Parallels and DisplayLink

[mered62]

I understand from this article in the knowledgebase that Parallels and DisplayLink don't work well together (I assume this is still true in Parallels 19?).

However, I'm considering getting a DisplayLink adaptor anyway, as I really want a second screen, and I'm at least a year away from getting a new MacBook Pro which supports them natively.

My question is: what actually happens when you have both the Parallels and DisplayLink display drivers installed at the same time? Will the Windows VM always crash/fail to start, or will it still work on a non-DisplayLink screen? Is it the mere presence of the driver which causes an issue, or is it only when they're forced to interact with each other? If I bypass the DisplayLink adaptor by connecting a screen directly to the laptop, will it work then?

Any insights very much appreciated.

 

[Maxim Rasulov]

Hello.

It is indeed still the case as the article describes, installing the DisplayLink driver in the virtual machine would cause to conflict with Parallels driver and issues as described range from screen stopping to work, to the entire virtual machine crashing.

There is a possibility that it will function if DisplayLink is only used on the host side, however, we cannot guarantee lack of issues even in this case, and in general cannot recommend using it.

On the other hand, connecting a screen that doesnt use DisplayLink connection or a driver, via an HDMI for instance, or USB-C to HDMI converter should function just fine.