchronize on to the new PC.

Choosing “Advanced” from this menu allows you to select specific files to transfer rather than the whole folder.

Back in the main window, the “Advanced Options…” link lets you decide whether to pull the whole user account associated with the files and settings from the old PC to the new PC or to merge it into an account already on the new PC.

From the “Map drives” tab in this window you can determine where on the new PC the files will be transferred if you don’t want them to be placed in the same file path as they had on the old PC.

9. Once you decide what you want to copy from the old computer to the new computer, choose “Transfer” and watch the progress as the data is migrated. When it’s finished, you’ll get the chance to see what was transferred.

Another useful option that this final window offers is to see what programs were installed on your old PC that you might want to install on your new PC.

This is helpful since the Windows Easy Transfer software moves documents and account settings but not your installed apps. Now you can see what you might need to re-install on your new PC to match your old PC’s functionality.

10. You now can close the Windows Easy Transfer software on both computers and disconnect the easy transfer cable.

Using Bravura Easy Computer Sync
The first scenario involved a common requirement when setting up a new PC. But a lot of times you simply need an easy way to share files between two computers on an ongoing basis.

For those purposes, you’ll want to install and use the Bravura Easy Computer Sync software that’s made specially available to you at no extra charge once you buy a Plugable easy transfer cable.

You can the Bravura software for moving any files between two PCs running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 in any combination.

It’s easy to get started with Bravura Easy Computer sync. After your easy transfer cable purchase, you will receive an e-mail from Plugable similar to the one below (customized to your order) that tells you how to download and install the Bravura software.

Thanks for your purchase of the Plugable USB 2.0 Easy Transfer Cable!

In addition to compatibility with Microsoft’s built-in Windows Easy Transfer software, this cable also includes a full license to Bravura’s Easy Computer Sync application ($19.95 value), which adds drag and drop and other additional features.

You can download the latest version at http://www.bravurasoftware.com/easy-computer-sync/

This download also includes and installs the latest versions of Microsoft’s drivers (required on XP and Vista).

Your Bravura Easy Computer Sync product key is XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Please enter this key when requested by Bravura’s software.

This product key is uniquely matched to this Amazon order number, and is licensed for use with this cable on multiple machines.

1. You will need to install the Bravura software on all computers where you want to use it and then register it with the license key you received from us via e-mail (use the same key on all computers). The software works on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

2. Once the software is installed, connect the two computers with the easy transfer cable.

Close Microsoft’s Windows Easy Transfer software if it comes up automatically once the cable is attached. The Bravura software will get confused if Windows Easy Transfer is open on either end of the connection.

3. To launch the Bravura software, look for the “Easy Computer Sync” folder in the Start Menu (for Windows XP, Vista, or 7) or its icon on the Desktop (if you chose to have a shortcut put there during product installation). In Windows 8, there will be a new tile on your desktop for Easy Computer Sync.

Remember to launch the software on both computers that will be involved with the sync.

4. You’ll click “Next” on some introductory screens.

5. When you come to a screen with default set of folders to sync, you’re almost there. This screen offers a repeat of the basic Windows Easy Transfer functionality. Ignore it in favor of using  Bravura’s drag-and-drop file transfer between the connected PCs.

To do so, click the “Drag & Drop Files” button.

6. You’ll switch to a new UI that shows a traditional looking file manager for both computers.

You now can traverse the file system on either computer and move or copy files between the two by drag and drop or via the cut/copy/paste commands. Be careful with the power of this interface. Just as when you’re in Windows Explorer, don’t move or remove any files if you don’t know what they do.

If You Need Help
We’ve tried to cover the basics of how you can make the most of your Plugable USB-EASY-TRAN easy transfer cable in conjunction with Windows Easy Transfer (migrating Windows account files and settings from an old to a new PC) and Bravura Easy Computer Sync (general file transfer between two computers). But we’re always here to help with your specific questions and use cases.

Feel free to comment here or write us at support@plugable.com.

Plugable USB 2.0 Easy Transfer Cable

Product Details

$15.95

Plugable’s new USB-NANO-11N WiFi adapter offers 802.11n wireless connectivity in an incredibly small package.

At just 0.25 inches long by 0.5 inches wide when plugged into a USB port, the USB-NANO-11N is barely noticeable. With such a low profile, you don’t have to worry about the adapter snapping off from an accidental nudge. In fact, you won’t even need to unplug it before you stuff your laptop PC your backpack or totebag.

Size Matters
The drawback of such a small form factor is that the USB-NANO-11N has a small antenna, which limits the performance and range of the adapter. While it theoretically could connect to an 802.11n wireless network at a top speed of 150 Mbps, real-world usage shows that speeds up to 24 Mbps are more likely.

Distance from the WiFi hotspot also will cause the connection quality to vary. For optimal performance, we recommend the USB-NANO-11N for customers who plan to use the adapter in the same room as the hotspot.

Getting Connected
If the USB-NANO-11N is right for you, there’s an important step you must take before plugging it in to your computer: Download and install the latest drivers first.

There is a drivers CD included with the adapter, but it’s always best to use the latest drivers available online. And if you’re going to use this on a Windows PC, you definitely want to install the updated drivers rather than rely on Windows to pick the right ones for you.

Given that you’re probably going to use the adapter on a computer that doesn’t currently have an Internet connection, you’ll need to find a computer where you can get to the following URL: http://plugable.com/products/usb-nano-11n/driver. This will take you to the drivers page for the Realtek 8818CUS chipset that’s at the heart of the USB-NANO-11N.

Screen shot of the Windows, Mac, and Linux drivers download page for the USB-NANO-11N

Download the drivers you need–they’re available for Windows XP, Vista, and 7; Mac OS X 10.4 and up; plus versions of Linux (Note: the Android drivers are for developers only)–to some kind of portable media (USB drive, CD) that you can use on the computer where you need to install them.

Once the drivers are in place (a restart may be needed), plug in the USB-NANO-11N, and you should be good to go. The adapter works in USB 2.0 and 1.1 ports, though you’ll get faster throughput in a USB 2.0 port. When you have an active connection, an LED at the top of the unit will flash intermittently.

The driver install also will add Realtek’s USB wireless LAN utility to you computer, which allows you to manage the adapter’s settings, set up usage profiles, and see info about the state of your network connection. It’s all the same functionality that’s available through your computer’s operating system but in one handy location for the USB-NANO-11N.

As noted, the adapter supports the 802.11n draft WiFi specification for data transmission in the 2.4Ghz band, but it is compatible with the older 802.11b and g specifications. It also supports the common WiFi security protocols (64/128 bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK and Wi-Fi Protected Setup).

Additional Uses
In future posts we’ll look at some other uses of the USB-NANO-11N, such as

• adding a second network adapter to a PC to use it for Internet connection sharing and
• getting all your wireless devices on the same 802.11 spec for improved WiFi speed.

If you have pre-sales or support questions about the USB-NANO-11N, don’t hesitate to write to us at support@plugable.com. We’re here to help.

Plugable USB Wireless Adapter – 802.11N – 1T1R – Nano Size – Short Range – Windows, Mac, Linux (Realtek Chipset)

Product Details

What is possible, however, is running a single DisplayLink adapter, or several with a Xinerama or multiseat configuration — just as long as you don’t expect to use your main GPU at the same time.

The single-display case is relatively easy to set up, and we’ll cover that here.

First, make sure you’re running kernel version 2.6.35 or later (Ubuntu 10.10 or later). For older kernel versions, you’ll need to update udlfb and run a modified fbdev X server (not covered in this post). On these kernel versions, when you plug in your DisplayLink-based USB graphics device, you should get a green screen. This means that at the driver built into the Linux kernel is happy, healthy, and talking to the device.

Second, if you are running Unity Desktop in Ubuntu 11.04 or later, you’ll need to switch back to Classic Mode so you’re running straight X. Here’s how on Ubuntu:

Click on the power button in the upper right corner (mine looks like a light switch) and choose the last option, System Settings. Search for Login Screen, Double-click to display, Choose Unlock and enter your password, Select Ubuntu Classic as default session.

Third, if you’re running kernel versions between 2.6.35 to 3.1, enable the fb_defio option of udlfb. To do this, create or edit a file like
/etc/modprobe.d/50-displaylink.conf

and add the single line

options udlfb fb_defio=1

And reboot (or run “sudo depmod -a” and unplug/replug your adapter). This will turn on defio (page fault change detection) support. This option is already enabled by default in kernels 3.2+.

Lastly, create an X config file called 60-plugable.conf (or similar) with the following contents and place it in /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d (on recent distros; on older distros, make this your xorg.conf):

 
Section "Device" 
  Identifier "uga" 
  driver "fbdev" 
  Option "fbdev" "/dev/fb0" 
  Option "ShadowFB" "off"
EndSection 
 
Section "Monitor" 
  Identifier "monitor" 
EndSection 
 
Section "Screen" 
  Identifier "screen" 
  Device "uga" 
  Monitor "monitor" 
EndSection 
 
Section "ServerLayout" 
  Identifier "default" 
  Screen 0 "screen" 0 0 
EndSection

Note: if your main GPU creates a /dev/fb0 even when the USB display is not attached, then your USB display is probably getting assigned to /dev/fb1. In that case, change /dev/fb0 in the “Device” section above to /dev/fb1

Now, on reboot, you should (hopefully!) see your login come up on your DisplayLink USB attached display!

This kind of simple setup is useful for:

• Testing or playing with your USB graphics adatper on Linux.
• Embedded systems with USB but no GPU.
• As a backup method when the main GPU or its driver isn’t available or working.
• Systems where a USB graphics adapter enables higher modes (up to 2048×1152) than the main GPU screen.

Please comment if you have any trouble with this single display case. See our past posts for additional information about the DisplayLink Linux kernel driver and some more involved setups.

The instructed here work on all Plugable USB 2.0 graphics adapters and Plugable USB 2.0 docking stations and thin clients (and should also generally work on all DisplayLink based products).

For Plugable’s USB 2.0 products with DisplayLink chips, however, we’re still recommending earlier DisplayLink Windows driver version 5.6 M1 (5.6.31870.0), because of its proven stability. For now, Windows Update will still deliver 5.6 M1 automatically when you plug a Plugable device in.

Here’s a little background on why:

DisplayLink’s newest 6.x drivers work with all DisplayLink chips (USB 2.0 and the coming USB 3.0 generation), but the primary development focus of version 6.x has been on enabling the coming USB 3.0 generation of products. Perhaps as a result, there are some minor tradeoffs for USB 2.0 generation devices.

Here are the tradeoffs we’re following:

1) On a few systems, screens may go blank after returning from a reboot or power event. The cause appears to be changes in the way display configuration information is stored with the 6.0 and 6.1 drivers – Windows and the drivers can get confused, and that confusion will persist across unplugs, reboots, etc (going back to 5.6 M1 is the solution in these cases)
2) The uninstaller on version 6.1 fails to uninstall from Windows’ Programs and Features (as a workaround, you can use the DisplayLink “cleaner” utility).
3) 5.6 M1 is the last release where DisplayLink’s logs are readable. When we hit any strange problems on a customer’s system, our ability to analyze the logs to find the underlying problems (and solutions) is one of the ways we try to provide better support for Plugable brand devices.

All that said, we run the latest drivers on nearly all of our own systems (so we can stay up to date with the latest developments), and generally they’re great. So if there are any 6.x features or fixes that are relevant to you, feel free to download and install 6.1 M0 or later to give it a try. You can always download the latest DisplayLink driver here. And we expect that with one of the coming releases, we’ll push forward our recommendation to the latest version.

For those considering the latest versions, here’s the features and fixes DisplayLink has delivered since 5.6 M1 (as of version 6.1 M0). We’ve cut down the list to just those appear to be relevant to USB 2.0 devices.

New features since 5.6 M1 (as of 6.1 M0):

- Improved video smoothness for DL-1×0, DL-1×5 and DL-3×00 series
- Improved frame rate
- Reduced CPU utilization
- DisplayLink Tray applet enhancements

(Note these are generally subtle improvements)

New fixes since 5.6 M1 (as of 6.1 M0):

Sometimes the DisplayLink screen will remain blank when the device is
re-plugged after having been disconnected during power save. (11708)

Moving a mouse over full-screen video playback causes quality to drop. (12409)

Sometimes DisplayLink screen comes on in clone mode instead of extending when
connecting the device for the very first time. (10217)

Sometimes video may freeze on DisplayLink monitor. (11333)

Other miscellaneous fixes

Unfortunately, Apple limits compatibility to Apple brand adapters (even though they use the same ASIX chipset). And it fails on non-Apple adapters in a confusing way: it will show as “Connected” in the Network control panel, but connections out won’t work — you’ll notice it has a self-assigned IP address (169.*), no router, and no DNS server. It looks something like this:

Fortunately, ASIX has an updated driver which works on Lion (and older versions). Note that if you had done this before upgrading to Lion, your old driver may be 32-bit. Lion moves all systems to a 64-bit kernel, so in the case of a Lion upgrade, you may have to uninstall the old driver (uninstaller included in the driver package), and follow the steps below to get ASIX’s latest driver.

Download the Plugable USB2-E1000 (ASIX 88178 chipset) driver.

If you’re downlading with Safari, look for the Download folder the Lion has in your Dock by default. Click on that to bring up recent downloads, which looks like this:

Open that folder, then click on the “.dmg” to open the ASIX driver installer disk image.

The image then shows up on the left side of the window, below your other drives, called “DISK IMAGE”. Click on this to open the image, then click on the installer (the icon with the package opening).

You’re finally out of Lion’s folders and into the installer proper.

The ASIX 88178 driver isn’t big (254K)

You will be prompted to let the driver install.

A reboot is required for the newly installed driver to be active.

After the reboot, if you open the Network control panel, you should now see “Connected”, but now also with a properly assigned IP address, DNS, etc.

If that’s not the case (or something goes awry later), it’s common on Mac OS X to need a fresh interface for the adapter, which you can create via the network control panel (this creates a new, clean configuration for an adapter). See the ASIX Mac installation guide for details.

And once you have that automatically assigned IP address, you should be done – open Safari and enjoy!

And if you have a Plugable adapter and have any problems at all, we’re here to help. Visit support.plugable.com or email support@plugable.com anytime. Thanks!

Where to Buy

Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter (ASIX AX88178 Chipset)

Product Details

$26.95

• If you want to verify that the adapter and the driver were installed properly click here

Connect the device to the Mac. Once connected click on the Apple icon and on ‘About This Mac’

Click on ‘More Info…’

Click on ‘USB’ on the left and on the ‘USB-Serial Controller D’
If all is well you should be seeing something like this:

Time to get the driver! Fire up Safari and browse to http://plugable.com/drivers/prolific/ and scroll down to Mac.
Click on the ‘PL2303 MacOSX10.6 dmg v.1.4.0.zip’, the Safari Downloads window should come up:

Double click on the md_PL23-3_MacOSX10

Now double click on the PL2303_1.4.0.dmg to mount the image

Now double click on the PL2303_1.4.0 to start the installation

Once the installer comes up click ‘Continue’ to proceed.

Then ‘Select a Destination’ click on your desired drive and click ‘Continue’ to move forward

Now just click ‘Install’ to continue.

You may be asked of your username and password – enter them and click ‘OK’

You’ll get a warning about restarting the computer after the installation is complete. This is normal, click ‘Continue Installation‘.

Installing should start (takes a couple of minutes to complete)

When it’s done you should see this:

Click on ‘Restart’ to reboot the Mac.

 After you restart, check that everything has installed OK.
On the Mac there are two methods to determine this:

Method 1:
Click on ‘Applications’

Click on ‘Utilities’

Click on ‘Terminal’

Type:
kextstat | grep prolific
and:
ioreg -c IOSerialBSDClient | grep usb
Your results should be very close to this:

Method 2:
Click on ‘System Preferences’

Click on ‘Network’

Now click on the ‘+’ sign on the bottom left, and then on the ‘Select the interface and enter a name for the new Service’ click on ‘Interface’ – you should be seeing the ‘USB-Serial Controller D’ there.

This will create a “Network” interface for a modem or serial port. Because it’s a serial port, it’ll say “Not Configured” and that’s normal:

From the “Advanced” button you can change default settings (usually not needed). And this won’t change the “Not Configured” message – that’s still ok.

Now finally, you need an application which will talk to the serial port. On Mac, the file which maps to the port is /dev/cu.usbserial. If you have a null modem cable and a terminal program on the other side, the Mac actually has a built-in terminal program called “screen” that you can use to test the connection.

Once that is up and connected (and if the serial ports are set to the same baud rate and paramters), you can type on either side and see the characters come across.

Support

USB Serial on the Mac is a real melding of the very new and very old. If you have any trouble, just visit plugable.com/products/pl2303-db9/support/ to see existing FAQs for Plugable’s USB Serial adapter.

Where to Buy

Plugable USB to RS-232 DB9 Serial Adapter (Prolific PL2303HX Chipset)

Product Details

$12.95

Get the driver from: http://plugable.com/drivers/prolific/

You’ll want to download the driver and unzip it anywhere on your desktop. Once you have, double click on it to start the installation.

The installation is relatively simple and no questions are asked. When it’s done you should see something like this:

Now go ahead and connect the adapter. You should get a pop-up looking like this:

Finally Windows should report that the device has been installed:

On Device Manager you should be looking at something like this:

• Now, If you want to change the COM port assignment, here’s how to change the COM port for a USB Serial adapter on Windows 7

This update is compatible with and applies to all Plugable USB graphics adapters and docks.

This is great news, as this new version includes a few important fixes and features, and many small ones. Details below.

Notes

• Windows 7 makes Windows Update for hardware automatic, but it can be enabled for Vista and XP also
• The update will automatically be triggered by Windows when it sees a new device. Or for an existing device, you can trigger Windows Update manually, and look for DisplayLink’s drivers among the “Optional” updates.

Important Features/Fixes from 5.5 to 5.6 M1

• Fix for software-triggered screen freezes (which required system reboot or service restart)
• Support for Windows Server SKUs (with Aero installed and enabled)
• Better compatibility with nVidia and ATI GPUs
• Improved compatibility with newer DirectX apps

Full changelist from DisplayLink

C1. Fixed issues between R5.6 (5.6.31721.0) and R5.6 M1 (5.6.31854.0)
—————————————

If the reboot prompt after install is ignored on Windows XP, then the
DisplayLink monitor set to mirror may display corrupted data. (10953)

After installing DisplayLink software on some systems with switchable graphics
architectures, the main monitor may be dimmed and not responsive until reboot.
(10534)

Monitor details were not being updated in “Devices and Printers” folder when
changing the monitors connected to DisplayLink device. (9917)

DisplayLink monitors may flash occasionally when playing fullscreen videos on
several stations. (11173)

On Windows XP after installing DisplayLink drivers several reboot cycles may be
requested. (11079)

C1. Fixed issues between R5.5 (5.5.27797) and R5.6 (5.6.31721.0)
—————————————
DisplayLink Software upgraded through Windows Update will not work correctly
after rebooting the system (issue affecting releases R5.3 to R5.4 on Windows
update). (9658)

Blue screen on Windows 7 on some platforms when rebooting after having applied
layout changes. (9631)

The DisplayLink GUI stops functioning correctly after switching GPU on some
ATI/Intel hybrid systems. (10065, 10106)

Sometimes there are two DisplayLink icons present in the system tray. (9807)

Sometimes the DisplayLink icon is missing in the system tray. (9545, 9837)

Video in Basic Mode not working with the latest Windows updates on both Windows
Vista and Windows 7. (1609)

Video playback issues on Microsoft Windows 7 with the latest NVIDIA Drivers.
(10061)

A DisplayLink USB monitor could occasionally remain blank after a PC reboot.
(9622)

DirectX 9 games could crash when running on a primary, non DisplayLink, screen.
(10027)

DisplayLink software fails to install on NVidia Quadro FX 880M graphics card.
(9637)

On Windows 7 Windows Photo Viewer may show corruption when a DisplayLink
monitor is mirroring the main screen. (9612)

On some systems with switchable graphics architectures disconnecting
a DisplayLink monitor may cause main monitor to be switched off. (9750, 9747)

Screen corruption while performing the Aero 3D flip (Windows+tab) interface
effect. (10425)

Blue screen when restarting with a connected DisplayLink screen in Projector
Only mode. (10457)

After a series of layout changes the DisplayLink screens can sometimes freeze
while the DisplayLink GUI loses functionality. (10489)

2 DisplayLink GUIs are shown in the system tray after installation. (10504)

Blue screen when using a DisplayLink device for the first time on some Optimus
configurations. (10700)

On some Optimus configurations, rebooting with a DisplayLink device connected
causes the DisplayLink screens to remain black with a blinking mouse pointer.
(10701, 10702)

Screen corruption when using 3D GUI effects on DisplayLink screens in some
display configurations. (9611, 10425)

Screen corruption on DisplayLink screens while using some applications after a
transition from projector mode to duplicate. (9612)

Video in Basic Mode not working with the latest Windows updates on both Windows
Vista and Windows 7. (1609)

In rare scenarios a DisplayLink monitor may freeze. (10230)

DisplayLink USB monitor could occasionally remain blank after a PC reboot.
(9622)

Blue screen when playing video on multiple clients. (6309, 9442)

SRC Shell application crashed when playing video clip. (10212)

When the logon screen is displayed, occasionally the DisplayLink displays are
frozen and only updated by the mouse pointer. (10044)

On some switchable systems the main screen flashes continuously after
installing the DisplayLink driver or after connecting the DisplayLink device.
(10653)

Corruption is shown while moving the cursor near the edge of a window on top of
a Windows Media Player window. (10752)

Incorrect/missing Windows Update error reporting from the DisplayLink GUI.
(10523)

Sometimes a Windows XP computer with DisplayLink drivers installed will hang
while starting. (9607)

On some nVidia Optimus systems the DisplayLink display will remain black
immediately after installing the DisplayLink drivers. A reboot recovers from
this issue. (10785)

On some machines Windows falls into endless reboot loop after installation of
DisplayLink drivers. (10918)

Timing not compliant with the CEA861D specification. (10952)

How to determine your firmware version

Go to Windows start menu and search for Windows’ “Device Manager” utility. Expand the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” section.

The Plugable SATA dock will be one of potentially several “USB Mass Storage Device”s. They all share a common name, because it’s actually Microsoft’s own built-in USB Mass Storage driver that controls the device (which is why no driver disk is needed for the Plugable SATA drive docking station).

So we need to open each one to check which is actually the Plugable SATA dock. To check the ids on each one, right click “USB Mass Storage Device”, selecting “Properties”, then selecting the “Details” tab, and then finally selecting “Hardware IDs” from the dropdown list (it’s the 2nd item on the list).

The Plugable Docking Station will be the one with VID_1759 (which is the identifier of LucidPort, Inc). The PID is usually 5000 or 5002. And the REV_ shows the firmware version currently flashed on the dock. In the case of the screenshot above, it’s verison 2580.

If you don’t find the Plugable device, try connecting with USB 2.0 (instead of USB 3) and make sure both power and USB are connected.

Our most recent update is to upgrade all older Plugable USB3-SATA-U3 docking stations to firmware version 2580, to improve USB 3.0 error tolerance and support 3TB+ drives.

Newer Plugable USB3-SATA-U3 docking stations (those purchased now) are already up to date with this firmware version.

You can see the fixes and features introduced in each LucidPort firmware version in their USB300 firmware change history.

And please contact us at http://support.plugable.com/ or support@plugable.com anytime for help. Thanks!

DisplayLink has released an updated Mac driver (1.7 beta 1) with support for Mac OX 10.7 “Lion” (both 32 and 64 bit kernels).

The driver is available for download now at http://displaylink.com/support/mac_downloads.php and is compatible with all Plugable USB graphics adapters and docking stations, such as the Plugable UGA-2K-A.

DisplayLink’s release coincided with Apple’s announcement today at WWDC that the Lion update will be available for purchase next month for $29. Driver updates from DisplayLink are free.

This new line of DisplayLink drivers (1.7 and later) is critical for all DisplayLink Mac users looking to upgrade to Lion, as the new OS release breaks all older USB graphics drivers.

The new DisplayLink driver release includes other fixes, but retains the same high-level characteristics and limitations of prior Mac driver versions (displays up to 2048×1152 on high-end USB adapters; limit of 4 additional displays via 4 USB adapters; no Quartz Extreme/OpenGL support).