USB to Dual HDMI Adapter - 4K

You may have heard of USB video adapters, and have been wondering what they are, and whether or not they will work in your setup.

USB video adapters are devices that take one USB port and go to one or many video connections, such as VGA, DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort.  This is useful if you would like to add an additional display to your computer setup, but are out of video connections on your computer. 

USB video adapters allow you to mirror or duplicate your display, so the same windows are shown on all of your displays, or extend your desktop, so that you can have different windows on each display.

So what do you need to know before you purchase a USB video adapter?

• USB video adapters require the computer to have a free USB port.
• Check which video connections your display has, and select the appropriate USB video adapter.
• Ensure that the USB video adapter is compatible with your operating system.
• USB video adapters require your video card to be able to handle an additional display.  This is because USB video adapters work with your onboard or dedicated video card to drive additional displays.  For this reason you are advised to confirm this with your video card manufacturer. 
• Consider what you will be doing on the additional display.  If you are looking to perform less graphically intensive activities like using Microsoft Office, email, or basic web surfing, you can use any USB video adapter.  If you are looking to perform more graphically intensive activities like high end photo or video editing, you want a USB video adapter with dedicated memory. 

There are a few other important things to note:

• When using multiple USB video adapters on the same computer, they need to use the same chipset family.  For example, MCT/Trigger, DisplayLink or Fresco.  Note: How many adapters you can use depends on the SKU.
• You may not be able to use a USB video adapter with an All-In-One computer.  These computers are almost always hardwired to only accept a single display.
• You may not be able to use a USB video adapter with a touchscreen computer or display.  A mixture of touchscreen and non-touchscreen devices can conflict with the video card. 
• You should not use a USB video adapter to play video games.  They are not designed for use with video games, and their performance with them is poor at best.

Note: Do not physically connect the USB video adapter to your computer until you are instructed to (Step 5).

Prior to installing this device, please ensure that your operating system is up to date (for example, you have installed the most recent service pack).

To install the driver:

1. Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website (http://www.startech.com/Support). You can find the part number and product ID on the product’s packaging.

Note: Windows will typically save the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:\Users\your_name\Downloads).

2. Once the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, select Extract All, and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. In the list of extracted files, right-click the Setup.exe file and select Run as Administrator.

Note: If the Run as Administrator option is not available, you might be attempting to run the installer from within the zipped file. Extract the files using the instructions in Step 2.

4. Follow the on-screen prompts to install the device drivers and restart the computer when prompted.
5. Once Windows has restarted, connect the USB video adapter to your computer.
6. Your computer will automatically complete the driver installation and your device should be ready to use.

Note: Installation may take several seconds to complete. During the installation your display might flicker; this is normal. Once the installation has completed you will see your Windows desktop extended to the additional monitor.

Note: Do not physically connect the USB video adapter to your computer until you are instructed to (Step 5).

Prior to installing this device, ensure that your operating system is up to date (for example, you have installed the most recent service pack).

To install the driver:

1. Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website (http://www.startech.com/Support). You can find the part number and product ID on the product’s packaging.

Note: Windows will typically save the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:\Documents and Settings\your_name\My Documents\Downloads).

2. Once the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, select Extract All, and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. In the list of extracted files, double-click the Setup.exe file.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to install the device drivers and restart the computer when prompted.
5. Once Windows has restarted, connect the USB video adapter to your computer.
6. Your computer will automatically complete the driver installation and your device should be ready to use.

Note: Installation may take several seconds to complete. During the installation your display might flicker; this is normal. Once the installation has completed you will see your Windows desktop extended to the additional monitor.

Note: Physically disconnect your USB Video Adapter from the computer before completing the steps below.

Windows 10 / 8

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows Key + X.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Click Programs and Features.
4. Click Uninstall a program to display a list of all installed software on your computer.
5. Locate and select the USB Display Device (Trigger Family) software.
6. Click Uninstall at the top of your screen to begin the removal process and restart your computer when prompted.

Windows 7 / Vista

1. Click Start.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Click Programs and Features.
4. Click Uninstall a program to display a list of all installed software on your computer.
5. Locate and select the USB Display Device (Trigger Family) software.
6. Click Uninstall at the top of your screen to begin the removal process and restart your computer when prompted.

Windows XP

1. Click Start.
2. Click Control Panel.
3. Click Add/Remove Programs to display a list of all installed software on your computer.
4. Locate and select the USB Display Device (Trigger Family) software.
5. Click Remove to begin the removal process and restart your computer when prompted.

If the display connected through your USB display adapter does not wake up after your computer has been in extended hibernation, it is likely that Windows has automatically turned off the USB Root hub to save power. 

The steps below outline how to configure the USB root hub to stay on during hibernation, to prevent this from happening.

Windows 8 / 10

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows key + X and select Control Panel.
2. Click Hardware and Sound, then click Power Options.
3. Click Change plan settings for the plan you want to change.
4. Click Change advanced power settings.
5. Click the plus sign (+) next to “USB settings” and “USB selective suspend setting” to expand the options and change the setting to Disabled.
6. Click OK to apply the setting.

Note: You may need to disconnect and re-connect your USB display adapter after applying these settings to re-establish the connection.

Windows 7 / Vista

1. Click the Start button and select Control Panel.
2. Click Hardware and Sound, then click Power Options.
3. Click Change plan settings for the plan you want to change.
4. Click Change advanced power settings.
5. Click the plus sign (+) next to “USB settings” and “USB selective suspend setting” to expand the options and change the setting to Disabled.
6. Click OK to apply the setting.

Note: You may need to disconnect and re-connect your USB display adapter after applying these settings to re-establish the connection.

Windows XP

1. On your desktop, right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties.
2. Click the Device Manager tab.
3. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers by clicking the arrow to the left of it.
4. Right-click the first USB Root Hub device and select Properties.
5. Click the Power Management tab.
6. Clear the box next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
7. Click OK to apply the setting.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 for any remaining devices in the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section with “Root Hub” in the name.

Note: You may need to disconnect and re-connect your USB display adapter after applying these settings to re-establish the connection.

Touchscreen Monitors

A mixture of touchscreen and non-touchscreen displays can cause a conflict with your internal video card. Because of this limitation, touchscreen functions may be disabled when the USB Video Adapter is connected, or the USB Video Adapter may not work at all. Contact the manufacturer of your system to confirm whether your specific model can support a secondary display or not.

All-in-One Computers

Many all-in-one computer systems limit the number of possible monitors to one. This is a limitation in how all-in-one computers are typically manufactured, so adding an external display may not be possible regardless of which USB video adapter is used. Contact the manufacturer of your system to confirm whether your specific model can support a secondary display or not.