September 28, 2018: Update With the latest driver release from DisplayLink, full functionality is returned in macOS 10.14. After updating to macOS 10.14, the DisplayLink 5.0 drivers will need to be installed as older driver versions will not work. For more information, visit our FAQ page on this issue at: If you encounter any difficulties in the installation process, please contact our support team directly and we will be happy to help.
Support information can be found at: August 1, 2018 DisplayLink has posted a significant update regarding a permanent solution to restore complete functionality for users with the upcoming release of Mojave (10.14). Users and developers with access to Apple’s 5 th developer preview of Mojave will now see that “full support has now been restored for multiple extended DisplayLink displays where DisplayLink driver is installed.” With this new Apple OS update (to be released soon, ETA unknown), we are hoping that we will see full support of DisplayLink-based StarTech.com products restored (enabling multiple displays in extended mode). With this update, our Product Development team will be doing extensive testing on the latest developer release. They are also working closely with DisplayLink on the timing for a release of updated drivers. To view the update from DisplayLink in full, please see: As we have more information regarding this release and updated drivers, be sure to check out our for updates.
May 2: Update DisplayLink posted an update on their support site yesterday regarding a temporary solution they plan to make available soon for this issue which would add an extended USB display while they work on finding a permanent solution for macOS users. We are continuing to monitor developments with the DisplayLink-macOS compatibility issue and will post additional updates as they become available.
You can read the latest update from DisplayLink here: April 26: Update While there is still no solution available to address the video issue that arose for Mac users who have installed the macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 update, DisplayLink which makes the technology that enables extended video in many docking stations on the market, published this update yesterday: “DisplayLink has committed significant resources to finding a way to restore extended mode display support in a future release of macOS. We have made solid progress towards identifying a solution, however our team needs to complete more work before we can communicate a release plan for a driver that will restore extended mode displays.” You can read the full post from DisplayLink here: We are continuing to monitor developments on this issue and will post any significant updates to this blog. April 11: Update As of today, there is still no updated driver available to address the issue with products utilizing DisplayLink technology that were affected by the recent macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 update. We have been in touch with DisplayLink and they are currently working on a solution to restore video functionality to users who have already updated their macOS. You can find the latest update from DisplayLink here: We will continue to monitor the situation and share any information we receive on our blog and web pages for the impacted products.
Original Post Apple recently released a new version of macOS (version 10.13.4). It was found that this new version caused compatibility issues with products that use DisplayLink technology, such as USB docking stations and video adapters. The result of this issue is that products in this category that use this technology may no longer have video. Peripheral ports on the docking stations (usb, ethernet, audio) will continue to function. DisplayLink is currently working on fixing the issue identified in this release.
Additional information can be found on DisplayLink’s website at: We are monitoring the situation and will provide updated information as it becomes available. Hi, we aren’t able to provide a specific timeline for a resolution as it is being worked on by DisplayLink who developed the technology used in these docks. You can learn more about the current status and an interim driver they developed that enables clone mode until a permanent solution is available here: Reverting back to a previous version of OS is not an easy process and comes with risks so we are not recommending that option. Please keep checking our blog for updates as we will let you know here once a solution is available. Best Regards, Andrew.
Hi David, we apologize for the inconvenience this issue is causing. DisplayLink which created the technology used in many docking stations on the market, including some of our models, is working on an updated driver but we do not have an ETA yet.
You can see their latest update here which includes information about an interim solution that will enable clone mode video until a complete fix is made: As soon as a solution is available we will post details on our blog. Once again we apologize for the inconvenience and we anticipate the issue will be rectified soon. Hi Andrew, Do you know if the Thunderbolt display adapters are backward compatible with previous thunderbolt versions? I have a 2012 MacBook but I can’t tell which version I have. The system report just displays: Thunderbolt Bus: Vendor Name: Apple Inc. Device Name: MacBook Pro UID: 0x000DA0 Route String: 0 Firmware Version: 25.1 Domain UUID: 0FB5CB23-6B5B-C75A-9C04-3E7C457AE264 Port: Status: No device connected Link Status: 0x101 Speed: Up to 10 Gb/s x2 Receptacle: 1 Port Micro Firmware Version: 2.1.3 Thanks Oscar.
Hi Oscar, A MacBook Pro from 2012 has Thunderbolt (not Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt 3) ports. If a Thunderbolt 2 dock like our TB2DOCK4KDHC or TB2DOCK4K2DP is connected to a Thunderbolt port on a computer, it will work but performance may be limited.
Thunderbolt 3 docks are not backward compatible with Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 ports, since they use a different connector type. Depending on the setup, a simple Mini DisplayPort adapter may be a better option.
Please reach out to us directly at 1-800-265-1844, Option 4, so we can look into this with you and help find a solution. We have Technical Advisors available 24 hours, 5 days a week. To reach us, and for more resources, please visit Thank you! I ordered on April 28, 2017, (order# 1-3886622) StarTech.com Dual Monitor KVM Docking Station – 4K – USB 3.0 – File Transfer Compatibility – Universal Laptop Docking Station. For 2 months it has been a $200 paper weight as it is not compatible with my Macbook Pro running OS High Sierra 10.13.4. I have waited patiently as your support site states that a fix is under way. I understand this is a Display Link issue and you cannot speed it up or intervene.
However you can honor some form of customer service work around besides violating the integrity of my operating system by reverting to an out of date OS version or attempting to sell me a newer Thunderbolt 3 dock at full price. The mere fact that this is a suggested method to rectify the situation is simply predatory.
I bought a product from Startech and hope that you honor that by living up to your reputation and at a bare minimum offering a credit to a compatible dock with similar features. Can you please assist me with this situation as I do not have $200-$300 sitting around to replace things that I did not cause. The only other route would be a collective class action suit or reporting to media the injustice of being taken advantage of due to faulty products.
Not to mention the loss of income due to decreased productivity. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
I, too, am getting more and more frustrated as the days slide. It’s been months now, and I’ve been checking every few days to see if there’s any progress. I understand that initially, the bug caught everyone by surprise, but again, it is now going on months. Like a lot of people, I haven’t made any comments – just off in the wings looking to be pleasantly surprised that an update is available.
32-bit App Compatibility With Macos High Sierra 10.13.4 And Later
At the very least, we should be getting a status update on progress, even if the fix is not yet available. Where are they on this???? Is the Apple team working with DisplayLink on a daily basis? Is some functionality looking promising? I can’t believe that Apple drastically changed the way displays are handled to such an extent that it would take months to fix this.
I am a software developer, and I could never get away with not reporting my progress on a regular basis. We’re all being patient, but we bought the product for a reason, and would like to get back with the functionality we need.
Please give a us a status update on if they’ve made any progress, what the obstacle is, and when we might expect a beta version, or (OMG!) a release product.
Macos High Sierra 10.13.4 Compatibility
Update 3/29/2018 – We have updated our recommendations for changing for the system update options within system preferences. Please see the details below As Apple improves and releases updates to their operating system macOS, they release public beta versions so that those who wish to do so can test new features and fixes and report any problems should they arise. With the recent public beta release of the next version of macOS version 10.13.4 beta, changes made by Apple have unfortunately broken support for USB video adapters and/or docking stations based on DisplayLink technology. The USB docking stations that Plugable offers and supports within macOS such as our and are based on DisplayLink technology, so as a result if any of our customers using these products update to the public beta of 10.13.4 the displays attached to their devices will stop working.
DisplayLink (the separate company from Plugable that makes the chips in our DisplayLink-based products and writes the driver) are aware of the issue and are working on a fix. The issue is being tracked publicly in their support forum here - DisplayLink has also raised the issue with Apple directly (Bug ID# 37385102) but as of today there is no fix or workaround for the behavior. Plugable recommends that any of our customers not install the 10.13.4 beta if they are using a DisplayLink-based video adapter or docking station. Apple does not publish a specific date for when the final non-beta release will be made available, but as a precaution moving forward we would recommend that any of our potentially affected customers temporarily remove the check mark for both the ‘Download newly available updates in the background’ and ‘Install macOS Updates’ options within the App Store preferences application available within System Preferences. This will help ensure that if a fix is not found prior to the final public release of 10.13.4, their systems will remain on the 10.13.3 version which does work properly with DisplayLink. As we have updates for this issue we will update the top of this post to reflect them.
If any of our customers have any additional questions regarding this issue, please reach out to us directly via and we will be happy to help.